Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1910-05-26
SAY We PASSED
THROUGH COMET
Examination of Air Disclosed the
Fact That There Was Not APP
parent ANY Cyanogen Gas.
New York Made Merry
on Housetops.

NEW YORK-Speeial.- the
earth pass through the tail OF
Halleyss comet Wednesday nigntt
Scientists say IL did. They have
no physical manifestations for alb
sOlute c0rrObOratiOn-
Certain AZ Is that millions OF
Inhabitants OF the United STATES
from coast 10 coast who examined
the heavens were disappointed.
for the most part
The comets tail was not visible
I'm New York until 2:30 \. Nj. after
the moon had set. Then Miss
Mary Proctor, the astronomer,
discovered. stretching 100 de-
ErceS, a band OF light ten degrees
in width. running from the hori-
ron at the point OF sunrise through
the great square OF Pegasus ana
Acuarius 10 AQuila-
IL appeared 60 he second
milky way. It's briilanCc cQualiinE
that OF the great bell OF star dust.
The phenomen remained visible Tor
sometime. and the last o. q was not
seen till the summer sun began 70
smother the stars. This bolt OF light
was not the only manifestation at
trfbutable 20 the comets approach
however. shortly after lO:SV 4. sA-
a light auroral glow was observed IN
the northeastern sky, flashing Tor an
f instant only.
Intermittent Flashes.
Then for an hour there were In
termittent flashes. occasionally rudy,
I but generally white.
Few OF them took definite shape;
T Miss Proctor. however. noted one
. which rcscmblcG an arch OF glowing
white surmounted by crest OF GRIM
MANY scientists today declared that
these flashes were I'm reality due 10 the
sun spots seen yesterday by various
obserVatories. New York carried our
its plan OF making the night holiday.
but there was little reward in the way
OF phenomena for the thousands who
focked TO the roofs OF hotels ana
3 other high buildings
The only harm caused by the comet
was the death OF Amy Hopkins, a
. sixtcen-yCar-ol girl, who tell from
3 a roof in Brooklyn.
b Or. Harold A. Jacoby Rutherford
- professor OF astronomy ny Nolumpla
I University. today said. we ere com
= PEELED 20 conclude, after last nhShI
~ that the tail OF Halley's Comet Us com
posed OF matter so extremely tenuoui
MS 90 remain unseen and uuielt py u'
when the earth was passing through
some astronomers had anticipated
that the tail would show Itself com
4 posed OF numbcricss particles Q
III ashes. that. conflicting with the ar
= would FAN in shooting hail or cloud
OF small meteors. Nothing OF IN
II Usual Oxygen in Air
The comet did. however. clarity IN
IatruDerhfre Co certain extent. &C
cordinr 20 Thomas ". Evans. chem
fst employed by the Standard ONy Ee
Company. who made au analysis "a
the air. The usual standard OF Ne
York air. hc SAID, conteirs II pt
cent. OF oxygen. while that last mgr
showed cI.75 per cent. the equal
that found in mid-occan. On N
whole. however. astronomers are 80
one whit wiser Than they were befor
The passage of the earth through tf
tail. ID the passage has occurred. h'
merely suhsfaltlated their prediction
that no harm would result
they had said no cyanogen 81
would be apparent, and none wa
Indeed. the presence OF cyanosen q
in the tail is now doubted. and u
believed that the spcctr0scope wht'
detects the chemical couSu tueuts
the heavenly body was fooled 10y q
play ef Lhe SUMS Hight on tne tall
Cyauogcn Ius was c.1rced, IN
disappeared. and then seemed 10
re- again recorded. as the comet ncare
's- circled and left the sun.
.ne Interest INA the comet now centers
an its future. particularly from now an
,h- the middle OF June. when lt VIII
vas come invisible as il rushes on its gre
ALE journey 20 the edge of the solar 8,
The tenn. Invisible last night. &C. viii 2
est DE seen tonight. but Ia few days v
the form magnificent spectacle friO
10 evening about clock it VIII light
the the western sky. not far from Ma
and FOR two hours viii glow with
not intensity that has won IL place
err history.
cot