The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-19

with John Bray, pilot and Andrew
Drew "a newspaper man. had with
MIN an horoscope. an aneroid baro-
meter, a Thermometer and a telescope.
The ballon rose in a cloudleSS sky.
As only II bags of ballast were taken
up landing was made at JACKSONVILLE.
St Louis county at 7:15. Supper was
taken at a farm house and so child
rem were taken on short flights Ito
see the. comet" the balloon was held
captive by the drag rope.
The aerial voyage was resumed at
S:45 o'clock and all ballast except
eight bags had to be sacrificed. In
known to the pilot the balloon chang
ed its course from west to north Prof.
James with his knowledge of astron-
ory pointed out the pole star toward
which the balloon was sailing.
Just as the balloon was about to
land a freight train began to move di-
rectly under it. The balloon drag
rope barely missed being caught by
Prof. James said he did not see any
traces of the comets tail although he
often scanned the heavens with his
telescope The balloon at no time
reached a very high altitude.
Astronomers Disagree.
St Louis, Mo. May 19-Local astron-
omers are not agreed on the passing Of
the tail Of Halley's comet across the
face of the earth last night.
The Rev Charles J. Bormeyer, pro
fessor Of astronomy at St Louis uni
versity, said the earth did not pass
through the comets tail last night and
that we will not pass through it =
Father Martin S. Brennan retains his
faith in the statement that the earth
passed through the tail
Cloudy in Hawaii.
Honolulu, May 1s.-The astronom-
icaI expedition from the University Of
Ohio, in charge of Professors Codding-
ton and Lord. stationed at Watlua,
failed to obtain any observations of
the transit of Halley's comet across
the face of the sun as the weather was
cloudy all day.
Calculations Were Faulty.
Los Angeles, Cal, May 1e.-Halley's
comet-rather the tail of the visitor
was visible in the eastern sky from
the observatories on Mount Wilson and
Mount Lowe at the usual hours this
morning-from $3.50 o'clock until
dawn
Director George E. Hale of the Car
negie observatory on Mount Wilson,
said today that faulty calculations as
to when the earth had passed through
the tail Of the comet were due to the
fact that there was a great curvature
in the tail which could not be esti-
mated accurately. Undoubtedly, the
head of the comet had passed the sun
at the time predicted, but calculations
as to when the earth would come into
contact with the tail. If at all. were
largely guess work. he said
The comet Illuminated the eastern
sky TO the east of Venus this morning,
extending from the milky way to the
horizon. It was plainly visible as soon
as the moon had set
Mount Lowe observatory reported
that according to observations taken
there it was believed that the earth
was about to pass into the tail of the
comet at 1880 o'clock today. Pacific
Coast time That portion of the tail
visible this morning in the eastern sky
measured 10 degrees, il being larger
and longer than yesterday morning,
but not so bright.
Date Postponed to 2Oth-
Princeton, y. j, May 19.-Prof. Henry
Norris Russell of the astronomical de-
partment of Princeton university, in a
signed statement today declared that
bSsng his calculations on the width OF
the comets tail early today. as COM
rNared with previous mornings, the
earth was not near enough to pass
through the tail OF the comet this
morning, but likely it will do so some
time tonight The statement says:
AT a m. today the sky was bril-
liently clear without trace of moon
light o. dawn The comets tail was
conspicuous in the east as a band of
IEQL dOOuC eight degrees WIQe anu
quite straight, about as bright as the
fs inter branch Of the rriIk- way be-
tween Cygus and AquiIa- It's central
line passed about midway between the
stars Alpha and Gamma PegaSi and its
end was lost in the milky way in
Aquila.
No trace of the tail could be deter
mined beyond the milky way and no
illumination could be seen in the
western sky in spite of careful search
under very favorable conditions. The
zodical light was visible in the south
east separated from the comets tail
by dark interval about ten degrees
in breadth.
THE tail was apparently between
two and three times as wide on the
morning of Tuesday, May II. If its
real breadth has not changed il must
still have been fully one-third as far
from US on the 18th as it was two
DAYS before-which would make the
time of the earth's passage through it
come on the morning of the 20th.'