Evening journal., 1910-05-18
WHEN EARTH HITS
TAIL OF THECOMET
Weather Bureau Observers to
Take Notice Of Phenomena
Tonight
PARTIES WILL SET
UP TO SEE SHOW

body viii want to know whether any |
thing unusual is going TO happen when
the earth passes through the tail Of the /
celestial wanderer. In all parts Of the |
city comet parties have been organ
lied and young people and old people |
will gather in homes or in parks or in |
club rooms and await the.-contact of
comet and earth which will occur
about 11,20 o'clock There may be a
few people who are a little nervous,
but there Is no occasion for getting ex-
cited. There may be some meteoric
and electrical manifestations, astron-
omerAsay but nothing else. and no
body Is going to get hurt; not even
the comet, which will be around this
way again in the course OF about sew
enty-five years looking just as big and
bright as ever. although very few peo-
pie who see it this time win sec it
when It comes again.
This morning the comet was not Wis
I ible at all and on what will be We'd
nesday night here it will be crossing
the face of the sun on the other side of
the globe for the benefit Of the folks in
China. on Thursday evening, just
after sundown it viii be family dis
cernible In the western portion Of the
sky. and by Friday evening It will be
very plainly visible in that portion OF
the sky for an hour after sunset
Between May 20 and May 80 the
comet will be brilliant and visible in
the western sky directly after sun
down, from lengths of time increasing
from one hour on May 20 to nearly four
hours on May 80 and it is during this
interval that it will attract the great
est attention.
The eclipse OF the sun which the
comets gyrations will cause will not be
visible here, but on the nights of May
% and "a an eclipse of the moon will
be plainly visible in Wilmington. This
eclipse will begin at 10.46 p. m. will
become total at 1909 a. m. and will
cease to be total at 1 a. m. and will
end at 2.22 a. m.
Unfortunately, the moon will be full
on May %, and this will somewhat
dim the appearance Of the comet. The
moon win be five days from the fun
when we pass through that tail.
What Scientists Say.
Here is what scientists say about the
probable effect Of the comets visit:
p Prof. Andrew c. d. Crommelin,
Greenwich university: There is no
probability that any effect will be pro-
duced.
Prof Michael Giaeobin, Observatory
: OF Paris: We cannot yet be sure that
t the earth is to pass through the tail
= of the comet, but If il does the gases
= of which Il is composed are so atten-
p uated that it is not at all probable that
any INJURY to the earth or its inhab-
r itauts can be caused by such contact
I Prof. David Gill; president British
. Royal Astronomical society; 1t 4.
D doubtful whether the tail will reach
T the earth, but if It does there will b'
no result except, perhaps, a faint IL.
o Elimination Of the sky.
y W. w. Campbell. Lick Observatory
o It will have no perceptible effect upoi
y terrestrial life.
s L. e. Barnard. Yerkes Observatory
I No evil effect whatever will occur tS
:. the earth or its people.
q J. A. Brashear, Allegheny Observa'
il tory: No physical effect whatever vii
result from the earth coming into con.
tact with the comets tail
j. NJ. Schaeberel, professor astron'
p omy. Ann Arbor: All predictions arr
It purely speculative.
- II. n. Russell, Princeton Observa
n tory: There viii be no perceptible ef
y feet of the passage of the cart
e through the comets tail.
May Cause Phenomena.
"Will the passage of the cart
through the tail OF the comet hav
s any effect on the weather."
p The many hundreds Of paid and vol
3 unteer observers of tie Weather Blu
r reau the country over will endeavor &
I. answer this question when they vii
q make observations and look out 70
unusual phenomena under the direc
= tion Of the central bureau.
I'VE pass through the tail of "A come
z so seldom we have no data on whic
to base a reply to the query as t
= whether the coming event will be &C
y companied by a climatological effeci
- we can say, however, that up to tn
. present there has been absolutely n
!. effect on terrestrial weather by tn
~ lapproach of the comet. Some peopl
imagine the unseasonably cold wealth
= er is caused by the comet; but thi
4. is perposterous.
Expects Unusual Phenomena.
= "The Weather Bureau, however, ex
: poets some unusual phenomena &C
companying the passage through tn
= comets tail, and we have made all ar
rangements to have these effects note
all over the country.
For instance, during the passag
there may be a general glow in tn
sky somewhat akin to the Norther
lights Again, we may have meteor
= ite showers. and it is possible tina
Y either or both the sun and moon ma
D have bishops ring. which is sinipl
refraction. There may be unusui
a color effects in the sunset or sunris
- or in the twilight, or we may motto
zodiacal lights
May Be Heavy Clouds.
These. however, are all phenomen
and not matological effects. To m
mind, there is just one chance ths
there may be a climatological ehec
and it is based on the theory the
there will be sufficient small organi
particles in the tail to reach the uppC
strata of the earths atmosphere an
cause the formation of heavy cloud
"As for the comet changing the dc
= gree Of heat or cold. that is imposs
BILE"