The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-02-24
As TO THE MEN
AGE OF THE COMET

ley's is attracting great attention. 1t is
already in the reach of the great teIe-
scopes, but it will be visible to the un-
assisted vision in May.
This comet, named for Sir Edmund
HALEY, astronomer royal of England, has
had more to do with the affairs of our
earth than any or all of the others of
these periodic visitors to our part of the
universe together. HALEY discovered its
period of return to be about seventy-five
years, and determined that il had Wis
tied us many times previously, and pre-
dicted that it would continue its visits
Its last appearance was in 1885, and it is
due again in 1910.
The appearance of comet in the sky
has always attracted large share of the
attention of mankind, so that when any
records exist mention is always made of
the ''fiery swords" as they have been fire.
quentIy called, and they were generally
supposed TO forebode or threaten some ca
astronomers have figured that HaTIey's
comet has visited our field of view in the
years here mentioned: III B. c., A. ID. 66,
I4T, 2IS, z05, 573, 45I, $50, 6oS, ga,
goo, Ss7, 9I2, 9So, 1905, II45, 1923, 1901,
1873, 1856, 1881, 1907, 1852, 1859, 1886
In few cases the date is somewhat doubt
H~..A 4 - ID
the present dates of the appearance of
this comet are given with considerable
certainty.
The dates given are from records, and
the return of this comet has generally
been associated with some historical event
that has more or less affected the people
of particular countries. Ii has been sup
posed by some that it was HalIey's comet
which appeared as the Star of Bethle-
showed the place where he lay. But
the appearance of the comet In II B. c.,
as recorded by the Roman historian, Dion
Gassius, makes the date too early, and the
world is justified in believing that the
Star of the Nativity was special mani
festation.
As to this comets reputation as a warn
srg OF po ZEN: =: great ~eirs ~ ct:ur
Epon our e. III, it mJy lie motel that in
45I the visit of the comet coincided with
1!.e. S:1on invasion of Great Britain, ant
also with the battle of Chalons, in which
the Huns were defeated and Rome saved.
jn 1866 it was present when William
of Normandy crossed the English Channel
from France and conquered England
from the AngIo-Saxons, who had held the
country for sixty centuries. The comet is
represented in the Bayeux Tapestry, a ia
nous work of embroidery made by Ma
fiIda, queen of William, which represents
pictorialIy a sort of panorama of the con-
quest of England. Having appeared at
the time of the Norman invasion in 45I,
and again at the Norman invasion in
1865, its appearance in 1910 may pretend
a popular revolution in England by its
own people, or an invasion by the Ger
mans.
The comet was present in 1856 when
the Turks captured Constantinople and
were threatening to overrun Europe. The
comet is also credited with shining upon
John Smith and his companions when they
landed in 1907 on the shores of Virginia
TO found Jamestown. 1t also, during It's
last visitation in 1885, took part in the
revolution which secured the indepen-
dence of Texas from Mexico.
Thus it is easy to ransak history and
find events that seem to be connected
with the comet From time 70 time the
scientific theorists have delighted to pro-
phesy frightfM catastrophes that are to be
inflicted upon our planet and its people
bg these strange visitors. First, they
were to set fire to our globe and burn il
To a cinder, until it was discovered that
comets are not the white-hot bodies they
were supposed to be. On the contrary, they
have neither heat nor light of their own
but get their light and warmth from the
sun, as do our earth and the moon.
The danger of being set on fire having
been disposed of, the chemists tell us OF
deadly gas-cyanogen- is sup
posed to be in the himsy, gauzy tail OF
the comet. Cyanogen is. mixture OF
carbon and nitrogen, and is not particular
" dangerous, although not desirable tc
inhaIe, unless combined with hydrogen
when it become hydrocynac, or prussit
acid, the most poisonous substance IN
the world. The combination can only oc-
cur under. peculiar circumstances,wh which II
7smosr likely can be realized in an en-
counter between our earth and the comet:
tail. Moreover, astronomers tell us that
at least twice in a very modern period
our globe has been slapped or tapped by