The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-05-10

an event happened IN our
own time where fear seemed. SO 10
speak, scientifically justified; we
mean the return Of the little comet Of
Biela in 1882.
In calculating the time Of the fu-
cure ~reappearrance Of the new star,
Dama4seau had found that the comet
was to come on the twenty-ninth of
October 1892, before midnight, and
would traverse the plane in which
the earth moves, and the only place
IN which a comet is capable of en-
countering the Earth. The transit Of
the star must, according to the cal
~culaton, take effect in the plane. but
a little within the orbit of the Earth
ana at a distance equal to four and
tWo-thirds radii from our globe. AS the
length Of the radius of the comet was
equal to five and a third rays. it was
quite vident that on the twenty-ninth
of October, 1892, before midnight, a
part of the terrestrial orbit would be
occupied by the comet.
These results. supported by all de-
slrable scientific authority, were
brought by the newspapers to the
knowledge Of the people,: the pro-
found sensation which they produced
may be imagined. All was over, the
end Of time was near: the Earth was
going to be shattered, pulverized, an
INITIATED by the shock of the comet;
such was the theme of all conversa-
tons. Tine bravest spirits were for
a moment staggered by it,
But one question remained to be
asked. and the papers had neither
asked it nor wen fOreseen it. In what
part of it's immense orbit would the
earth be on the goth of October, 1892.
before midnight, at the when
the comet would rush through this
orbit at one Of it's points? Calcutta
ton solved this difficulty very quickly.
A 1900 -ro - IL nr, ~ for I =
The transit of the comet very near
a certain point Of the earth's orbit
will take place the 29th Of October
before midnight; we'll, the earth will
not arrive at the same point until the
30th of November, in the morning,
that is to say, more than a month
later. NOW it is only necessary to re-
member that the average velocity OF
the earth in it's orbit is six INC
and seventy-four thousand leagues a
day, and a very simple calculation
will show that the comet Will pass at
a distance Of more than twenty-mil-
lion leagues from the earth"
The destruction Of the earth by a
comet has been announced, still more
recently, for the 18th of August, 1872
under. the fictitious patronage Of NJ
Plantamour of Geneva, who was Ger
taInly quite unconnected with any
such announcement. People were
| dIIdId, I'LL non liz 1tSo IN 'fSo -
as usual, and the fatal date passee
without a catastrophe.
Eighteen centuries g. Seneca wa
farther advanced than a great mum
Der of his successors,
Alone, or almost alone, this philoSo
pher had opposed his powerful logic
to the speTstitious ideas Of his con
~temporaries and to those OF Arlstot1e
who attributed these stars to eXhala
tons of the earth. sad ne
move steadily in the paths pre-
t scribed by nature and, caStlng
5 prophetic glance toward the future
| he afirms that posterity will be as
tonished at the fact that his genera
? ton refused to recognize truths s
/ palDable. He was in the right agains
: the whole human race, which IS YER
nearly equivalent to being in tn
wrong. and during sixteen centurle
e the question made no progress, eve
T in that sixteenth century so bold as I
. shake off the yoke Of authorities pow
t erful in a different way, keplef hlnl
t self after 1000, kepler, the free
thinker, the astronomical innoVato'
t the ~discoVerer of the laws which gov
ern the motion of celestial bodies
: admits the representations and tn
e cemetery influences; and vet one can
= NOT accuse of superstitOus We2kneS
E him " III dared to say to the tneoloG
r ians attacking the doctrine OF Copef
nicus and Calico: DO not Guarre
: with us about mathematical truths
h the axe that one wants to cut lro
with. cannot. afterwards, make a
q impression even on wood.
Fear Not Unnatural.
The observers of the Sky, accus
It toned to the great regularity Of tn
motions of the stars, to that cain
d that peace which characterize tn
heavenly regions. could not see WITH
y out surprise and terror stars Whlc
e seem to burst out suddenly IN q
4arts Of the sky, whose form and az
~DDendages differ in fro1
d the other stars, which appear follow
ed or preceded by luminous trails, o1
ten immense: and finally, whose pati
II contrary to that of all the other moN
le ing heavenly bodies, terminates IN
disappearance as brusque as tnelf al
If r;vaI hos hnan sudden. It is not at q
- l.--ALat E.ar .a-aE horn . n