The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-31
VIRGINIA Claim 6
HALLEY'5 COME
Here When State Was Born and
May Be at End. il 1t Hap
pens to Hit the Earth.
GAzED AT BY JOHN SMITH
DR.. Taylor Asserts That Comet
Will Only Come Within TO-
100000 Miles of Jamestown.

| According 70 pr. william II. Taylor,
a local astronomer OF some rcnown,
| Halley's comet may shake things up
| If it happens to COLLIDE with Mother
/ Earth. Discussing the matter 4cster-
day. DR.. Taylor said:
"rhc approaching comet should be
! an object Of peculiar interest to Vir-
ginians. We may claim 1t as our conf
ct. for It was present at the birth of
our state, and If it collides with the
earth will have something considera-
BILE to do with the death of 1T. 1t was
a visitor to our sky in 1907, when
jamestown was founded. and may
have been gazed at by Captain Smith
and Pocahontap with wonder and
probably with dread
but while this comet may possibly
be tho death OF us some bitter day.
that day Will not be one of our days.
It's path is well known to astronomers,
and this 1t will pursue with the In
nexibility of the DEGREES OF fate, which
will bring 1t within about 100000
miles of Jamestown; and neither pray
crs nor imprecations VIII induce 1t
to swcrve one hairs breadth further
or nearer than its lord. the sun. or
dams. We shall thus be far enough
away from It's head. but 1t is not alb
solutely out of the range of possibili-
ties that we may get entangled in Its
tail.
Comets Tnils Errntic.
This cannot be told yet, for comets
tails are very erratc formations. and.
to our present science, unpredictablc.
They, however, when formed appear
to be little more than sossamer. OF
even not so much, being. apparently,
mere ghosts, with next to nobody, and
capable of being perforated. like other
ghosts, without any tangible impress
sion from them. Our comet, indeed,
seems to be losing it's tail.
eat some OF Its former visits, judy
Ing from accounts. It must have been
very Notwithstanding object, but
at its last appearance. in 1885. 1t was
considered to bo rather poor speci-
men of a comet. This time 1t will
perhaps be even less impressive. with
out tail enough to switch us with.
but even should we become actu-
ally involved in our comets tail We
have experience which assures us that
II will do us no harm. There is eX-
cellent reason for believing that tho
earth has repeatedly passed through
the tails of comets, and It is very GER
tain that this has occurred within our
own time--so recently as in 1865, in
fact. No impression whatever was
thereby produced on the earth, and
the passage would not have been
known. independently OF the mathe-
NAUTICAL demonstrations of the astrono-
mers. but for a faint glow In our at
mosphere.
HID Famous Career. 80.
This is famous comet In many
ways apart from its GROWING glory
of being the first one to testify that
all Its vagrant race was obedlent to
the gravitational laws. If 1t bears
intelligent beings and they can make
themselves cognizant OF the affairs OF
tho worlds by which they glide in
their long and picturesque Journey.
they have known of much which has
been of the most momentous interest
to mankind. 1t has been with US In
many of the great crises of human
history. 1t was present with William
the Norman at the conquest Of Eng
land. 1t is believed to have been
present with Titus at the destruction
Of Jerusalem. 1t was present with
Captain Smith at the laying of the
foundations OF our nation. And be-
yond doubt 1t would be found to have
added Its glory and it's terror to num-
berless other stupendous scenes en-
acted by our restless race in far-or
days. would astronomers be willing
to tax their science to trace Its
courses.
Moreover. this comet Is greatly re-
nowned by its enforced association
with Pope Calixtus III, who, 1t has
been falsely alleged, discharged the
thunder~ of the Vatican against it.
Who may have originated this cello
brated calumny against Calixtus is
an unsolved problem, but. at any rate.
1t seems to have been brought into
vogue by an irreverent astronomer of
the last century. Perhaps no was not
over diligent in verifying the story,
nor greatly averse to bringing eccle-
slasticism through 1t into contempt.
Astronomers have suffered griev-
(; ously from the church and have re-
taliated when they were able. but only
| IN quite feeble fashion, for they have
| not usually had the means for eff
cient resistance. Their approved way
mas been to ignore all Christian names
| and symbols, and to fill tho heavens
with heather gods and goddesses, and
20 expose the Ignorance and supersti-
tlon of ecclesiasticlsm--for which. 1t
must be admitted. this institution has
given them many opportunities.
Prayed for Dellverance.
And yet, suppose that the Holy
Rather was as suparstitiously fearful
IN the fifteenth century as he has
been represented to be-that he orr
dered all the church bells to be rung
TO exercise tho comet. and that he
commanded the faithful to pray daily
Tor dellVerance from twas he after
all, more Irrational in this than was
that President Of the United States
who In the nineteenth century sought
TO save his people from the cholera
hy ordering a. day Of tasting and
praSer?-~a day in whose observance I
myself then child, participated. In
act; as champions Of the Pope have
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