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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1868 edition. Excerpt:...of the War that was declared in the following spring between Great Britain and the United States. In some cases Comets have excited fears that tire day of judgment was at hand, and that the comet was sent to burn up the world. In 1773, do Lalande of Paris announced to the Academy that there was great danger of the Comet which was soon to appear, striking the earth. It is said that in consequence of this announcement when the Comet appeared, many persons of weak minds died of fright. Note 5.--A Comet by striking the earth would produce no more effect upon the motions of the earth than the clouds do in striking against high mountains; besides our atmosphere would oppose a powerful resistance, being more dense than the comets, it is very doubtful, should a Comet strike the earth that it would penetrate to its surface; but it is more probable that it would be retaine"d in the upper portions of our atmosphere. It is very probable that comets contain no aqueous vapors; but are simply of a gaseous matter, and it does not follow from this that it would produce any evil consequences if it should be incorporated with our atmosphere. HAS THE EARTH PASSED THROUGH THE TAIL8 OF COMETSf It has been asserted by some astronomers that the Earth has on several occasions passed through the Tail of a comet, and in proof of this fact several cases of a singular or peculiar kind of Fog have been"noticed at several periods. The first of which any record is made was that of 1783, it began on the 18th of June and at places very remote from each other. It extended from Africa to Sweden, and throughout North and. South America. This Fog continued more than a month. It did not appear to be carried to different places by the atmosphere; because in some places it...