The Washington herald., 1910-07-31
DID WE ROB THE COMETg
Chances Are that HaIIey's ProteEe
Suffered More Than We Did.

Chances Are that HaIley's PrOtege
Suffered More Than We Did.
Garrett p serviss, IN ST. Louis star.
The latest aspect OF the Halley's comet
question is the most curious of all. There
appears now 70 be a good reason TO
think that the comet suffered far more
than the earth ever could have done
from the consequences Of their encoun-
ter about May IS, and. If certain observa-
tons are TO be trusted. our planet actu-
ally robbed the comet OF several million
miles Of tail about the time Of their
meeting.
1t is probable that the planet Venus
also RECALLED itself with slice Of comet
airy ambrosia. because when the comet
was near that planet, some two weeks
before its approach TO the earth, II was
observed to be for time in a state of
great disorder
AS reports come in from all parts Of
the world It becomes more certain that
partial meeting OF the comets tail
with the earth really occurred, and II
the celestial phenomena were not gener-
! ally all that had been hoped for. they
were, at least. exceedingly impressive
where they could be well seen
/ Three English observers, one on A
steamer between Palermo and Naples
and the others at Bloemfontein, South
Africa, had, at the time Of the passage.
magnificent views Of the vast tai. which
seemed to stretch interminably through
the upper air.
When the part Of the tail that appear
ed 10 be attached directly TO the comet
head rose ominously out Of the sunset
sky, in the opposite quarter of the heav-
ems great pillar OF light lowered above
the horizon, thus indicating that the en-
tire earth was involved in the mysteri-
Gus luminosity. At one time the tai
lost its ordinary color and became "a
confused mass OF pinkish light" stretch
ing right across the sky. The main tai
iappears to have missed the earth. but a
part Of It was probably drawn in
After the passage the sun was seer
surrounded with halo. which continued
visible from elevEted stations until earl!
in June This Is asoribed 10 the comet
airy dust and gas remaining in the uppe
atmosphere, and. as ! have before re
marked. there is no improbabililty in tn
growing belief that the extraordinar.
and unreasonable weather which for sew
eral weeks affected all parts Of the glob
: and which. al this writing. has not We
entirely ceased is due. al least in part
b. to the electrical and physical effects Q
5 the presence Of these eXtraneOus sub
D stances IN the air.
q Il Is not impossible that some OF hi
, dust may yet find its way into Ou
8 laboratories. for its descent must necc'
= sorily be slow and gradual The cart
. seems 70 have drawn II in somewhat a
;. a hying automobile draws into its wax
!, the dust OF the highway.
After its passage the comets "a
+ heightened again, and this accords ne
Il with the theory recently put forth
a Prof. Eiihu Thompson that the tail OF
Il comet consists Of substances which
e has swept Up during its long journey
y distant space. and which are gradual
g blown OF from II by the repeIlent force
e OF the sun when il comes into OF
Il ncighborhood. II this be true, the
Il could not be & more curious thing 70 p'
n under a microscope than a few grains
& the dust snatched by the earth from Il
comet. for that dust may have BET
Re brought nearly 1900. 10000 miles from u
D. DEPTHS Of the uniyersei