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THE SOUTHERN WORLD, DECEMBER 1, 1882.
39
Mcuntifin.
Written ipeclally tor the Southern World.
COMETS.
The Phenomena of their Tails—Why
Hew Ones are Constantly Discovered—
Their Origin and Purpose.
Prom what has already been said we read
ily arrive at the conclusion that comets have
thelrorigin in the agglomeration of meteoric
fields. Where these meteoric fields come
from is a question as yet unsettled, and one
that may never be settled. That meteoric
fields do exist we know, and we further
know that there are such collections of this
matter as to lead us to no other conclusion
than a primordial evolution of some charac
ter. But when we observe a comet passing
its perehilion in close proximity to the sun,
and behold its wonderful exhibition of me
teoric drift-volume expanded on all sides,
alternately, as it makes its circuit of the
sun, we are not left in doubt as to the origin
of the body in the periodical agglomerations
of the matter which it exhibits to our aston
ished gaze.
The formation of a new comet might re
quire a period of indefinite ages under some
circumstances. But in many instances, as
has been intimated, the formation might be
quite recent. In case the meteoric swarm
was some considerable distance from the sun
at its nearest point, it would not be apt to
come in contact with other drifts of the
same matter, while two or more swarms
moving in the same path, or passing their
perihelia at about the same distance from
the sun sooner or later must come in col
lision. Those whose orbits cross each other
at equal distance from the sun are likely to
come into contact at some time, and when
we consider the immense outlay and volume
of these drifts, it is no speculation to say
there must be repeated collisions between
them.
My statement a few weeks ago intimating
that a new comet might become visible sud
denly by two or more invisible bodies crowd
ing each other at their perihelia, in their
passage of the sun, I hardly suspected would
so soon be demonstrated mathematically in
the passage of three visible bodies in orbits
r-so-near alike, and with-a perihelion element
so close that for a time, a doubt was created
as to their identity as separate bodies. Sooner
or later these comets will either form one
body or revolve around each other, if there
is no mistake in the calculations of the as
tronomers. And I do not think that there
can be any doubt even now that the wonder
ful comet of 1882, yet visible, carries with it
the evidence of captured worlds of this char
acter. If the comet of 1843 does not return
in 1880-7,1 shall think that our present vis
itor is that body with a retarded motion and
other striking features of a lost identity due
to its conquests in the regions of space. But
I can not admit, as yet, that a retarded mo
tion, or orbital contraction in any way tends
to bring one of these bodies close to the sun
at its perihelion. On the contrary I hold to
the opinion, which I regard as of such im
portance as to repeat it here, that any short
ening of the major axis of the orbit increases
the length of the minor axis, though not
proportionately. Probably fifteen ycarsago,
or more, I laid down this law, which I can
not yield until I see it refuted by the facts
themselves. If it turns out to be a fact that
the comet of 1882 is that of 1843, it will be
confirmatory evidence of the position as-
) aumed by me. Some writers with less regard
1 for their reputation than inclination forsen-
I sational speculation, persist in the unfound,
ed statement that the comet of 1882—the
present visitor—plunged into the sun, when
the measurements prove that It passed nearly
800,000 miles from the centre of that lumi
nary. One of the most eminent astronomers,
Oould, of South America, saw the body pass
the sun, which he could not have done if it
had plunged into it. Even Proctor, follow
ing the sensational report of Bors, goes wild
on the subject of this comet and yields to
the most childish speculation about it.
We are gravely told that in its passage of
the sun, the present comet was fractured by
a collision with it, and is scattering its frag
ments in space around it. What evidence is
there of this? Biela’s and other comets are
cited as precedents of similar results. It is
well known in astronomical circles that
Blela’s comet did not approach near the sun.
Its perihelion point was at least 83,000,000
miles away from that body, and if we sup
pose it was divided, as is said, no collision
was necessary to produce such a result—no
such collision did produce it Heretofore I
have briefly outlined an explanation of the
various phenomenal exhibitions and results
following the passage of one of the grand
bodies of the sun, and as all this phenome
non enters into the theory of a comet’s forma
tion, I will sum up the causes which account
for it without a resort to a speculative col
lision which has no foundation in fact
I have intimated before a problem for
mathematicians as follows:
“If 400,000,000 meteors annually fall upon
the earth’s surface, how many would fall on
the semi-surface of a sphere equal on
all sides to the earth’s orbit?” Can we esti
mate them? These meteors move around
the sun in some way; and if they are not
taken up by the inner plannets, they move
around the sun either independently or in
clusters, where they do not belong to a com
etary volume. The perihelia of these drifts
are near the sun, and we must conclude that
anybody passing near the sun and outward
beyond the planetary confines, passes
through one after another of many of these
meteoric zones.
How deep these fields of meteors lie around
the center of their motion cannot be esti
mated. How they crowd each other it is im
possible to ascertain. But one thing is
known—that they are flowing in and out
on all sides of our planetary system. It is
inconceivable how such streams of them can
move in and around the center of light and
heat to our system without grouping together
in nebulous formations, sometimes forming
nebulous cometulet, hoveri ng in the neighbor
hood of the sun, or moving in orbits in in
terplanetary space. This I believe is the case.
Bodies of a similar character have passed
through the earth’s atmosphere. Around
the sun they, probably, exist without num
ber. When we consider the vast stretch of
cometary orbits and the nearness at which
some of these approach the sun at the peri
helion, it is not so inconceivable how one of
these blazing orbs of night should come up
out of the grand day of the sun’s light cloth
ed with the royal robes of a new attire, and
holding right and left, on exhibition to a
wondering world the evidence of that hom
age to the king of day, it has secured on en
tering his immediate presence. But whether
the comet gathers around it new material in
breaking through the realms of the sun’s me
teoric zones, or from independent drifts of
this matter constantly intercepted along its
orbit, or otherwise, its own mass will warrant
a rational solution of the problem of all
phenomena connected with its passage toand
departure from thesun; and it is of no great
force in the issue of this solution whether
the phenomenal displays are due to add!
tional accretions of new substance, or are a
part of the primordial formation of the
comet thrown off in its passage of the sun.
My own view is that the phenomena we wit
ness are to be atributted to both these
causes; and that it is not unlikely in some
instances, if not injtll, the new cometulet ob
served in the region of the primary body
are re condensations in the field of the vast
volume of nebulous matter taken up or
thrown off by the comet as it departs from
its perihelion. If re-condensations take
place on the surface of the comet, and these
are observed in protuberances, or large de
tached portions, why not assume that similar
results follow, at a great distance from the
head, of the nebulous matter surrounding
it I While I hold that the attenuated vol
ume in which the head of the comet is situ
ated is not visible, except by refraction, yet
where this congregates in a given point in a
state of higher condensation, it may shine
by reflection. The peculiar shape of these
smaller bodies is such as to indicate a re
condensation of volatile or expanded mass,
arranged in the direction of tbe molecules.
If we suppose that comets' tails to condense
suddenly, the body thus formed would be
elongated in shape, instead of spherical in
its form. Portions of the tail may be so
dense os to shine by reflection or solar light
without reflection as this matter, or portions
of it condense after leaving the sun.
Then the explanation of the phenomenon
of Blela’s comet’s division must be sought
for in one of two ways. Either the primary
woh carrying a new formation with it gath
ered in its orbital round, or else it exhibited
a process of the condensation of its own ex
panded volume, or of some part of it, as it
settled down on its surface; just as the pro
tuberances of comet 1882 began to exhibit
themselves after that body had receded far
enough from the sun’s heat for re-condensa
tion to reach a positive character of force,
and which led some observers to the conclu
sion that the comet was dissolving. There
was nothing to justify the breaking up of
Biela's comet. Neither the heat of the sun,
nor the motion of the body can be assigned
as a cause. Unfortunately the incident
of the disappearance of Blela’s comet has
given strength to the delusion that this body
at least was disintegrated, and most numer
ous have been the graveyard lectures of the
wreck of worlds for this reason. But like
Sexel’s comet, Biela’s and, perhaps, others
are adding to the asteroidal belt, or are lost
among the planets to add to the glory of their
satellite kingdoms, or it may be have added
to the attendant array of other comets to
give glory and grandeur to the complex sys
tem of their formation. Oxo. R. Gather.
Aahville, Ala.
GBEAT ELECTRIC DISTURBANCE.
On the 17th of November, an electric storm
extended throughout the United States and
the Eastern Provinces of Canada, the most
pronounced and wide-spread for years if in
deed paralleled in some respects at anytime.
It first began to be felt about 4 o’clock in the
morning and increased in intensity until
9:45 when communication from every di
rection was cut off. It extended from New
York to a point beyond Omaha, and from
Kansas City north to the terminus of tele
graph communication. The storm seemed
to go in successive negative and positive
waves, alternately neutralizing currents on
tbe wires or increasing their intensity to
such a degree os to burn everything up.
Duplex and quadruple! wires were rendered
useless. At Milwaukee the atmospheric
electricity coming on its wires from the
country had such dynamtic power as to suf
fice to keep an electric lamp burning. At
Cincinnati the wires were heavily charged,
a flame appearing when the contact was
broken. At Cleveland, Ohio, the weather
was rainy and muggy although usually elec
tric Btorms occur when the atmosphere is
clear and dry. One line was worked with a
metalic circuit by making a loop with two
wires. At Nashville, Tenn., at intervals the
wires were worked solely by tho auroral
current. The needle in the Galvanometer
oscillated in the most eccentric manner,
varying as much as 80 degrees. At Toronto,
tbe measurements at the observatory showed
that in less than 2 minutes time the horizon
tal force of the earth’s magnetism changed
nearly one-tenth of the whole. At Yank
ton, fully two-thirds of the sky was ablaze
with icrial light of many colors. Tbe aurora
at Omaha and Cheyenne was very brilliant,
tbe illumination being as bright as day. At
St. Paul, the heavens were blood-red in color
and the display grand and fearful. A mes
sage was sent from Bangor to North Sidney
700 miles distant without the use of a bat
tery.
An idea of the great force of the electrical
current can be obtained from the fact that
from 300 to 400 cells are used in the batter
ies between Louisville, Ky., and New York,
and with their combined force the influences
in the atmosphere could not be overcome.
The telegraph company devised a new
trick to beat the aurora, when, on account
of the great induction, it was impossible to
work with one wire; they discovered that by
taking two wires from the ground, between
any two given points, and joining their ends
together (instead of the same being ground
ed,) a circuit was formed that could be suc
cessfully worked. In this way eight wires
between Chicago and Buffalo were made to
do service as four.
At St. Paul that night a brilliant aurora,
extending over the whole heavens, was visi
ble. Both red and white light showed,and the
play of colors was rapid and vivid.
Prof. T. W. Tobin, Ph. D., of the Poly
technic Society, gives to a reporter of the
Louisville Courier Journal tbe following exr
planatlon of it.
“Can you give me any explanation of it,
Professor?,’ asked the reporter.
“I think I can,” said the scientist. “You
see the atmosphere surrounding the earth is
a grand reservoir of electricity generated
and kept supplied by the sun’s influence. In
the temperate zones, the clouds become the
centers of accumulation and equalize the
forces by lightning discharges, with accom
panying thunder. In the Arctic and Ant
arctic zones, the atmosphere is in auch an at
tenuated condition that these discharges
take place in quiet, solemn aurora. These
beautiful phenomena may be initated in
vacuum tubes made familiar in popular lec
ture experiments. It is a common occur
rence to the northern traveler to witness
these sublime discharges of electricity in
high latitude where lightning is unknown.
Hence it seems to be an essential condition
that a highly attenuated atmosphere must
be present, and attenuated atmosphere in
this instance means coldness. Occasional
displays have been observed in latitudes as
low as this, but only under very favorable
circumstances—that is, a clear and dark sky.
In that instance they indicate that the upper
atmosphere must be in a condition of cold
ness approaching an Aretio climate.
“Many of such discharges have undoubt
edly taken place and escaped observation
owing to their occurrence in the day-time or
during a clouded night Since the travers
ing of the earth by telegraph conductors
means have been afforded for detecting these
mysterious currents at all times, and during
the past twenty-four hours one of such power
has undoubtedly passed over this continent—
and probably not been confined to it alone—
which has neutralized the most powerful
artificial battery that science could invent.
That it was an aurora that traversed the
earth in the daytime, and almost during the
passage of tbe sun over the meridian in the
central portion of the continent, is amply
verified iu the dispatches that reached us last
night from the Northwest, that describes the
heavens as being ablaze with electric light.”
“Has this occurrence any scientific val
ue?”
"Yes, the deduction we arrive at from
this phenomenon is an interesting one, and
important in science, as well as commerce.
It is to the effect that tbe whole of tbe atmos
phere in the Northern Hemisphere has
been, from some unexplained cause chilled
down to very low temperature.;;Let me en
deavor to explain by a diagram.”
The Professor caught up his pencil and
drew the following:
“The outside line.” he explained, “shows
the recent passage of the aurora. The in
side line, the usual discharge when the air is
in its normal condition. The inner circle is
the outside of the earth with the zones. N is
the North Pole; 8, the South Pole; E, the
equator; A, the Arctic circle, and AN, Ant
arctic circle, L being the latitude of Louis
ville. These arrow-pointsshow the directions
of the discharges.
“Observations made by numerous and
careful authorities go to show that these ex
treme discharges are precursors of severe
cold, and when taking place, as in this in
stance, indicative of a cold winter. Wheth
er we shall experience such a sequence from
the phenomena is yet to be proved, but is
probable, as far as science and observation
are concerned, and should be looked for and
provided against.”
Gas is an institution of the utmost value
to the artisan; it requires hardly any atten
tion, is supplied upon regulated terms, and
gives with what should be a cheerful lights
genial warmth, which often saves the light
ing of a fire. The timo is, moreover, not far
distant, I venture to think, when both rich
and poor will resort to gas as the most con
venient, the cleanest, and the cheapest of
heating agents, and when raw coal will be
seen only at the colliery or the gas works.
In all cases where the town to be supplied is
within say about thirty miles of the colliery,
the gas-works may with advantage be plant
ed at the mouth, or still better at the hot-
tom of the pit, whereby all haulage of fuel
would be avoided, and the gas, in its ascent
from the bottom of the colliery, would ac
quire an onward pressure sufficient probably
to impel it to its destination. The possibili
ty of transporting combustible gas through
pipes for such a distance has been proved at
Pittsburg, where natural gas from the oil
district is used in large quantities.
The quati monopoly solongenloyedby gas
companies has had the inevitable effect of
checking progress. The gas being supplied
by meter, it has been seemingly to the
advantage of the companies to give merely
the prescribed illuminating power, and to
discourage the invention of economical burn
ers, in order that the consumption might
reach a maximum. The application of gas
for heating purposes has not been encourag
ed, and is still made difficult, in consequence
of the objectionable practice of reducing the
pressure in the mains during the-day-time to
the lowest possible point consistent with pre
vention of atmospheric indraught. The in
troduction of the electric light has convinced
gas managers and directors that such a policy
is no longer tenable, but must give way to
one of technical progress; new processes for
cheapening the production and increasing
the purity and Illuminating power of gas are
being fully discussed before the Gas Insti
tute ; and improved burners, rivaling the
electric light in brilliancy, greet our eyes as
we pass along our principal thoroughfare*.—