The Detroit times., 1910-05-19
Detroit Missed I'll The
Advertised Excitement

The astronomers tell us that 1t came
and went. Maybe IL did.
But all have the 20. X" stamp
ready Tor one star-gaZer OF high re-
nown. who hit a wonderfully close
deduction when he announced that
the tail OF Halley's comet Is the
veriest approach 10 nothing set In the
midst of naught.- IL was closer TO
II than that. Detroiters are willing ID
swear. Detroiters didn't even see the
midst OF the naught In which II was
set, nor did they observe the veriest
approach to the nothing.
Wednesday night. May Is, varl-
ously touted as day OF general suf'
location, OF still more horrible AMI
Understandable uncertainty, and finally
toned down to the very guarded
statement OF most astronomers that
something might happen, bloomed
forth as an ideal early-summer night,
with beautiful sky a tranquil. bright
moon, and balmy atmosphere such
as Detroit has pinned for, for 10 these
many weeks. There was nothing ex-
cept the earnest statements or the
astronomers to give the slightest in
dication Of a comets presence. And
there Is marked Copenhagenish at
mosphere In Detroit today, and the
townfolk are in a receptive mood for
anybody who wants to stand up and
Doc Cook" the astronomers. II Theo-
dore Roosevelt saw any trace Of the
comets tail and says so, all will
probably be well, but II he ever hap
pens to come out with the shorter
and uglier," astronomy will have an
awful job to keep itself In good health
In fact, as far as Detroit was con-
cerned, it looked very much as though
Halley's comet, like any other bashfui,
retiring star, had felt some hesitancy
about appearing. feeling its inability
to live up to the weird and wonderful
things mapped out for it by its press
agents, the astronomers.
II didn't even consent to come on
for a slight aurora borealis. There
were no meteoric showers. There wos
no brilliant, dull. phenomenon. nor
any other kind Of a glare.
The only thing that doomed large
In the Detroit horizon. Wednesday
night, was that old truism. spoken by
the late p. T. Barnum, circus man,
about the American people and hum
bugs.
The jingling telephones in police
headuuarter" and in the various news
paper omces, were proof of the man.
ner In which many Detroiters had re-
fused to take the safe and sane view
of the more conservative astronomers.
and had thrown themselves into a de-
licious state OF nervousness and fore
boding, by clinging to the theories Of
the sensationalists. Through the long
hours that Detroit-the astronomers
tell us-was wrapped In the tail OF
the comet the telephones were over
worked by nervous persons who want
ed to hear the final word on whether
they might expect to wake up again
IL they should go to bed. There was
a note OF disappointment. almost of
sadness, when they were informed
that the worst had already happened,
the worst being nothing at all.
But the astronomers are far from
being downhearted. They cheeri!y
arise, Thursday morning, after a vain,
all-nlght vigil, Wednesday. and an
nounce that we shall see the comet
going, Friday or Saturday. II we didn't
see II coming, Wednesday.
But the receulHR Colel VIII Saiiy
with IL most OF the chatter about
molecular particles, cometic pressure,
miles set to the music Of hundreds
OF millions, and all Of the other gas
talk" In It's going, the comet will
be mostly spectacle. We may see II
for a month, beating IT thitherward,
ard we may not.
Seventy-fve years hence 1t will be
back again. At least the astronomers
use the word again"
Meanwhile, there is food for re-
Election on the manner in which an
altogether unsatisfactory attraction
can create an awful stir.
1t pays to advertise.