Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1910 — Simon Phillips Recalls Excitement Attending Comet’s Last Appearance. [ARTICLE]

Simon Phillips Recalls Excitement Attending Comet’s Last Appearance.

Several of the older citizen’s have been asked by the Republican recently if they recalled the appearance of Halley’s comet 75 years ago, and so far Simon Phillips is the only one that recalls the last visit of the great heavenly tramp. It was in 1835, at which time Mr. Phillips was 12 years of age. He remembers the great bright light that caused so much superstition and , alarm and remembers how a great many people were sure that the visit meant the end of the world and prepared to “go home” by assembling together and offering prayers. He resided in Rush county at the time. It is not many people that live to see two visits from this comet. An account was published a few days ago about a woman who was relating how the comet appeared on its last visit and became so excited that the shock killed her. Mr. Phillips recalls it as vividly as though it was only yesterday instead of three-fourths of a century ago.