Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1917 — Page 2

Great Comet to Shine in Sky Next Spring

It should be an interesting spectacle on warm, clear evenings when the stars are brilliant : t Don tbe one of those folks .who take fright and become, panicky for there s no danger*-- "*

The upper picture on the left is from a photograph of Halley s comet taken on its appearance in 1910. To the right is a diagram showing how this comet passed the earth in the spring of that year and almost grazed the sun. The small picture on the left shows Brooks’ comet of 1902.

w -UNLESS something unexB I pected occurs, the world Kg I will witness next spring a great heavenly phenom(tfsl■ kII enon—a mig ht y comet jsyUfey blazing forth night after Al/ night with its tail sweepW ing an imme ns e arc through the heavens, a . superstitious and of in* » tense interest to all. We T may see again, as we did whenHaHey’s comet returned-+ft-49W;-Chinese mobs trying to frighten away the uncanny visitor with flaming torches and savage races falling mt their knees in gibbering prayer to the supposed deity. We may even have absurd scares among usually well-balanced people, who believe the tail of the comet will sweep the surface of our Mother Earth with devastating effect. The tenuous nature of all .comets renders them a source of minor danger, as astronomers agree, and We have little to fear from the vast mass of. nebulous material. even though enveloped in it. - “Comet B, 1916” is the name of the stranger. It is so Called because .it was the second comet discovered -this_ .. year, Professor Wolf of Koenigstuhl detected the rushing body's faint picture on a photographic plate last April and proceeded to telegraph the news to observatories all over the world with great joy. The statement that the new comet will be a monster rests principally on the fact that it was discovered when fully 400.000.000 miles from the earth, wifKhft The urijttntf7tte;Xßni t planet Jupiter. ■ All comets increase greatly in size and brilliancy as they approach the sun.,—lf such proves to be the case this time, -“Comet B. 1916” should make a great impression. It is useless to go out and look for the comet tonight, as It Is now on the other side - ’of the sun, whose greater luminance conceals it. Earth, sun and contet have just passed conjunction, as

BITS OF INFORMATION

The new bridge across the Tiber at Rome/ having a span of 328 feet. is tln> longest re-enforced concrete arch in the world. Since new telegraph cables to Ceylon have been opened messages have lUeen transmitted from London within half an hour. Metallic titanium, it has been found, will cut and mark glass, leaving an ornamental silvery streak .where It has been used..

’ the state is called when the three bodies are in line. From now on until May, however, conditions will become increasingly favorable for observation. In a few months the comet should be visible to the naked eye in parts of the earth suitably situated. At present the comet is approaching the earth at a rate of more than a million miles a day—but not in a direct line. In the month of December its distance from the earth decreased by nearly 50,000,000 miles, astronomers calculate. It. is now situated in the sky just Tiartn -Of tfiß consieiiittum Libnr~ifntr about 15 degrees northwest of the upper end of the Scorpion. These constellations are near the sun, appearing tn the - early morning hours just preceding sunrise. On January 1 the comet was still more than 300.00p.(XX) miles away. Its perihelion passive, or. nearest approach to the sun, is due next Tune. The path of the comet has not yet been accurately plotted. but dozens of astronomers are working On it With complex tables and extensive mathematical calculations.—-- - ... ;•. - .■ ■ While comets which make a name for themselves are few, the telescope records a large number. Some of them are old friends paying us another visit. These are called periodic comets. They arrive more or; less on schedule time. Their periods of journey about the sun are in some eases hundreds or thousands of years in length. Donatj’s great comet of .1858 takes 2,(XX) years to return to the same spot after its jburhey over a- grear rlongnted etttpso.' Astronomers hav6 not decided whether fill comets return to the sum or not. Some of them appear to have parabolic orbits and fly off info space, never to see the solar system again. But their supposed parabolic orbits may>simply be elliptical orbits of such great size that the few observations whi<h can be made of them do not disclose their elliptical character. The arcs of tire ellipse and the parabola A X

TO‘enaldei>rosia’cfiv’ebuyersof pianos to, learn how much room they will oeeupy paper patterns the exact size of the bases of instruments have; been invented. Ap American chamber of commerce has been recently established in Rio de Janeiro for the purpose of further* Ing the Industrial' relations between the-United States and Brazil. The .government of Argentina has made, the heating of passenger cars on railroad trains; -ih the winter months compulsory.-

. f ■ - ' • THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER, IND.

are nearly the same for short” distances. = - - But there are great numbers of comets, known to be permanent members of the solar system. They accompany the sun and its planets in its onward journey through space. While the orbits of the planets are nearly circular, all comets fly alone in greatly drawn out ellipses. Some planets are satellites of the larger planets and fly about the sun. If a comet happens to coate close to a major planet on its journey toward the sun, it may be “captured” and from then on have its orbit permanently changed to include the planet. Jupiter is known to have“qulLe a large family of captured comets. The comet with the shortest known period is Encke’s. This comet never gets farther from the sun than inside the orbit of Jupiter. Halley’s comet, which created the sensation of 1010. has th v longest periodof all the comets classed as periodic. All the gre>it conspicuous comets are of the non-periodic class —that is, they are mot certainly known to return to the sun regularly. •■— The comets are the largest in size and the smallest in mass, per unit of size, of all known heavenly bodies. Almost every comet consists of a bright nucleus, a coma, or “hair” surrounding the nucleus, and a long tail. The tail always points away from the sun. The comet comes up to the sun, goes around it with the tail making a great sweep and finally “backs” away, facing the sun with its tail behind it. The nucleus, although it appears sometimes, as bright as a first-magni-tude star, its believed to be no more than a swarm of meteoric particles. These are evidently bound, together by a loose bond of gravitation. The coma, or hairy gaseous envelope of the nucleus, is Often of great size, as'liea venty d t men slon s go. The head of Donati’s comet was ‘>5p(KX) miles in diameter. while the head of the comet of 1811 measured' more than ~TF inttiion miles through at its greatest magnitude. As the comet approaches close to the sun, the head seems to diminish fit size. The taildevelops as thecomet approaches the sun. and the head contracts. The great comet of 1843 had a tail over 200,000.000 -miles long.

Argentina and Brazil are experimenting ;in the manufacture of dyes from native woods and other sources, with apparently good prospects of success. ■ * •■d .... ■ ■■' The commercial failures in Argentina in the first |ialf of 191 G show 11a,bllities of less than, one-half those of same period of 1915 and one-fourth those of 1914. Both an ele'etric range and a refrigerator'are included in a new kitchen cabinet, but are hidden from, view by dooi’k-when not in use.

LITTLE PICK-UPS OF SPORT

Michigrfh has arranged 13 rifle shoots for the season. , * * * Light occupations —keeping a rasslef In highbrow literature,. ' ’* * * A six-dgy bicycle race is our idea of something to be fat away from. * - * ♦ There’s nothing like a punch in the game—especially the fight game. — ... * «, -* A ski jumper doesn’t mind the cold weather because he doesn’t mind it. * ' ■ Fred Mitchell ought to make a good manager. • He has a punch in both hands. ’■ ' : ' '• -... • * » A total of 2,434 University of Michi- ■ gan students participated in athletics last year.- - ■— Bob Shawkey is one pitcher who has wised up to the bad effect of driving an automobile. Anyone with a name, like R. Norris Williams II deserves to rank first in the tennis rating. In order to purify the wrest ling game they should put college professors in charge of it. Plans are on foot to revive the Kitty league, with Evansville and East St. Louis in the circuit. • * * The White Sox and Indians may play in Canada. Wonder what they’ve got against Canada? * ♦ * St. Louis fashfoTr experts are predicting that red hosiery won’t be worn so conspicuously next fall. * ♦ ♦ There is no truth in the report that Horace Fogel will be the next president of the National league. ♦ ♦ • Percy Haughton would eliminate the. spitball. This move ought to bring down the price of slippery~elm. —...-. —- »■ .*—* —; Canadian racetracks will enjoy 210 days of racing, beginning ip May and ending in October of next year. * * • Brown may be a popular color in St. Looey next autumn, and then again it may be -only a dark-brown taste. A sport scribe says Joe Walcott was longest in the ring. Pifflesticks! Joe isn’t much if any over five feet long. • ♦ • Almost a million horses and mules have been sold to the entente allies by American horsemen since the war began. • * ♦ Des Moines has been awarded the 1917 bowling tourney of the Midwest association and will hold it next November. Chicago paper says that “the Cub 'machine is to be reconstructed on a solid foundation.” Going to use more concrete? Henry Kendall college, Tulsa, Okla., will have a new gymnasium constructed to replace the one destroyed by fire recently. J , ' . • Christy Mathewson would do well to call a convention of the Cincinnati hammer throwers before the spring training season. * * * “Christy” Mathewson is a regular Cincinnati manngßE"' H 0 BRJS Reds ought to finish in the arst division next season. j* ♦ * Among the professional baseball players are men who are stars in various forms of athletics, but jumping has quite gone out. '* ♦ * When asked if he was going to sell the Pirates, Barney Dreyfuss laughed. The mention of the Pirates generally creates mirth these days. ♦ * ♦ A Kansas man has invented a new dog muzzle. If he really wants to invent something, he should- turn outa muzzle for boxers’ managers. ♦ * * On the occasion of the recent meeting at Mont-de-Marsan, Antivari, a horse belonging to the king of Spain carried off the prix de I’elevago. * • • The Louisville Colonels won the American association flag last sap and wHI trafn -at Athens, Ga.7nextspring. where the Braves formerly got into condition. » * * Philadejphia is bullding the largest government-controlled garage in this country. It will contain 40,1000 square feet of space. It will be one story of fireproof construction. * * * A man who cun either drink or let it alone, or who can cut qut the weed whenever he pleases, has enough will powefr to qu'lfwnything except bragging about his will power. * * * The majority of the citizens of rhe Smoky city would be glad to trade the University -of Pittsburgh’s footbali championship for a -1917 National league pennant in good condition. Where are the peanut growers and pop-venders? They should have an organization effected by this time to combat that proposal which is going io eliminate the 25-cent: bleachers from baseball. •"%

BOBBY JONES IS PRODIGY OF GOLF LINKS

RANKS WITH BEST AMERICAN GOLF PLAYERS.

‘‘tittle Bobby” Jones, the most famous boy in the United States owing to his almost reaching the semifinal round for the national golf championship, devotes himself with as much earnestness and success to his studies in the Tech high school here as he does to winning-golf matches, says an Atlanta dispatch to Philadelphia Public Ledger. Last year, in the first grade in the Tech high school, he took second year Latin in addition to his regular first year studies, and did it of his own volition. The Tech Instructors who have taught “Little Bob” say there is no better student in the school. - “Little Bob’s” name is Robert Tyre Jones, Jr., and he is named for his grandfather, Robert Tyre Jones, Sr., a prominent citizen of Canton, Ga. His father, Robert P. Jones, is. an Atlanta lawyer. “Little Bob” w T as born on March 17, 1902, In the old L. P. Grant homestead, near Grant park. At that time his parents were living at the Grant homesteadwith friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan M. Grant. For the last nine years the Joneseshavellvedat East Lake, and when he was six years old “Little Bob” began to knock a golf ball up and down the streets of that flourishing municipality, which has grown up around the East Lake club. At the age of nine “Little Bob” made

ITALIAN DRIVER HAD ENOUGH

Dario Resta Threatens to Quit Speedway and Give Other Driver* Chance to Show Skill. Dario Resta, the daring Italian driver, has threatened to quit racing on the Chicago motor speedway and

Dario Resta.

rive other drivers a chance. Resta literally has coined money on the Chicago course. Since it was dedicated, in June, 1915, the wonder pilot has won more than $60,000. This sum represents' almost" half of the total purses offered by the speedway management. The Italian’s winnings at Chicago last year totaled $27,250. He was paid $26,000 for taking the 500-mlle derby and later received $1,250 for participating against Oldfield, and Burman in a challenge race. .This season he landed $12,000 by winning the 300mlle event in June, $3,000 for beating DePalma in their match races a week later. '

PLAN BASEBALL FOR FRANCE

Four or Six Clubs Will Be Organized Into Leagues—lnformation Fur- , nished by Foster. . A baseball league for southern France Is being planned as soon as the war ends. Vicomte de la Panouse, president of a Monte Carlo sparring club, has written the New York Giants for Information and Secretary John B. Foster has mailed rule books and other necessary information. It is said a four or six club league will be formed.

his debut on the East Lake golf course with a set of clubs, a Img and some “regular” balls. Steward Maided, instructor at East Lake, saw his promise right from the start and began to train him. “Little Bob” gives Maiden the full credit for his skill at the game. It was in the southern championship tournament played over the East Lake course in 1915 that “Little Bob” first came into prominence. Although he did not win in that tournament he showed his class in every round. Later in the summer of 1915 he won the invitation tournament of the Roebuck club of Birmingham. §till later he won the invitation. tournament of the Druid Hills club and the invitation tournament of the East Lake club. He established the course record for East Lake with a 77. Since that time he has lowered the East Lakerecord to 74. In 1916 “Little Bob” came fully into his own. He won the invitation tournament of the Birmingham Golf and Country club, won the invitation tournament of East Lake, won the invitation tournament of the Cherokee Golf and Country club of Knoxville, and Won the Georgia championship at. Brooks Haven a few w r eeks ago. In the last-named tournament he defeated Perry Adair, Atlanta’s other juvenile golf wonder, in one of the most magnificent battles ever seen by Atlanta’s oldest golf veterans.

ENGLISH SHELL AT HARVARD

Authorities Plan to Match American Products Against Foreign Boat in -- Spring Trial*. The Harvard varsity crew will have an English racing shell at its disposal for the race with Yale next June, a boat turned out by an English builder having arrived on the steamship CamThe builder has produced shells for Oxford and Cambridge university crews for many years. Harvard authorities plan to match American products against the shell in trials next*fcpring to determine which boat shall carry the Crimson eight at New London.

JAMES SHECKARD IS LEADER

Veteran Baseball Player Elected President of Sportsmen’s Club at Columbia, Pa. ._

The sportsmen of Columbia, Pa., and vicinity liave organized the Columbia Sportsmen’s club, with James T. Sheckard, of baseball fame, as president. Joseph J. Lutz was elected treasurer

James T. Sheckard.

and M. N. Cleffer secretary. "The club will apply -for membership. Jn the-< United Sportsmen, of The club intends putting a stop to the pollution of streams in Lancaster county by invoking the aid of the law.