AMERICA AND THE COMET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 857, 1 July 1910, Page 7

AMERICA AND THE COMET.

AMUSING INCIDENTS. Tho New York correspondent of tho "Daily Telegraph," writing. 011 Juno 17, says:—America, has cometitis! Half the space in every newspaper is devoted to the observations of distinguished astronomers on your side of tho Atlantic as well as on this, while the other half describes the lay attitude toivards the approach of the heavenly traveller. Fantastic incidents aro everywhere being attributed to the comot. Rural correspondents aro blocking tho wires with tales of poultry laying and cackling after midnight under the mystic, spell of tho celestial visitor. Barnyard animals sit all night long on fonccs watching for tho comet and pointing it out to their progeny. In Arkansas tho mayor of a small town ordered all lights to bo put out ono night to let tlie citizens viow the firmament. There were several burglaries as a result, but tho citizens deemed an uninterrupted glimpse of Hallcy's protege fully worth the loss of a few diamond rings. In Tennessee there was a slight fall of snow. Ono 98-year-old clergyman preached a sermon on this incident, blaming tho comot, of course. Interest has spread to tho bosom of tlio broad Atlantic. Passengers on tho American liner Now York, which eamo in from Europe yesterday, said they had remained up all night. Professor Percival Howell, of Harvard University,'who was in tho ship, lectured every morning on tho comet to tho crew and all tho passengers.