The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1910-05-19
DASH THROUGH
COMETS TAIL
Millions Of People Watched
Celestial Visitor.
ASTRONOMERS WERE BUSY
Made Valuable Observations For Use
of Future Generations United
States Co-operated,

Made Valuable Observations For Use
of Future Generations - United
States co-operated.
Philadelphia, May 19.-Like a thief
in the night, the tail of Halley's comet
stole upon the earth, greatly to the
mystification of thousands of Philadel-
phians and millions of other people.
The majority of those who were
anxious to have look at the rare
nocturnal visitor sought points of van
tage far from the city's glare. The
dark places in Paramount park, in all
the suburbs and along the main line
awoke with the unusual and animated
speculations of enthusiastic and en-
bryonic astronomers.
Even the real astronomers left the
city for the country, taking with them
telescopes as hig as they could carry,
although they anticipated that the
larger part of their observations
would be made with the naked eye.
Just the same the city was not desert
ed, as any one could tell who walked
through the streets. Every house was
a roof garden. On the downtown cor
ners men and women assembled In
numbers, gazing up to the heavens,
looking for all the world like visitors
from the rural districts guessing at
the height of the tall office buildings.
Many motormen, seeing the crowds
collected on the corners, stopped their
cars so that the supposed passengers
might get aboard. One car man on the
Market street line said he had observ-
ed the same phenomenon In the outer
districts of the city.
Except for a few scattered clouds
the night was perfect for the presen-
tation of the widely heralded piano.
rama. Perhaps the moon was too
bright 1t was fortunate that the earth
should have begun its dash at 11.2O
o'clock straight through the vast
nothingness, 100000 miles in extent,
Just at a time when Luna was reach
ing it's maximum.
Interest Intense.
Intense interest was felt by the as.
tronomers and scientists. Other comet
tails may have swept the earth, but
this is the first time that it was
known that such a manifestation OF
nature was at hand. The results OBJ
tanned by observers and recorded by
delicate instruments will form the first
collection of data and will be invalu-
able to men who will take up the task
when the present generation is gone
from the earth.
Uncle Sam co-operated with the
scientific world. The United States
photographic Office had requested the
captains of all sea vessels and all the
wireless operators to keep careful logs
during the time of TIE passage through
the tail, recording all electrical effects
and magnetic variations. Especially, 1t
was advised, sharp lookout should
be kept for meteorites.
Those who had prayed that the end
of the world might be put off until
some future date, when it would no
longer be their concern, now have the
satisfaction of feeling that their pray
ers have been answered. False alarm.
It was as if some one had hit noun
tain with a veil.
Nevertheless there will be many
who will not feel safe until they find
themselves still enjoying life today.
Looking at the phenomenon from a
coldly mathematical point of view, 1t
had been figured out in advance that
no danger was to be feared. Those fig
ures applied only to this visit.