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AFTER THE COMET.How the Plantamour Comet Strnck the Earth on the 12th of Angnat, 1872.A Piper Read before the New York Historical Society, April lit, 1932.You have u*ked me to tell you the story of the Plantamour Comet. It Is non sixty years since the name of M. Plantain our first became known by his famous prediction that the earth was to lie destroyed by a wandering comet. Of the result of that prediction you, of course, known the main facts. They have parsed into history and given rise to a special department of literature with which the book shelves of every library are loaded. My narrative may tlius seem trite and unnecessary. It la nevertheless interesting to listen to the story of the veteran who fought at Gettysburg or Five Forks* even though the most thorough and mluute histories of those battles are easily accessible. I fully comprehend that you have requested me to rehearse the familiar tale of the comet, because 1 am one of the few actual witnesses of the great calamity who still survive. If 1 am garrulous and dull, you will oonrider It, if you please, but the manner of an old man who Is at once promt of the honor of addressing you, ami fearful that he may weary your patience with the reiteration of facts already familiar.When M. Plantamour firntannounced that a 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, little attention would have been paid to it. The age prided itself upon its knowledge of science, and there was such a general belief in the safety of all tilings connected with mathematics, that the public declined to consider seriously the proposition that au astronomical body, moving in an ortlt capable of accurate calculation, could so far forget its duty as to depart from that path In which it had previously traveled. Moreover, comets had ceased to be a marvel and a bugbear. Scientific men had asserted that all comets were composed ol infinitely attenuated gases, and that should one come in collision with the earth no perceptible result would follow*. In point of fact, an airy contempt for comets had liccomc the mark of a truly scientific mind, and all persons who desired a reputation for astronomical knowledge affected to sneer at them as the harmless, though demonstrative Trains of the celestial flrina-tuent. While, therefore, the humorous and satirical writers ridiculed Planta-inour and hU comet, and thus brought tlie fact of that philosopher's 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 cornet could work any injury to the earth, even were the two to come in contact. Moreover several well-known astronomers denied that M.P lan tarn on r had any existence, and asserted that the entire story was the invention of a reckless newspaper Bohemian. Up U 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 uneasiness on the subject of the coming comet. and few believed that the story had any foundation in truth.Early in June, however, one of those reqiectable old gentlemen, who write important letters, signed 44A Constant Header,** “A Father of a Family,” etc., to the dully impure, saw in an obscure report of the Smithsonian Institute, a mention or the result of a spectroscopic examination of the comet of the year 1001, which, the report alleged, was again visible. The old gentleman w ho was, perhaps, secretly nervous in regard to the Plantaiuoiir prophesy, instantly wrote a letter to the Herald culling attention to thU report, ami asking if the comet therein mentioned was the one referred to by Plantamour. The Herald at once took the matter up editorially, and discussed it lu an article of over a column in length, profusely strewn with reference to Romulus und Remus, the siege ol Troy, the eligibility of Grant for re-election, and other kindred matters. The result was that Professor Harkneu of the Smithsonian Institute felt called upon to give some explanation. The great comet of 1661 was certainly visible through the telescope, he admitted and would probably pass quite near the earth. He was however, confident that it would not conic within the sphere of the earth's attraction, and that no danger whatever was to be expected from It. He was unable to say whether or not it possessed a solid nucleus, but he was of the opinion, from a close study of In- ni*ectro*copc, that it was wholly composed of Darning olefiant gas. Professor Harkucss* letter to the above effect was published on the 6t!i of June.From this dato n real excitement In regard to the comet became manifest. The public having learned that a comet actually was approaching the earth, and that although It might lie composed of nothing more weighty than gas, It was nevertheless a celestial fireshlp that might prove a most undesirable neighbor, Immediately began to repent of Its belief In M. Plantamour. Still the press, with the exception of the Herald, which having a good sensation, naturally made the most of It, persisted iu lU refund to believe in Plantamour’* existence, and treated the appearance of the comet of 10411 as a more coincidence. The Tribunt showed most conclusively ilmt British free-trader* were at the bottom of this attempt to disturb the public mind and unsettle the business of Wall street. The 77m** saw in the publication of the Plantamour prophesy another recklessness of the disaffected Republican* who opposed Grant’s re-election, and the World while disbelieving the story, preached from It a solemn lesson on the peril* into which the country had been brought by the advocates of a protective tariff. The question of M. Plantamour'* existence being thus forced into notice. It could not remain long uu-ettled, and within a fortnight after the appearance of Professor nark ness’ letter, a communication was sent to the London Times by Professor Huxley, who stated that lie hail personally known Professor Plan-tumour for many years, and that he was a man of eminent scientific attainments. The ditiiigutshed French astronomer. Le Verrier, also wrote to the Paris Siccle, speaking In the highest terms of bis oh! friend Plantamour— though both Huxley and Le Verrier placed no faith in the prediction of tIncoming collision. The public, however, had learned enough to change Its opinion with characteristic rapidity. I'lan-tainonr was a really living astronomer, and a fiery comet wit in telescopic 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 coin jwd led to uphold their origiual views. Nevertheless there was nojrery 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 a collision would be to somewhat Increase the temperature of August. This was the state of feeling up to nearly the middle of June, when a new discovery was made. Professor Hnrkness announced that lie had ascertained from the spectroscope that the comet had a nucleus. It Is true that other olwervere contradicted him, and a fierce scientific quarrel was the result. The Professor’s view, however, proved to be the true one, lor the cornet soon became sufficiently visible to demonstrate that no stars could be seen through lt‘ nucleus. It being thus settled that it was to some extent a solid body, it only remained to test the accuracy of Plantamour'8 calculation ala to its orbit. So profound had became the public interest in die matter, that the importance of at once allaying the excitement by a mathematical demonstration of the impossibility of u collision was apparent. The Signal Sendee Bureau, therefore, appointed a commission of savans to make a report upon the true path of the comet.The commission was appointed on the 16th of June, and their report was presented on the 20th. Unfortunately it settled nothing. The commissioners, who were eight in number, were divided. Four held that the comet had clearly been turned from 1l« former orbit by the attraction of some distant planetary body—probably the moons of Jupiter, and that it would therefore pin 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 M. Plantamour** calculations were entirely accurate, anil that the comet would strike the earth in the following August. They nevertheless argued that no serious danger was to lie anticipated, and the collision would not produce any result more important that caused by the fall of a rather large meteoric stone. The substance of the comet would be condensed they held ly the pressure of our atmosphere, mid would very possibly prove to be no more than a few feet in diameter.Of course this only increased the alarm, ami the comet became the universal theme of conversation. On the 29th of June it became visible to the naked eye, and from that time onward the street* were thronged at night with gazers at the alarming phenomenon. The press devoted a large space daily to (lt;CommenU on the Comet,** and cases of insanity produced by fear of the coming catastrophe became frequent. The illustrated papers made a harvest by the publication of irightfiil pictures of previous comets, ami the number of men who erected battered telescopes on the sidewalk after dark, and reaped a harvest by showlug telescopic views of the comet, Increased week by week.By the eighth of July the comet presented a terrific spectacle,such was the velocity with which it neared the earth. It* head was then near the star “Alpha Lyra,** and Its tuil, which was fan-shaped, expanding at the cud covered an arc of eightv-rtve degrees. It-* light outshone that of the moon, and the lighting of the street lamps was unnecessary. Business was not perceptibly affected, and the theaters were more crowded than ever before. It was also noticed, ou the other hand, that tlie churches were unusually full, ami 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 bad previously disbelieved the prophesy were still incredulous. The Tima and Tribune, however, began to admit that a collision might be possible, were some unknown comet to appear, but stoutly denied that there was any clanger from the comet then visible. As for the IKorW, it demonstrated to its owu satisfaction that the comet,instead of approaching, was actually receding, and in the fervor of its argument* recalled the splendid casuistry with which during the Franco-German war, it won French victories dally, until Paris fell. In Europe the excitement was greater than here. In all the Catholic countries fast days and penitential processions were openly ordered by the church to avert the impending calamity, lu England there was great uneasiness inani-foted among the working clasps and tlie Methodists, who held field meeting* all over the country, made converts by the thousand.It is unnecessary to dwell ii|on the steady Increase of the excitement here during the month of July. By the 1st of August all hope that we should escape a collision hud been abandoned— except by the World, which never omitted its dally proof that the comet was receding. The only question which now divided scientific men was the hour when the collision would take place. ThU became a matter of tlie utmost importance. Were U to occur during the day the cornet would strike somewhere on the opposite hemisphere, and it was then hojHid that the people of the western world might escape all injury. Most of the scientific men asserted that the blow would fall at 0 A. M. on the19th of August, and that the immediate point of contact would 1m* the plains of Siberia. An unfortunate astronomer who took the opposite view, and claimed that the innu*t would strike near Washington, was denounced as n traitor by the 7W/»tnir,and narrow ly escaped mobbing. There was yet no apparent tailing off in the number of customers at the shops and brokers* office*, or lu the throngs which filled the theaters. It was known, however, that few large (Mirchamss of good* were made by retail merchants, mid that business in w-al estate won almost at a stand -till. The Catholics were now holding daily services in tliolr churches, and many of the Protestant sects were follow ing their example. There was in fact a strong revival of religion in progress everywhere, but at tlie same time the thieves and burglars were usually active. The police had relaxed their strictness, ami many of fbe patrolmen neglected their beasts to attcud religious services, thus giving the dangerous classes an opportunity of which they at once took advantage.On the 9th of August, for the first time, there was a general neglect of business. The steamers ior Liverpool carried but two passengers, and the railway trains were thinly patronized. During the day the churches were all open, and the stores for the most part closed. Wall street alone kept upiui Interest In worldly things, and bought and sold as though no comet had ever made its appearance. Singularly enough, a very large number of marriages were celebrated on this day, though during the previous three weeks there had lieen fewer marriages than at any time during tlie last twenty years. The comet was now a stupendous sight. Its nucleus was nearly as brilliant as the suu. and its tail swept below the horizon, while the part which was visible was fully one hundred and twenty degrees in length. The press on the morning of the 9th admitted the collision to be inevitable, with, as usual, the exception of the World which still asserted that tlie comet was receding, and that tlie astronomers who asserted tlie contrary were ignorant persons who had not read the World Almanac. During the night of the 9th hardly any one in the whole city, and probably few persons in this country or iu Europe dreamed of going to bed. The streets were crowded, and while some affected to keep up their spirits the majority acted as though death was inevitable. The women were, for the most part, cooler than the men, many of the Utter being beside themselves with terror. Here and there street preachers organized prayer meetings, and tlie Round of voices echoed with a wild despairing sound through the night. Men were observed as a rule to seek the companionship of their families, and forming little group* ou the doorstep* clasped their wive* and children silently. Now and then a troop of drunkards paraded the streets, howling parodies of pious hymns. The theaters were open, but they were nearly deserted, and the burglars and pickpockets plied their trades unmolested. Thus the ulght wore on, until the comet passed below the horizon, and the paler light of dawn begun to manifest itself. Matty wearied men and women had dropped asleep, and thousands of young children were sweetly sleeping in the arms of their anxious parents. Suddenly lire City Hall clock struck six, and a murmur from the lips of the watchers announced that the crisis of their fate was at hand. The clock, however was wrong and not until five minutes afterwards did Trinity and it* sister chick* strike the fatal hour. For a moment the most oppressive silence weighed upon the city. Then the shriek of a hysterical woman who could no longer bear the strain to which she had been subjected, or the wild prayer of an excited fanatic broke the silence. Suddenly, at precisely four minutes after six, a hardly perceptible jarring of tlie ground was felt,o* though a heavy piece of artillery had pas*ed along the street. 'Hie comet had struck us and we were still utihfirt.'Tlie tumult that ensued was indescribable. Tlie vast crowds at once separated. People broke into unmeaning laughter, and frantically clasped hands with perfect stranger*. A boy detected Iu stealing a handkerchief was seized upon and clubbed with joyous enthusiasm by a policeman who a moment before had been upon his knee*.A general rush into the hotels and eating houses for breakfast took place, and in half an hour the city resumed iu accustomed appearance.The morning paper* appeared three hours later than usual, the presses having been kept waiting until alter the collision.They contained no new* from Europe later than midnight, ami consequently we were left to imagine the possible result of tlie shock on the other hemisphere. About 9 o’clock the water about the docks began to fall, and as the ebbrapidly continued it was evident that the sea was receding. A tremendous current toward the Narrows ami the sea swept with It* hundred* of small craft, am! in half an hour New York Bay, and tlie harbor which had made this city the commercial center of the new world, had vanished. In iu place there stretched a vast mud fiat dotted with Stranded vessels, and forgotten wrecks. The East River totally disappeared, leaving only a few pools of water in the midst of its channel, while the North River wandered sluggishly through the dreary waste of mud where was once the outer bay,and reached the sea some three miles beyond Sandy Hook. The vessels at the docks lav-toppled over and against one another, hopelessly stranded, and fit for nothing hut to be broken up. New York vva* no longer a marine city, but has suddenly become almost a* much an inland town :l* Philadelphia or Poughkeepsie. It was at first feared thut thl-subsidence of the sea was only preliminary to Its return In Irrefutable force to sweep away the last vesting* of the city. A new excitement thus sprang lip, ami there was u frenzied rush for the railways ou the part of panic-stricken people who sought to fly to the moilutain* lwyoml the reach of the coming flood. The day* wore on, however, and the sea allowed no symptoms of returning—the sceptre of manitime New York hud (Missed away forever.An hour after the sea began to fall n strong wind sprung up, which soon Increased to a hurricane, and blew with tremendous force until 3 o’clock lu the afternoon, when It gradually died away to l»e succeeded by another hurricane of almost equal violence from the east. Menu while from every part of tlie coast, from Panada to Mexico, ami from Portia ml to San Francisco, came tlie same telegraph story of the withdrawal lt;.r the im*. It was now plain that some terrible catastrophe had followed the collision, and the new* from Europe was looked for with painful anxiety.The Atlantic cable, however, remained diuub. Tovvanl evening a dense mist came up from the west which spread rapidly inland, and at night completely obscured the heavens. In the morning there was no change, except that tlie wind bail died away. The fog continued, and no vessels dared attempt to navigate the new channel to the sea under such disadvantage*. No won! came over tlie cable, and the operator at Heart’s Content announced that both cable* were evidently broken. Various conjecture* were mode as to the nature of the Injury iufiicted by the comet, and the opinion of a leading scientific man that tlie comet had fallen into the Atlantic ami by its intense hent evaporated an enormous quantity of water, was generally accepted as sat lean eminently probable.The fog continued for three weeks, ami followed by uninterrupted rain* tor a week longer. During that time the White Star line sent out their small steamer “Corsica,”—the larger steamers having no chance the shallows In the river near Sandy Hook. No arrivals from Europe had taken place at any Atlantic port since the collision, except a single steamer, which reached hereon the morning of the 10th of Augnstjttst before the sea began to recede.Tlie return of the Corsica” wo* looked for with intense anxiety, especially ou the part of those who had friend? abroad. It was thought she could make the voyage out and back iu fifteen days, but we were to hear from her before that time expired. On tlie tenth day alter her departure, the news wa* received that she had arrived at Sau Francisco.At first this announcement was received with utter incredulity, but dispatches from the captain ami the reporter* Scon placed the fact beyond a doubt. She had steered the usual course for Liverpool after leaving New York, but the fog, which prevailed during the entire voyage, rendered it impossible for the officers to obtain an'observation to determine her latitude accurately. Land was sighted ou the tenth day, and as It was believed to be the high lands of the west cost of Ireland, tlie ship won headed to the southward in order to round Cape Clear. The mouth of the Sacramento River was soon reached, and tlie captain being utterly at a loss to know hi* whereabouts entered the river, andsoon found himself at Son Fran cisco.•The result of this voyage established the terrible certainty that the great continent of tl»e Old World had vanished, and miles* some portion of .Southern Asia and Africa had escaped, America was tlie only habitable part of the globe that had survived. It was also evident that disappearance of the land of the eastern hemisphere wo* not merely tlie result of an overflow of the sea, but inasmuch as the “Corsica” had ipade tlie voyage from New York to San Francisco, thus nearly circumnavigating the globe in ten days, nearly one-half die planet must have been totally destroyed.We were not long to be kept in ignorance of the fate of the vanished world. On the 6th of September for the first time since the collision, the fog and rain bad sufficiently abated to permit die heavens to become visible. On the night of the 6th, a new' phenomenon Was presented to the millions of America. The moon was nearly full and shown with her accustomed brightness, but two new moons, one twice the aj*-parent size of die old moon, and uuolh-er, nearly as large, appeared in company with her. Subsequently three smaller satellites were discovered, but they were so small as to easily escape notice. We now knew that Planta-mour’s comet hail done Its work, and that the earth had been brokcu into fragments.The scientific men immediately set themselves to calculate die distances of the new .satellite* and to compute dieir orbits. It was found that they were less than half the distance of die moon, and that they revolved about die earth in fourteen and fifteen days respectively. It was calculated from their comparative nearness to die earth,that with the largest telescopes yet constructed, objects of twenty feet iu length could be plainly discerned. Unfortunately die large English telescopes were no longer available, but with the Detroit and Harvard instrument* it was soon ascertained that the larger satellite inincluded Southern Europe, while die smaller one was the former continent of Africa. No trace of Eastern Europe or Asia could be found, while England had eidier vanished, or had become one of the three small and nearly invisible satellite*. The blow had fallen, a* wa predicted, somewhere iu Siberia and China, and the teeming millions of the latter had undoubtedly perished.With the lust rumen is at our command, the city of Paris and other large towns situated between the Mediterranean and the Baltic could be easily perceived. The Spanish Peninsula, and luljvsoudi of Rome had disappeared, although the dome of St. Peter's still shone like a diamond point of light. A part of Poland was visible,but Russia and Turkey w ere blotted out. On the other satellite, tlie great lake* of Central Africa could be defiucd, but little of interest was visible. Of course i\o human lieiugs could be distingui»hclt;!,but it whs hoped that life on the new satellite*. “Kuropa” and “Africa,” at ill survived. Mr. Alvan Clark, of Boston, immediately began tlie construction of a huge lens lor a new telescope,of three feet greater focal distance than any leu-* yet before east. This task was triumphantly finished before tlw winter waa over.aml the first observation through tin* new telesflnpe showed us that ‘•Kuropa” am! Africa.” w ere os densely populated a* ever, and that the great catastrophe that ha*! a*i-nrated them forever from us, had not apnrcntly affected their punmiuor their habits. The French were *tiIIoccupied with drilling and marshalling troop-, and the Germans were still cultivating their field* and thronging tlieir In-cr gardens, as in former days* The diamond regions of Africa were crowiled with busy miners, and the wilderness of Central Africa were as luxuriant and solitary as ever. In the disruption ot the globe, the fragment* that were drawn Into space had carried their own atmosphere and a part of their neighboring oceans with them. They haul now settled luto their new orbits, and there was no reason to believe that their inhabitants would softer any acrlou- inconvenience from the accident beyond that of being shut out from Intercourse with the earth.When It wan understood that object* of twenty feet In diameter could Ik? |»er-edved on either satellite, the question of opening communication with them became a dimple one. Congre** immediately proceeded to construct on the pralrio west of Omaha. In letter- offorty feet In length, the sentence “All’s Well.” The letters were formed ot ridges of earth, ten feet high, and carefully covered with smooth sheets of tin to reflect the light. Three weeks after the sentence was finished the same words became visible on tlie plain* of Holland. A fortnight afterward we could distinctly read the work* “Make your letters ten feet long.” This polite invitation saved us an immense amount of labor, until Mr. Rugglcslnveuted his “movable lunar telegraphic type,” which made communication easy, rapid, and Inexpensive. The nature of this Invention, which was remarkably simple, being explained to the people of Europe, they at once adopted it, since which time communication with that satellite has been regular and frequent. L’p to the present time no answer has been obtained from Africa, although it I* hoped that comm unication will sooner or later be opened with that benighted region.I have now given you a trustworthy, though I fear a rather dull and proaaic account of the great catastrophe. You will, of conn*, find fuller and better accounts iu the encyclopaedias, and In the newspaper files of the day. My atorv, however, has the advantage of being the experience of one who lived through the exciting scenes of the collision, and who is one of the few men of that generation who *UU survive. I do not encumber the narrative with the history of the effect ujou the industry of the Old World. The country has now fully recovered from the disaster, and is perhaps, in a better condition than ever before. Two things are certain: we have no longer to dread that perpetually impending war with England which formerly disturbed us, neither docs the queatkm ol Chinese cheap labor complicate our politics. Great Britain and (liina have both ceased to exist, and the few thousand Chinamen in California are tlie sole remnant of that once innumerable people.
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Holmes County Republican
Millersburg, Ohio, US
Thu, Aug 08, 1872
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USA 11 Oct 2022
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