New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1910-04-09
BLAZING COMET MONSTER
APPROACHES.

Sttll VI iitll, ut iCu7t o-i4NS nv
have kept a written history O
events. On tha5 DAY for Owe
three hours we shall be vieWin!
the sun through the great blaz
ing head Of a comet.
Of sudden our earth, swing
ing through space at $1,000 mile
per hour. WI plunge into the tai
of Halley's comet, close to the
neck of it. The tail will hav,
been whipped against us as its
own speed of 10000 miles al
hour. This globe will dive
through the luminous haze at {
total speed of 100000 miles pei
hour. AZ miles per second, III
earth entirely immers ng herself
in the celestial mist IN less than
three minutes, yet 50 thick is the
tail at The point of perforation-
100000 miles-that we shall be
nearly three hours and half pas
sing through.
What will happen? No two
scientists agree in detail. They
are, however, practically certain
of the earth, save the harm which
fear does. But the superstilious
are almost certain to be stricken
with mortal terror during those
three hours,
For those three hours will show
to men the most sublime, awe-in-
spring display of heavenly fire.
works this earth has witnessed
since space r3t:ei with the pri-
mordial flames of creation, the
astronomers say.
But, the chances are it will be
nothing but light-terrif.c, but
harmless. For our sunlight dur
ing those 205 minutes will be fiji
tered through the comet s head or
nucleus (the head will be eclipS-
ing the SUM and that head will
have Just come from bath il the
very flames of the sun. This gas
eous head 81 times as big as our
earth and only 100000 miles
away { a mere step compared even
with the distance to the SUM, will
be boiling, -fuming, exploding,
blasting, in titanic convulsions of
heat after its recent experience.
And it is through such lens our
must come filtured for
three hours and half May IS
We did, indeed, have one Sight
previous experience with the tail
of comet. On June 80, 1861,
we skipped through part of the
tail of Tebbet's comet. But it
was a mere wisp of tail--iust as
thread at the extreme end of the
taip's 24,000.000 miles Of length
a hair a scant 300 miles thick.
Yet, for the experience of see
inc that hair severed the French
astronomer Laiis journeyed to Rio
de Janiero and set up his instru-
ments.
The moment came. Suddenly
Lais saw the sky turn like blood
at midday. Then there was
rapid plunge into a lurid phos-
phorescent yellow and almost in
stantiy the sky darkened to
coppery green, as if tornado
were approaching. And next in:
slant. before the observer could
realize it, the sun shone serenely
again, the earth s minute for pas
sing through the 3000-mile-th
hair was up and Liasis packed his
instruments and went home.
Well be in Halley's comet s
tail over three hours. Will the
effect be proportionately awful !?
Scientists all over the earth are
warning peop,e to be prepared for
strange sights. but not to be
frightened. For, as )he saying
goes, the whole 62.O00,000 miles
of it's tail, condensed. might be
packed in trunk. "
Says Andre, directN of sthe
LIONS observatory: "You must
not be astonished if it shows an
aspect as strange and stranger
than anything ever seen before. y
What effect the adventure will
have upon the earth is disputed
Comets are liHbe understood
There are instruments which can
detect their weight and instru-
ments which partially show their
composition, brt beyond those
known facts each scientist has a
different explanation.
A recent theory is that the CO.
met nucleus or head is simply an
enormous gas lens, and what ap-
pears to be a tail is. in reality onry
the pencil Of concentrated sun
light such as proceeds from an
ordinary searchlight. Outside of
this pencil we can see its length.
But once in it. we would observe
only an increase in the heat and
brilliancy of the sunlight.
Under this theory the only eff
feet that will be noticed MAY Is
viii be that the sunshine will fair
lv burn one. But in the shade it
should be fairly comfortable.
IF the comets tail is of gas. at
least the gas is much diluted.
Some observers fear the deadly
cyanngen gas. which. il thick.
would stifle all breathing things
at once. Diluted. such gas
might turn the whole world very
sick to its stomach for two or
three hours.
Some predict a display of cleo
trical phenomena. tremendous. hut