The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-01-29
LAK0TA, THE PRIDE or NEL SON COUNTY ~ .. '*.%.

them. ! suppose there are a few such
people, however, and for their bene-
mt l am willing to make q few posi-
tive statements, IL you think it will
do any good"
"Is the earth in danger from any
heavier bdy?" he was asked.
Earth Is n No Danger
None whatever. There are only
two ways in which heavenly body
can influence the earth: 1, by the
power OF its gravity, and, 2, by the
power of its light. Now, comets are
nothing but ar agg1omeration of
Is insignificant their power of
gravity is practically NIL"
Then you think that 1t is merely
coincidence that comets should an
pear at the same time disasters han
pen?" 'p
Absolutely. Or rather. It is not
even coincidence. It's just a survi-
val OF an old superstitution combined
with an effort to get up a story of
some sort. The earth is 80 bie that
somewhere on its surface there are
floods and fires andsfamines and earth
quakes every day. You could take any
GATE IN history and .maket up a list Of
disaster statistics around II abOut as
fast as you could turn the pages of
a book. Why, as hear as the sun is
to us, and as powerful as its influence
on us Is known to be, we haven't been
aole TO prove any connection between
the tremendous storms which we OBJ
serve on its surface and slight elec-
trical agitations which sometimes oc-
cur on ours. What, then. could lit
tie insignificant comet do"'
Comet Would Make MeteOric Shower
If comet were to run into the
earth. what would happen?'
"Why, we might see a fine meteoric
shower-that is all. There would be
pretty display in the sky for few
hours-like Fourth of July celebra-
tfon. only better and less harmful. AS
matter of fact, we may have some-
thing of this kind on May 18, when it
is possible that the earth will pass
through the tail Of Halley's comet"
What would happen if one of these
meteors in the shower of which you
speak should strike the earth?"
"Oh. If 1t happened 10 be a good
sized meteor and fell directly on a man
it would probably do some damage
But. again, the earth has such a great
surface that the chances of it's fall
ing anywhere where it could do dam
age are exceedingly slight. Most Of
them fall in out of the way places
Into the ocean or the desert or the
plains. No. If comet came into
collision with the earth we wouldn't
be affected any more than by dande-
lion gone to seed and blowing about
In the late summer air."
Comets Around All the Time
The professor was told of the South
Norwaik people whs. were on their
knees because a meteorite fell into
a truck garden and buried itself at
the same time that two comets were
known to be lowering near. %.
"Well, that is good. They better keep
on praying all the time, then, for
there are always two or three comets
somewhere around. You can find
them with telescope practically any
time. That ought to dispose of that
superstitution, oughtn't it? And as
for meteorites, they are likely to fall
ohS H1SC oIiuSN SAlC
earth and hundreds more may strike
it in the future. They signify moth
ing"
What Is meteorite?"
"It is shupposed to be one of the
small solid particles found in comets
that is the theory. Sometimes, SO
it is thought. they escape from the
comet and follow in it's wake. Then.
il they chance to come near enough to
the earth. they are drawn in by the
earth's grayitation.'
A dispatch from Seattle. Wash, stat
ing that Prof. j. i. Gould of the Uni
versity of Washington thinks comet a
of 1910 shows signs of splitting in
two, was read to Prof. Frost.
Comets Sometimes Split
Eyes, l know Could" said Prof.
Frost "He used to work here with
us. He is all right too. but i'll that
I'll have to disagree with him. Com
cts frequently do split in two, but
this one is now going away from the
sun, and the appearance of splitting
is given by dark streak across it.
No, don't think IT will split. But
1t does sometimes happen. yon know.
that comets tail Will split on IRON
it,"
How does that happen?"
"Well, the tail is nothing but a mass
of extremely volatile gases. streaming
out in the form OF hollow cone 1t
is caused by the light from the sun
acting on these gases and forcing them
away. Thus comets tail is always
turned away from the sun. and fire.
for this reason. the tail goes
ahead of the comet. But why comets
themselves sometimes spit. we have
never been able TO find out"
S|C|L|ANS GOT
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