Democratic messenger., 1910-05-21
DASH THROUGH
COMETS TAIL
Millions Of People Watched
Celestial Visitor.
ASTRONOMERS WERE BUSY
Made Valuable Observations For Use
OF Future Generations - United
States co-operated.

Philadelphia, May l9.-1ike thief
In the night. the tail OF Halley's comet
stole upon the earth, greatly 10 the
mystifcation OF thousands of Philadel.
phiaus and millions of other people.
The majority OF those who were
anxious to have a look at the rare
nocturnal visitor sought points of van.
tage far from the city's glare. The
dark places in Paramount park. in all
tine suburbs and along the main line
awoke with the unusual and animated
specuations of enthusiastic and EN-.
bryonic astronomers.
Even the real astronomers left the
city for the country. taking with them
telescopes as big as they could carry.
although they anticipated that the
larger part OF their observations
would he made with the naked eye.
Just the same the city was not desert
ed, as any one could tell who walked
through the streets. Every house was
n roof garden. On the downtown cor.
ners men and women assembled In
numbers. gazing up to the heavens.
looking for all the world like visitors
from the rural districts guessing at
the height of the tall Office buildings.
Many motormen. seeing the crowds
collected on the corners. stopped their
cars so that the supposed passengers
might get aboard. One car man on the
Market street line said he had observ.
ed the same phenomenon in the outer
districts of the city.
Except for few scattered clouds
the night was perfect for the presen-
tation OF the widely heralded pano-
rama. Perhaps the moon was too
bright II was fortunate that the earth
should have begun It's dash at ii.20
o'clock straight through the vast
nothingness. 100000 miles in extent,
Just at a time when Luna was reach.
ing its maximum.
Interest Intense.
Intense interest was felt by the as
tronomers and scientists. other comet
tails may have swept the earth. but
this Is the first time that II was
known that such a manifestation OF
nature was at hand. The results OBJ
tanned by observers and recorded by
delicate instruments will form the first
collection OF data and will be invalu.
able TO men who will take mp the task
when the present generation is gone
from the earth.
Uncle Sam co-operated with the
scientific world. The United States
photographic Office had requested the
captains of all sea vessels and all the
wireless operators 70 keep careful logs
during the time of the passage through
the tail. recording all electrical effects
and magnetic variations. Especially. It
was advised. q sharp lookout should
be- kept for meteorites.
Those who had prayed that the end
OF the world might be put of until
some future date. when II would no
longer be their concern. now have the
satisfaction Of feeling that their pray.
ers have been answered. False alarm.
II was as II some one had hit noun
tain with a veil.
Nevertheless there will be many
who will not feel safe until they find
themselves still enjoying life today.
Looking al the phenomenon from a
coldly mathematical point OF view. II
had been figured out in advance that
no danger was 10 he feared. Those fig.
ures applied only to this visit.