Newspaper Page Text
THE AUGUSTA DAILY HERALD
VOLUME XV. NO. 138.
EARTH WILL PISS THROUGH COMET’S TAIL TONIGHT
ROT SCIENTISTS SCOOT THE IDEI OF HARM TO ANY
NUCLEUS WILL BE PAS
SING BETWEEN SUN
AND EARTH ABOUT
NINE O’CLOCK
WHOLE WORLD IS INTERESTED
Meteoric Displays cr Bril
liant Auroral Glow May
Occur. Most Astronomers
Expect Nothing Out of
Ordinary.
TIDAL WAVE FEARED.
Savannah, Ga. —Many of the
inhabitants of Tybee Island
moved into the city today, for
temporary abode, fearing a
tidal wave as the result of Hal
ley’s comet.
Tonight the earth will probably
pass through the tail of the comet
The comet nucleus will pass between
the earth and the sun about 9:08
o’clock tonight, the tail coming across
somewhat later.
What will hapen when we are pass
ing through this nebulous, or gaseous
matter or etheric disturbance—what
ever it is—cannot be foretold, though
it is likely the earth has passed
througn comarayg before. In all like
lihood nothing will hapen. That
seems to be the consensus of opinion.
Some look for meteoric displays,
some for auroral effects and the tele
graph companies are prepared for
electric disturbance, .such as mark
ed the aurora of last fall. But that
there is no danger of anyone on earth
seems assured. Practically every as
tronomer and scientist agrees on
that.
But there is no gainsaying the in
terest that is being taken in the tran
sit. In Augusta everyone is talking
about it, though someone seems to
have given out the wrong information,
for a number of people were met
this morning who thought the transit
was already taking place. Many
white persons are timid, though the
majority are common sense enough
to realise that the scientists are the
only ones whose word is to be taken
seriously about this phenomenon. It
is merely a celestial event out of the
ordinary. It may, on the other side
of the world, be of value to astron
omers in l helping them arrive at some
idea of the matter of which a comet
is composed, but as we will be on
the dark side of the earth the only
possible thing to be observed is an
auroral glow.
SOME ARE
ALARMED.
The colored people are more or less
stirred up according to the degree
of their ignorance and superstition.
The better classes of them are, like
the white peopfs, either 'joking about
it, or interested in it as a unique
happening in • the sky-world. Some
remained away from work and some
are scared, but the greater number
are not much disturbed.
All the world is watching. And
many will stay awake until the wee
ema’ hours waiting for something to
turn up.
Below are printed the various spe
cial dispatches to The Herald and I
the Associated Press items relating
to the event. It wdll be noticed that
there is great diversity of opinion
among the men of science, though all
agree that no harm is to be expected
from the passing through the tail.
MAY BE AN
AURORAL GLOW.
Prof. Frederick Campbell, Sc. D.,
of Brooklyn, in a copyrighted artiele
secured by The Herald for local pub
lication, says:
"Sun sets 7:09 p. m. Comet’s speed
today about 1,634 miles per minute.
Comet passes the earth; combined
speed of the two, 43 miles per sec
ond, 2,680 miles per minute, 154,800'
miles per hour. Comet 5 degrees
south of Pleiades. Comet at descend
ing node, that is, crossing sun’s ap
parent path downward, from north
to south of plane of ecliptic or earth’s
level; will henceforth be south in
stead of north of sun. Comet in con
junction with sun, passing that body
from west to east, in the same longi
tude, on the near side. Distance about
14,000,000 miles.
"As never recorded of Its past, nor
calculated for its future, the comet's
head transits the sun’s face, and the
earth passes through its tall. Head
will more than cover the sun. Tran
sit occupies one hour. According to!
Cowell and CrommeLin, of Greenwich
ObserTatory, transit central at 9 p. m.
eastern time; 8, central time; 7, moun
tain time; 6, Pacific time; other au
thorities place transit between two
hours earlier and four hours later.
"Because of its curve, comet's tail
reaches earth a few hours after tran
sit; for several hours earth traverses
tall, outside of center, as it has tails
of other comets, without danger. An
auroral glow may be expected In the
heavens until after daylight, thougn
possibly eji'-gultfhed by moon (which i
THE WEATHER.
Augusta and Vicinity: Part
ly cloudy tonight. Thursday
fair and somewhat warmer.
NEW PICTURE OF HALLEY’S COMET
.v- ' s* - «*," +.’** 4 ‘ iwJmm^•rt! '<*&rs
"'*' ' 's'7r:xc*s*%i Et'-'t'r'. *s&: ~, '^J*i^ /■ jS9
'■/’• V; • ' \ w 4 ™PL '
A new picture of Halley's comet, from a photograph taken recently
in Chicago. Below is a diagram showing the exact position of the comet
in Its relation to the earth.
sets at 2:45 a. m. )or sun.”
CYANOGEN GAS
NOT A DANGER.
The brush\.of the earth through the
tail Is generally believed to take place
between the hours of 10 o’clock and
midnight tonight, though many as
tronomers place the time a few hours
later. The motion of the comet be
ing very irregular, it is impossible to
determine the precise hour when the
earth will be enveloped by its tail.
While Halley’s comet is credited
with being loaded with cyanogen gas,
a dangerous constituent when mixed
in proper proportions with the atmos
phere of the earth, the tail of the
comet probably carries it in such In
finitely small quantities, If at all, that
the danger Is practically eliminated.
Cyanogen is composed of carbon and
nitrogen and is known in chemistry
as a compound radical. When mixed
In proper proportions with the hydro
gen of the air it forms prussic acid,
one of the most deadly poisons known.
Cyanogen is nearly twice as heavy
as air. For this reason. it is highly
improbable that the heavy molecules
of the gas would be drawn away from
the bead of the comet .into the append
age of its tail. Almost Invariably, it
Is said, the tails of comets are com
posed of hydro-carbon gases—chleflv
marsh gas and olefiant gas. Neither
of these Is particularly dangerous un
less breathed in large quantities. The
gases forming the tail of comets are
inconceivably thin. Kven if such gases
were of a poisonous nature there ;
would probably be no danger to life ■
on earth in the present Instance,
PASSED THROUGH
TAIL IN 1861.
In 1861 the earth did actually pass 1
through the tail of a comet, but no- j
body knew It until It was all over.
Not the slightest effect was observed i
at that time which might be attrib- j
uted to the comet. As only a few
cubic feet of gas will be encountered
by the earth in its passage through
the tail of the comet tonight, there
need not be the slightest apprehension
of any dire results from the encounter, j
Cyanogen gas In Itself Is not so dan
gerous. It Is colorless to the eye and
carries a peculiar pungent odor very
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 18, 1910.
similar to that emanating from bruis
ed peach leaves.
The only difference observable In
the passage of the earth through the
tail of the comet, if any is, wiil be
In the nature of electrical disturb
ances or discoloration of the skies.
THE TAIL IS
DIMINISHING.
Berkeley, Cal. The first part of the
calculations on Halley's comet under
taken by the astronomical department
of the University of California at the
request of the astronomical and astro
physical society of America, was com
pleted yesterday.
This information whs cabled to the
American astronomero, who went to
Honolulu to observe the transit of the
comet across the sun’s disk today.
The comet will cross the sun three
degrees of arc above tho sun’s cen
ter, from west to east The instant of
conjunction is May 18, , 16 h. 7 m., 3 s.,
Greenwich mean time. The phenom
ena will not be observable in any part
of the United States.
In a statement given out last night,
Director Leuschner, of the Student's
Observatory, said:
"According to photographs taken on
May 11 the tail of the comet was two
million miles In diameter at the dis
tance from the nucleus at which the
earth will cross It, but according to
information received from Lick Ob
servatory, the tall Is diminishing rap
idly in absolute width and length.
Thus photographs taken at Lick
yesterday gave the estimate that the
width of the tail through which the
earth will pass will have shrunk to
one million miles. We may expect
to enter the tall at about 5 o'clock
in the aftrenoon and coma out of it
about 11 o'clock In teh evening. Pa
cific standard time.
"Theoretically the tail will stretch
over 180 degrees of the sky, from
horizon to horizon. It will probably
be faintly discernible In the south
western sky if the moon were out of
the way. Tfce phenomena therefore
wiil pass entirely unnoticed by the
people on the American continent and
it Is doubtful whether th‘ observers
in the Orient for whom t: - transit
on Page 3.J
SILEKT THRONES
PUSS KING’S COFFIN
Mile Long Line Waits in
Rain During Night.
WOMEN PREDOMINATE
At Noon Multitude of Over
100,000 Sombre Clad
Citizens Had Viewed
Casket of England’s Dead
Monarch.
London. —From Rlx o’clock this
morning, when the doors of Westmin
ster Hall, where the body of King
Edward Is lying in state, were again
opened to the public, a sombre-clnd,
silent multitude in four deep form
ation filed past the bier
The police, with some tact and much
patience, maintained order and kept
the thousands moving steadily. The
mourners entered at one end of the
hall, double rows passing on either
side of the catafalque and emerging
at the opposite end of the building.
When the doors were closed at 10
o’clock last night between 60,000 and
60,001 persons had viewed, the- casket
while perhaps half that number were
still waiting in the adjacent streets.
At 11 o'clock a new queue was form
ed and midnight found the waiting
throng swollen by many thousands.
These kept a night-long vigil with a
purpose of paying a tribute to the
dead monarch that would not he aban
doned despite a heavy fall of rain that
made them most uncomfortable. The
line extended for a mile or more and
was made up of men, women and chil
dren of many classes. It was a
strangely cosmopolitan throng. Even
land and every color were represented.
There was no class distinction. The
laborer in corduroys touched elbows
with (he frock-coated l\'eet Bnder.
In today's files women appeared to
predominate. By noon the total of
those who had paid their respect had
passed the hundred thousand mark.
S. WRITS IN
CONVENTION MEET
General Wilio Jones Re
elected Chairman and is
Presiding Over Conven
tion. Had Opposition.
Columbia, S. C. —The state demo
cratic convention was called to order
today In the house of representatives
by the chairman of the state com
mittee, Gen. WUIe Jones, who was
last night re-elected to that position
by the commltteo after a proposition
to defer the election of chairman had
been defeated by a vote of 28 to 12.
Opponents of General Jones desire
to have the selection of state chair
man made by the convention Instead
of by the committee as Is required
under the present rules and this prop
osltlon was again presented to the con
vention today by the Chesterfield
county delegation. General Jones Is
opposed because of his connection
with the defunct Seminole Securities
company, through which hundreds of
persons In this state lost money.
The resolution relating to the chair
manship was referred, along with oth
er resolutions, to the committee on
constitution, which will report at to
night's session. The Richland dele
gation presented proposed amend
mends to the party law requiring all
voters In the primary to comply with
the state law as to registration and
payment of poll tax before being qual
lfled voters.
Ah president of the convention,
Richard 8. Whaley of Charleston,
speaker of the house, was elected with
out opposition.
The convention will not In any
manner consider the prohibition ques
tion as It Is not the policy of the
party In South Carolina to consider
state Issues In convention, all such
matters being decided In the pri
maries.
The convention took but fifteen min
utes to elect temporary officers, only
one nomination for each place and
all elections unanimous. The result:
Richard S. Whaley, chairman; secre
taries, Jones M. Morse, James A.
Hoyt, M. M. Mann, E. C. Horton.
These, on motion of R. I. Mannfng,
were made permanent.
A flood of resolutions poured In on
two general commute**. The execu
tive committee will this afternoon Bug
gest $125 assessments for congress
lonal candidates and $75 each for can
didates for state offices, and that the
county to county campaign start on
June 22.
The only change In party law sought
is the amendment of the constitution
so as to postpone choice of a chair
man by the executive committee until
after the convention. T.Vder thl* res
olution the fight on General Jones,
which failed In committee last night,
will he renewed tonight.
"ALL WOMEN ARE LIARB.”
Chicago.—Rev. Edwin C. Brown, of
Moline, 111., precipitated a lively de
bate during an address at the opening
of the annual Western Unitarian
conference here yesterday, when he
said "All women are llara, and tell
ing falsehood* is woman s chief sin.”
oars upheld
BY CONFERENCE
Stand. Taken on Vander
bilt University Ques
tion Approved.
COLLEGE OF CHURCH
Dr. Dickey, of Emory,
Chosen Secretary Board
of Education. Dr. Mc-
Murry Elected Secretary
of the Board of Church
Extension.
That Vanderbilt University Is tho
university of the Methodist Episcopal
church, South, and that it must lie
controlled by the church, was finally
decided by the general conference
this morning when the report of tho
committee on education was adopted.
This finally settles one of the most
troublesome dispute* with which the
church lias had to (leal.
There ware two factions. One was 1
headed by tho university chancellor
and the trustees. The rules of the
church forbid the naming on boards
of trust men not members of the i
church, if men hr competent can be
found in the church. The trustees
selected several men outside the
church for such positions. Including
one of the Vanderbilts. Then there
came a move to do away with the
selection of trustees liy the confer
ence and make that body—the trus
tees a self-perpetuating body. The
college of bishops went on record as
opposed to this innovation. The
adoption of the report shows that
the stand of lire bishops is approved.
TRUSTEES
ELECTED.
Briefly this report finds that the
bishops are common law visitors to
the university; that the conference
has the right, io solect the trustees
either itself for or through any other
agency it desires; that the confer
ence shall select the board of trust
and AH vacancies on It; that, the con
ference shall continue the plan adopt
ed In Baltimore In 1908, when It. com
mittal to the liourd of education for
confirmation the names of all trustees
selected by the hoard of trust. Finally
the report confirms till) stand taken
by the hlshopß on other minor points
and Instructs them to take any ac
tion necessary at any time to pro
tect the church's rights In the uni
versity. Folowlng the adoption of
the report the conference elected to
fill vacancies on the hoard of trust
M. E. Harris, of South Carolina; A.
W. Btggs, of Tennessee; B. A. Oodby,
oi Te?ias. F. S. Parker, of the Tcnilsl
ana conference, was chosen Epworth
League secretary and odltor of the
Epworth Era.
On the first ballot Rev. W. W. Pin
son, of Tennessee, was elected mis
sionary secretary, receiving 185 votes.
Rev. W. F. McMurry, of Isiuisvllle,
Ky., was re-elected secretary of the
board of church extension on the first
ballot.
J. E. Dickey, president of Emory
College, of Georgia, was chosen sev
retary of the board of education on
the fourth ballot.
REPORT Oil SOLES
ROIE CONTRACTS
American Cotton Mfr’s.
Association Recommends
Its Acceptance and Con
tinuance. Various Papers
Read.
Charlertte, N. C.—Tha first order of
business of tho second day's session
of tho American Cotton Manufactur
ers' association today was the report
of the committee on the sales note
contract. Chairman Parker moved
that tho report of the committee be
accepted and the committee contin
ued for another year. This was done.
In the report It was stated that only
through the co-operation of the buy
ers had the mill men been able to ac
complish anything, both partlee con
ceding points. The buyers yielded In
the matter of cancellations, Insisting
that the manufacturers comply with
their contracts to give full weight,
widths and measures.
Two papers were read this morn
ing. J H. Burrows of Roanoke, Vs.,
read a paper on “Coal and Its F>o
nomlo I T se in Cotton Mills,” and Fred
D. Craig of New York read a paper
on “Temperature.”
AUGUSTA FLAYERS TO
ATTEND TOURNAMENT
Mr Henry B. Oaerett in In receipt
of a communication from Richmond
Tennis club, of Richmond, Va„ invit
ing n number of Augusta tennis plav
ern to Richmond *t a date about the
middle of June, at which time a big
tournnrnent 1* to be held on the club's
courts.
Mr. Garrett in very anxious to n*c
e number of enthunlantn from Augus
ta make the trip, an they are annured
of having a pleasant time, an well an
seeing no me of the bent playir* In the
United States In notion. The invita
tion In n moat cordial one and the Au
gunta playern are annured they will
be put to no expeane while in Rich
mond
While no playern have yet ntated
they would positively make the trip,
there Is a probability that two or three
teams from Augusta will go.
DAILY AND SUN DAY, $6.00 PER YEAR.
HOKE SMITH WILL NOT YIELD
TO WISHES OF HIS FRIENDS
BUM IKS ON
WAREHOUSING OF
COTTON IN SOUTH
Notable Address at Con
vention of Cotton Mfr’s.
at Charlotte. Warehouses
for Shippers and Farmers
Charlotte, N. C.—A notable addrasH
on the “Warehousing of Cotton in the
Bouth,” wan delivered today at the
session of the fourteenth annual con
vention of the American Cotton Man
ufacturera' Association, at the Acad
emy of Music In this city, by l* 11.
Bullard, of Memphis, Tenn
Mr. Bullard went Into elaborate de
tails in the discussion of the subject
which is recognised to he of vital im
portance to bot h cotton plant In* and
cotton shipping Interests.
The spesker said, In beginning, that
he was expected to recommed a sys
tern of warehousing and handling of
cotton which not only would be re
munerative to the Investment Inter
ests, but also profitable to patrons of
those Interests. Be suggested from
his understanding of the business that
two kinds of warehouses were needed
In tho cotton growing states:
Warehouse for Shippers.
First, a warehouse for shippers of
cotton, at which the product could be
quickly handled In and out at a rens
enable cost, but oqe that would not
afTect the shippers’ Interest with re
spect to Insurance under n marine
ccwer.
Second, wa rehouses for farmers,
merchants, factors and others, who
hold cotton and who use the regular
Are Insurance covers Instead of ma
rine contracts. Those should he con
structed of permanent materials nml
ns nearly fireproof as possible,
Mach warehouse plant should be lo
cated at a point convenient to the
cotton trade, more particularly at a
point of con can I ration. Tho reason for
locating the warehouses at points of
concentration art that there should
be strong buying competition to en
able the owner to realize the maxi
mum price at short notice and for the
further reason that volume Is requir
ed to Insure a strong and reliable or
ganization and management and to
minimize the cost of handling.
Istanoed Memphis.
Mr. Bullard instanced Memphis as
an Illustration of a city possessing
admirable facilities for the handling
of cotton. Tt Is estimated that M)ot
-000 bales of cotton are grown within
a radius of one hundred rnß+x of
Memphis and that within that radius
there are twenty-one concentrating
and reshtpplng points, at which are
handled In the aggregate. 1.57K.000
bales of cotton a year. Mr. Bullard
asserted that there were no monopo
listic features connected with the
Memphis plan of warehousing cot
ton. He described in dgta.l! the meth
ods and advantages of the system In
operation at Memphis to Illustrate
the necessity of the co-operation of
the carriers for the proper and eco
nomical warehousing of cotton. Rome
of the necessary restrictions which
should hedge about the warehousing
of cotton, Mr. Bullard Indicated ns
follows:
Rules of Company.
“The rules of the company should
provide that receipts for cotton shall
he given only when the cotton Is act
ually in Its possession. That "good
order” receipts shall not be given for
cotton In a damaged condition That
cotton shall not h# delivered until tho
outstanding receipt has been stirren
dered and cancelled, and so on. Then,
so drsfl your bond as to protest the
company against any claims arising
through failure of the officers or em
ployes to comply with these rules.
“The storsge and handling tariffs
should, ns far as practicable, he uni
form as between the warehouses lo
rsted at the various points. The tar
iffs, however, will be affected by local
conditions, and especially will you
have to take Into consideration, the
volume of business handled through
each plant.
Ideal Warehou M.
In other words, a warehouse phnnt
of the kind mentioned, constructed
for the aeeommodatlon of fifty to e.v
enty-tlve thousand bales per snnurn,
would serve an Ideal warehouse btinl
ness, from which maximum results
at * gilnlmum cost eould he obtained.
"With such « system of warehouses
as J have deaerlbed, and (tie eo-oper
atlon of the rarrlera, maximum aer
vtee at a minimum roat can he ob
tained with a fair profit to the ln
vestora, and abaolute protection to the
staple and to other Interests through
out the country handling the were
house cotton ,receipts.”
PAYMABTER TO RESIGN.
Washington,—An outcome of the
friction which has existed In the navy
department, following differences of
opinion regarding the proper method
or keeping the accounts of the navy,
was the announcement from the sec
retary's office yesterday that Pay
master General E. B Rogers will re
sign The officer will return to his
! original rank of paymaster In the
j navy with the rank of captain.
FORMER GOVERNOR
DECLINES TO ALTER
HIS DECISION RE
CENTLY MADE
GAVE THE SUBJECT
SERIOUS THOU6HT
Sayti Ho Sincerely Hopes
Friends Will Attack No
Blame to His Courso
Not to Run
Atlanta, —Former Governor llok#
Fnilth, before leaving for Ityromviile,
where he Ik to drltvar an address,
gave out the following statement:
“1 have received during tho past
two days, many letters and telegrams
from different parts of the state, urg
ing me to reconsider the announce
ment that I could not be a candi
date for governor. 1 am deeply grato
ful for the kind expression of my
frlenda, but before making the Ht.ato
ment hint Saturday, 1 gave the sub
ject serious thought. The reaaon
which caused me to decline to enter
the race are such that I cannot alter
the derision then made. If my friends
fully understood these reasons, they
would not criticize my action and I
sincerely hope they will attach no
blame to mv course as It distresses
me very much to know I cannot do us
they wish.”
TENNIS PUYERS TO
HOLD TOURNAMENT
t
The annual city tennis tournament
Will be held at the Lakeside club ten
nis courts, beginning June 21st and
lasting until the (Inals have been
played. The event Is exclusively for
local talent and sexen handsome cups
will he offered by the club. It Is not
limited to members of the club, but
open to all who reside In Augustn.
No entries have been made yet, hut
as noon as the blanks are open It Is
expected a goodly number of enthu
siasts will *n(.or.
At the tournament lust year, sorqe
exceptionally good scores were made
and there was always a good galle.ry.
Interest In the event this yeni* will he
more Intense ugd It Is expected to bo
one of the social events of the sum
mer season.
SALLY DIRECTORS
IN MAGQN MEETING
Macon, Ga.—Directors of tho South
Atlantic league will meet here at 3
o'clock this afternoon to discuss tho
question of several club* In the league
being over tho salary limit. Tho news
paper men .will he admitted to tho
meeting for she first time In two years
II Is understood that several fines will
he Imposed upon some of the clubs
fn the league.
■ ««» |
7 NEGRO HOUSES ARE
DESTROYED BY FIRE
North Angutta Visited By
Conflagration, at an Early
Hoar.
About/ dnybrenk this morning a row
of sronll cabins In North AuguMta, oc
cupied by negroes, caught on fire and
before the flume* could be extinguish
ed, seven of them were completely
consumed.
The houses were located near the
North Augusta cprru'ti-ry.
Just how th< fire originated Is not
known. Mont of the negroe* who oc
cupied the holmes lost all of their
household gnf)4h The property lose
!h estimated at about two thousand
dollars.
MIDSHIPMEN PAY
TRIBTTTE TO WILSON
Annapolis, Md.—The executive com
mittee of the Navy Athletic Associa
tion yesterday unanimously decided
that the name of Ihe late midshipman,
Earl I). Wilson, of Covington, Ky.,
who died a month ago from Injuries
sustained In a football game last year,
shall he engraved upon the handsome
silver trophy cup presented by Col.
Robt M Thompson, of New York, as
being the midshipman whose person
al Influence did most, for the promo
tion of athletics at the academy dur
ing an academic term.
CALLS CHILDREN AND DIEB.
Pittaburg.—Calling about 50 children
from the street and neighboring houses
In the West End, Mr*. Clementine
Derenso, aged 36 years, Inst night shot
and killed herself In the presence of
her Juvenile guests
MEMORIAL SERVICE.
Bt. Louie.—A memorial service In
honor of Chn*. N. Orlttenton, the
founder of the organisation, wae held
try the National Florence Crlttenton
illaslon Conference this morning.