Year: 1872

COrdlng 10 tne VauclnetlOnS OF M. Plontam0ur
about six or seven months ago, the world we live
In ought to pass through no less perilous and ex-
citing q crisis than collision with a
large comet. Remembering this, 1t is at
Arst somewhat astonishing to observe the
calm fOrtitude with which the mass of man.
Kind wait the arrival Of awe-inspiring O
meeting, especially when one calls to mind the
eject the same announcement had only forty years
ago. But Il was about q century back that
cometic termination of this 'grand majestic world"
inspired the greatest alarm. No assurances could
shen be gven as they ore now, by the most eminent
Of living astronomers, that a comet is after all
very harmless and probably by no means an alto
gether useless fragment of the universe, and that
At the worst, all that need be apprehended from
collision with such an object is greater less in
crease in the temperature OF the atmosphere. Too
uttle was known about them to warrant sci
entists in even guessing at the truth, and
astronomers as well as the common herd
Of mankind were victims to an ignorant and un-
founded terror, whenever the possibility of rem
coxtre between one Of these bodies and the earth
W2s pressed upon their attention. Indeed, the
astronomers were of the two probably very
much the more alarmed, for they had already
gained some approximate conception Of the IN
calculable number and eccentric orbits of these
curious travellers about the universe, and they
knew that it was beyond their skill to predict the
course Of more than few among many millions.


WHAT WAS THOUGHT POSSIBLE CENTURY AGO.


Thus savant Of 1850 mournfully expresses him.
sef on this head as follows:-"When the move
ment of the comets is considered and we reflect on
the laws Of gravity, it will be readily perceived
that their approach to the earth might there
the most woful events, bring back the universal
deluge or make 1t perish in deluge of fire;
shatter 1t into small dust or at least turn 1t from
its orbit; drive away its moon or, still worse drive
the earth itself outside the orbit of Saturn, and
lnn1ct upon us winter several CEN
suries long, which neither men animals
would be able to bear. The tails even Of comets
would not be unimp0rtant phenomena II the comets
IN taking their departure left them, either in whole
or In part, in our atmosphere" Quite an exciting
programme of possible misfortunes wasn't it9


STILL MORE CONTINGENCIES.


Another writer, at about the same date, however,
while recognizing the gravity of the danger incurred
In a meeting between the earth and one OF these
''unwelcome strangers" found in the event
source OF hope as well as Of fear. Instead Of the
long winter which would be the result of the invol-
untary departure Of the globe into exile far away
into the outer regions Of the solar system he cheer
fully suggested that the influence Of these bodies,
they could be secured to the earth in the shape of
moons or OF ring or rings similar 10 those which
surround the huge orb OF Saturn, would be to
modify the temperature of the earth and give us
perpetual spring. And he then adds :-"HOwever
dangerous might be the shock Of a comet, it
might be so slight that it would only do
damage at that part of the earth where it actually
struck perhaps even we might cry quits, If while
one kingdom were devastated the rest o! the world
were to enjoy the rarites that body which came
from so far might bring to it; perhaps we should
be very surprised to find that the debris of these
masses that we despised were formed of gold or
diamonds; but who would be most astonished, we
or the comet dweers who would be cast on our
earth What strange beings each would End the
0therp .''',, .--


- THE ANCIENT TERROR OF COMETS.


But though these suppositions, in the light of our
clearer knowledge, are seen to be extravagantly
absurd, the state Of information which suggested
them was still vast Improvement upon the super
sttious ignorance with which comets were re-
sarded in yet earlier times The Greeks and
Romans though tney knew nothing whatever
about the chances Of their collision with the earth,
regarded them as dread portents OF evil,
and to their eyes what we now look
upon as the beautiful shape Of these
occasional visitors were to use their own pregnant
words, of "horrd aspect, Early in the Christian
era when men looked almost hourly for the fulfil
ment of our Lords prediction Of the end Of the
world, snch objects were frequently regarded as
ominous of the impending doom. "a. slt.,


HOW COMETS JTDE MEN PIous.


Later on, in ss1, . large comet which appeared In
the southern reavens 80 alarmed Louis l. OF France
tna& pc at once set busily to work at building
OEIrcnes and monasteries in the hope OF averting
the evil Of which he and the men Of bis time re-
rarded the blazing stranger in the sky the assured
warning. In the middle of the fifteenth century
there was another historic scare from the same
Tha Turkc MahOmpt
vigorously pushing their conquests westward
through Europe until they threatened to carry the
Koran to the shores of the Atlantic, and in Rome
che greatest fears entertained for the safety
OF Christendom At this crisis Haley's comet, one
OF the largest that approaches the EARTH suddenly
made It's appearance In the sky. Pope Calixtus
Ill immediately caused prayers to be SAID in the
churches and the bells to be rung at noon every
day, and the inhabitants Of all Christian lands
were warned TO endcavor by sincere penitence
and ncessant supplicatons to appease the wrath
OF the Almighty And, again, in 1865, Charles V. OF
Austria was so impressed by the appearance OF
comet that he abdcated the Imperial throne in
favor ofhis son Ferdinand


THE CLEARER KNOWLEDGE OF TIE PRESENT.


Thus In these matters 1t is pretty clear that our
own age enjoys at any rate the most com Portable
even Ii it should some time other prove to be an
erroneous, faith Sensible men cheerfuy accent
the pleasant assurances or the that there ia
little danger OF great mischief even in the event Of
a collision between the earth and comet while
they ridcule the fantastic fears Of the ignorant and
superstit0us who still look upon the mere appear
ance Of such objects in the armament as fraught
with a terrible meaning. Now and then,
II Is true one may encounter visionary creature
who Will argue that, since the universe is bound in
dissolubly together by the same code OF laws no
event can happen anywhere within the boundaries
OF space without Affecting in some degree the des
tiny OF the smallest animate atom that inhabits a
drop or water or grain OF earth. But even
though the in:errelatlon of all things could he
proved TO be thus intimate and far-reaching 10 Is
certain that the influence exerted 10y the passage
of comet within view OF the earth is TOO inn
Intestinal to be appreciabe.


PLANTAMouR A FAILURE.


Thus IL Is seen on reflection to be no longer very
wonderful that NJ Plantamours Sensational an