Year: 1872

/ mentS. 1He ulSlinSulSncu rencn as


tronomer, lie Verrier, also wrote to the


Paris Steele, speaking in the highest


terms of his old friend Plantamour-


though both Huxley and lie Verriel


placed no faith in the prediction of the


coming collision. The public, however,


had learned enough to change its opin-


ion with characteristic rapidity. Plan


tamour was really living astronomer


and fiery comet was in telescope


sight. These two facts were sufficient.


A belief in the approaching collision


became universal, except among those


who had publicly derided the prophesy,


and for the sake of consistency were


compelled to uphold their original


views. Nevertheless there was noEery


active alarm on the subject. People


were anxious to believe the comet would


really do no damage, and that at the


worst the only effect of collision


would be to somewhat increase the


temperature of August. This was the


state of feeling up to nearly the middle


of June, when new discovery was


made. Professor Hardness announced


that he had ascertained from the spec
troscope that the comet had nucleus.


1t is true that other observers contra


dicted him, and fierce scientific quar-


rel was the result. The Professors


view, however, proved to be the true


one, for the comet soon became suffici-


emily visible to demonstrate that no


stars could be seen through its nucleus.


1t being thus settled that it was to some
extent solid body, it only remained to


test the accuracy of Plantamour's cal


had became the public interest in the
matter, that the Importance of at once
allaying the excitement by mathemat-
ical demonstration of the impossibility
of collision was apparent. The Sig
nal Service Bureau, therefore, appoint
ed commission of savans to make
report upon the true path of the comet.


The commission was appointed on the
18th of June, and their report was pre-
sented on the Goth. Unfortunately it
settled nothing. The commissioners,
who were eight in number, were divi-
ded. Four held that the comet had
clearly been turned from its former or
bit by the attraction of some distant
planetary body-probably the moons of
Jupiter, and that it would therefore
pass nearer the earth than it formerly
done. They, however, asserted that it
could not come nearer than about fifty
millions of miles. The remaining four
commissioners, on the contrary, decided
that NJ. Plantamour's calculations were
entirely accurate, and that the comet
would strike the earth in the following
August. They nevertheless argued that
no serious danger was to be anticipated,
and the collision would not produce
any result more important that caused
by the fall of rather large meteoric
stone. The substance of the comet
would be condensed they held by the
pressure of our atmosphere, and would
very possibly prove to be no more than
few feet in diameter.


OF course this only increased the
alarm, and the comet became the uni
versal theme of conversation. On the
29th of June it became visible to the
naked eye, and from that time onward
the streets were thronged at night with
gazers at the alarming phenomenon.
The press devoted a large space daily to
Comments on the Comet" and cases
of insanity produced by fear of the
coming catastrophe became frequent.
The illustrated papers made harvest
by the publication of irightful pictures
of previous comets, and the number Of
men who erected battered telescopes on
the sidewalk after dark, and reaped
harvest by showing telescope views of
the comet, increased week by week.


By the eighth of July the comet pre-
sented terrific spectacle, such was the
velocity with which it nearcd the earth.
Its head was then near the star "Alpha
Lyra," and its tail, which was fam
shaped, expanding at the end covered
an arc of eighty-five degrees. Its light
outshone that of the moon, and the
lighting of the street lamps was unne-
cessary. Business was not perceptibly
and the theaters were more
tn an ever before. 1t was also
noticed, on the other hand, that the
churches were unusually full, and
though no especial meetings were yet
held, except by one or two obscure sects
with second adventist views, there was
a perceptible increase in public interest
in religion. The comic writers still
joked upon the matter, and the papers
that had previously disbelieved the
were still incredulous. The
Times and Tribune, however, began to
admit that collision might be possible,
were some unknown comet to appear,
but stoutly denied that there was any
danger from the comet then visible.
As for the World, it demonstrated to its |
own satisfaction that the comet, instead
of approaching, was actually receding,
and in the fervOr of its arguments re-
called the splendid casuistry with which |
during the Franco-German war, it won
French victories daily, until Paris fell.
In Europe the excitement was greater |
than here. In all the Catholic countries |
fast days and penitential professions
were openly ordered by the church to
avert the impending calamity. In Eng
land there was great uneasiness mani
tested among the working classes, and
the Methodists, who held field meetings
all over the country, made converts by
the thousand.


1t is unnecessary to dwell upon the
steady increase of the excitement here
during the month of July. By the 1st
of August all hope that we should es-
cape collision had been Abandoned
except by the World, which never
omitted its daily proof that the comet
was receding. The only question which
now divided scientific men was the hour
when the collision would take place.
This became matter of the utmost i'm
portance. Were it to occur during the
day the comet would strike somewhere