Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1882 — THE COMET. [ARTICLE]

THE COMET.

Negroes of the South Believe It Foretells the End of the World—Observations at Harvard. A dispatch from Raleigh, N. C. Bays: “The great comet, which is visible here in the eastern sky, has frightened the negroes out of their wits. Many of them firmly believe that the end of the world is at hand, and are making their preparations accordingly. The comet has already caused more repentance among the colored people than any revivalist or camp-meeting exhorter during the present generation. The bells of their churches are rung whenever the comet puts in an appearance, and meetings are held, at which the frightened assemblage offer up a petition that the path of the flaming monster may be directed away from the earth. One old negro, his lips quivering and his teeth chattering, waylaid a college professor, who has much local reputation for learning, on the street, and asked him if he thought the comet would “smash dis heah ’arth wid its flaming tail.” He seemed greatly relieved when told that there was no danger of such a catastrophe, and he hurried away to tell the ‘ old woman” what the professor BaitL A Boston dispatch states that two fine observations have been obtained at Harvard observatoiv of the comet, which almost definitely established it as one of brief period. According to present data it must have made the semi-circle of the sun in two or three hours, or at the rate of 400 miles a second. The fact that the sun’s atmosphere offers no check to its progress proves it incombustible, unlike meteorites.

The wdrid will never be in any manner of order or tranquillity until men are firmly convinced that conscience, honor and credit are all in one interest; and that, without the occurrence of the former, the latter are but impositions upon ourselves and others. —Steele.