Year: 1872

la Paper Read before the New York His


toricaI Society, April Ist, 1882.


You have asked me to tell you the


story Of the Plantamour Comet. 1t is


now sixty years since the name of NJ.


Plantamour first became known by his


famous prediction that the earth was to


be destroyed by wandering comet. Of


the result of that prediction you, Of


course, known the main facts. They


have passed into history and given rise


to special department of literature


with which the book shelves of every


library are loaded. My narrative may


thus seem trite and unnecessary. 1t is


nevertheless interesting to listen to the


story of the veteran who fought at


Gettysburg or Five Forks, even though


the most thorough and minute histories


of those battles are easily accessible, l


fully comprehend that you have re-
quested me to rehearse the familiar tale
of the comet, because / am one of the


few actual witnesses of the great calam-
ity who still survive. If l am garrul-
GUS and dull, you will consider it, if you


please, but the manner of an old man


who is at once proud of the honor of
addressing you, and fearful that he may


weary your patience with the reitera-
ton Of facts already familiar.


When NJ. Plantamour first announced
that comet was on its way to destroy
the earth his prophesy was received
with universal incredulity. Indeed,
had it not been for the fact the topic
was one which pleased the fancy Of the
''light-article" writers of the press, lit
tie attention would have been paid to it.
The age prided itself upon its knOwl-
edge of science, and there was such
general belief in the safety of all things
connected with mathematics, that the
public declined to consider seriously
the proposition that an astronomical
body, moving in an orbit capable of ac-
curate calculation, could so far forget
its duty as to depart from that path in
which it had previously travelled. More
over, comets had ceased to be marvel
and bugbear. Scientific men had as
serted that all comets were composed OF
infinitely attenuated gases, and that
should one come in collision with the
earth no perceptible result would fol-
low. In point of fact, an airy con-
of truly scientific mind, and all per-
sons who desired a reputation for astro-
nomical knowledge affected to sneer at
them as the harmless, though demon
strative Trains of the celestial firma-
ment. While, therefore, the humorous |
and satirical writer's ridiculed Planta-
mour and his comet, and thus brought |
the fact of that philosopher prophesy |
to the knowledge Of nearly everybody,
an occasional scientific man thought it |
his duty to publish on paper both the
prophesy and its author. No such comet
did or could exist was the ground taken
by scientific writers, and no possible
comet could work any injury to the
earth, even were the two to come in
contact. Moreover several well-known
astronomers denied that M. Plantamour
had any existence, and asserted that
the entire story was the invention of a
reckless newspaper Bohemian. Up to
the first of June, 1872, the foregoing
statement is a fair description of the
result produced by the prediction of the
learned Swiss. No one felt any uneasi-
ness on the subject of the coming COM
ct, and few believed that the story had
any foundation in truth.


Early in June, however, one of those
respectable old gentlemen, who write
important letters, signed ga Constant
Reader,""A "a Father of Family" etc.,
to the daily papers, saw in an obscure
report of the Smithsonian Institute, a
mention of the result of a spectroscopic
examination of the comet of the year
1861, which, the report alleged, was
again visible. The old gentleman who
was, perhaps, secretly nervous in re-
gard to the Plantamour prophesy, in
stantly wrote letter to the Herald call
ing attention to this report, and asking
if the comet therein mentioned was the
one referred to by Plantamour. The
Herald at once took the matter up edi-
torially, and discussed it in an article of
over column in length, profusely
strewn with reference to Romulus and
Remus, the siege OF Troy, the eligibili-
ty of Grant for reelection, and other
kindred matters. The result was that
Professor Hardness of the Smithsonian
Institute felt called upon to give some
explanation. The great comet of 1861
was certainly visible through the tele-
scope, he admitted and would probably
pass quite near the earth. He was how
ever, confident that it would not come
within the sphere of the earth's attrac-
ton, and that no danger whatever was
to be expected from 1t. He was unable
to say whether or not it possessed a SOL
id nucleus, but he was of the opinion,
from a close study of its spectroscope,
that it was wholly composed of flaming
olefiant gas. Professor Harkness' letter
to the above effect was published on the
9Th of June.


From this date a real excitement in
regard to the comet became manifest.
The public having learned that comet
actually was approaching the earth, and
that although it might be composed of
nothing more weighty than gas, it was
nevertheless celestial fireship that
might prove most undesirable neigh
Dor, Immediately began to repent Of its
belief in NJ. Plantamour. Still the press,
with the exception of the Herald, which
having a good sensation, naturally
made the most of it, persisted in its re-
fusal to believe in Plantamour's exist
ence, and treated the appearance of the
comet of 1861 as a mere coincidence.
The Tribune showed most conclusively
that British free-traders were at the
bottom of this attempt to disturb the
public mind and unsettle the business
of Wall street. The Times saw in the
publication of the Plantamour prophesy
another recklessness OF the disaffected