The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-28


shine out by the light produced by
their own fusion. Each. then. moves
on its own track, but the general di-
rection of all the tracks is the same,
and though some of them may be
sOlidified gases, we should think OF
them not as gaseous in form, but as
solid shot. OF a size from a grain of
sand to the size of a pea, yet each an
independent pianetoid flying with
hundred times the speed of a rifle bull
let on its separate way beyond the Of
bit of Neptune. taking one hundred
and twenty-five years for its revOlu-
ton, and repeating this march for
ever, unless it happens to strike the
atmosphere Of the earth itself, when
there comes a sudden flash of fire
from the contact. and the distinct ex-
istence OF the little body. which may
have lasted for millions of years, is
ended in a second.
Fifty Miles Apart,
AT the time of the maximum of the
August shower each little planetoid is
more than fifty miles from its neigh
Dor, but their velocity, added to that
OF the earth. will reach at least thirty
miles per second. according to Mr..
Denning. the unquestiOned authority
on meteors so that il is this enormous
rate OF progress that affords the
semblance of an abundant fail of rain,
Notwithstanding the distance at which
one drop follows another.
Follow Path of Comet.
The greatest discovery in eonnec-
ton with meteor showers is due TO the
genius of Schiaparelli, whose recent
death is lamented by every student of
astronomy, namely, the fact that the
August meteors follow in the path of
a comet known as the great comet of
1862, discovered by DR.. Swift. He had
previously identified the November
meteors with Temples comet of 1866,
and the connection between meteOrs
and comets has become almost GER
tain, as will be seen from the follow
ing:
Comet Caused Panic.
A comet was discovered in 1926 by
Biela, an Austrian army officer, and
it's periodic character was soon de-
tected. 1t comes so close to the
earth's orbit that if the comet and
earth were to arrive at the same time
a collision would occur, and the earth
would pass through the comets head.
At the return of the comet in 1882
some one started the report that there
would be such an encounter, and in
consequence there was a panic in
southern France, the first of the since
numerous comet scares.' At this
time the comet passed the critical
point about a month before the earth
reached it, so that the two bodies were
never really within 100000 miles
of each other.
900 Miles Apart.
On its temperance in 1916 it was
EVaW. ,Htr
travelling side by side at a distance OF
about 10000 miles. and during
part of the time they We're connected
by faint bridge OF light.
AT the return of 1852 the twins
were both seen. now separated by
about 100000 miles. and travelling
quietly in their appointed orbits.
Neither of them has ever been seen
again, although they ought 10 have
returned a number of times, under
favorable conditions for visibility.
Comet Disintegrated.
But the most astounding fact in
connection with Biela's comet is yet
TO be related. On the night Of Noven-
Der 27, 1872, Just as the earth was
passing the old track Of the lost
comet, she encountered a wonderful
meteoric shower. In fact, it became
evident that Biela's comet was she'd
ding over us the pulVerized products
of its disintegration.
Thought Earth Was Struck.
A German astronomer Klinkerfues.
believed that the comet itself had en-
countered the earth, and telegraphed
POgsOn at Madras as follows:
"Biela touched earth on the 27th;
search near Theta CentaurL" This
ctr C1T "
a comet in the place indicated; but
bad weather coming on, hindered fur
Their observations.
Piece of Comet Captured.
1t was stated in the beginning of
this article, during these showers no
sound is heard, no sensible heat per-
ceived, nor do any masses reach the
ground, with one exception, how
ever, that on November %. 1885,
when the earth again crossed the
track of Biela's comet, a piece OF
metallic iron fell at Mazapil, in north
ern Mexico, during a shower of andre
modes, and of which many high au=
thorities speak confidently as a piece
of Biela's comet itself.
A word as TO the second class of
meteors, called meteorites or aerOlites.
These are large pieces Of metallic iron,
alleged with nickel, containing &C.
cluded hydrogen and hydrocarbons,
a peculiar composition sometimes
found in a natural state on the earth.
Diamonds in Them.
Some of the meteOric masses are Of
a stony nature. When found they are
glazed over with a thin crust formed
by the fusion of the exterior during
the flight. Small black diamonds,
and also white ones, have been found
IN cavities of meteoric iron, which
was discovered in Canyon Diablo, in
Arizona, in 1891: the largest piece
weighed over 1000 pounds, and dust
from the diamonds was employed by
Tiffany to polish other diamonds.
Much speculation has been INDUCED
in as to the origin of meteOrs, the
general consensus of opinion among
scientific men being that they are the
remains of the primordial meteoric
nebula of which the solar system is
founded. and is thus more ancient
than the sun itself.