Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-19
SAW NO FIREWORKS
Many Washington Comet Par
ties Are Disappointed.
BUT HAD FAITH IN TAIL
Believed It Was There, But That
Moon Dimmed It's Light.
DISCOVERED AT OBSERVATORY
Mr.. Morgan First to Find the Wan
derer "0ut of Place" in
~ the East.
DISCOVERED AT OBSERVATORY

| Astronomers were not the only persons
| misled by the lapse in the schedule Of
Halfey's comet last night and the failure
OF the earth to pass through its tail
Comet parties obtained all over WASH
| ington, as they did all over the country
Thousands and thousands of folks lost
goodly portion of their nights rest SIM
ply that they might be in the open to
witness any phenomena which might be
caused by the passing Of the celestial
wanderer
Because predictions had been made that
! there probably would be very little. if
! any, visible evidence of the swinging
round Of the comets tail. nearly all of
the amateur observers climbed into the
feathers between midnight and 4 this
morning thoroughly satisfied that the
comets tail had gone through as per
previous arrangements and that nothing
had happened to indicate it's passing.
This belief was largely fostered by the
brilliant moonlight which obtained most
of the night, and which, it was thought.
had obscured any auroraI flashes and
shooting stars which were expected to
accompany the phenomena.
Astronomers Surprised.
Even the astronomers were sur
prised that the tail Of the comet did
! not sweep around the earth, as their
calculations had prcsaged. The dis
covery that the tail was still lurking
in the middle distance was made at the
Naval Observatory shortly before 3
O'Clock this morning, when H. r. Nor
gan, one of the assistant observers
strolied out on the lawn and saw the
tan OF the comet doing business at the
old stand in the eastern horizon.
Scarcely believing the evidence of his
eyes. he called Prof. Asaph Hall. who
Is In charge Of the Naval Observatory:
Prof. Little and III. +. Banton, another
of the assistant astronomers, and all Of
them quit their airy perches behind the
big telescopes In the observatory and
came out into the open. where the view
was more comprehensive.
The whole trouble was in the calcuIa-
J tions of some more or less DISTINGUISHED
astronomers all over the world. AS Prof.
Asaph Hall explained last night, the men
who had been calculating the transit of
the comet across the sun had overlooked
the tagging behind of the tail.
Crowd on Reservoir Hill.
There were not many visitors at the
observatory. but the telephone was busy
all night. In fact. the Waterman hardly
laid down the receiver from. dark till
| dawn There was a big crowd on Reser-
voir Hill below the observatory. but all
| they got was view of an exceptionally
perfect. cioudless sky. There were comet
parties out in automobiles and the parks
and roofs OF apartment houses were filed
with would-be comet observers. 1t was
still and somewhat chill, bat a fine night
for seeing anything except the tail Of q
! comet.
Even at the observatory there was
general belief that the earth was pass
ing through the comets tail. and, as
| the moon was SO bright as to obscure
| any appearance of the comet in the
heavens. no attempt was made at the
observatory to look for comet phenom-
| ena till the moon had sunk and the sky
was getting dusky. Then the big twen-
ty-six-inch glass in the main observa-
ton tower was turned toward the east
ana the horizon was searched for
I ''sparkles.''
| Sparkles Were not Forthcoming, and
! then came Mr.. Morgan's discovery that
the tail OF the comet was flashing in the
east just as it did the night before.
Some Street Incidents.
Just as the hands of the Post Office
o'clock crept upon the momentous instant
fof 1f:20 O'Clock last night a man who
had been looking for cometic phenomena
in the bottom of tall glass I'm which
ice tinkled refreshing sound took hold
of the railing of q hotel on Pennsylvania
avenue and shouted:
Look out, fellows. Hol on tight. She's
gointer hit MS in minute"