The comet.
A correspondent at Knoxville, Tenn., gives us the subjoined account of the appearance of the comet in that region. Though the celestial visitor has disappeared from the view of the Tennesseeans, as we are informed by the writer, the inhabitants of this portion of the world have not yet been deprived of the sight:I infer from your paper that the comet did not present a very brilliant appearance as seen from your city. It was first observed here on Monday night, 1st inst. I saw it the first time the next evening. It was at 3 P. M. in the heavens a little towards the Northwest, about thirty degrees above the horizon. As it grew darker, the tail became more distinctly visible. It was very long and narrow. I supposed it to be at least ninety degrees in length, perhaps a hundred, or nearly so. An old gentleman who saw the comet after midnight, when the head was down near the horizon, says that the tail extended up to the zenith, and beyond it. It was a magnificent sight, such as I never expected to see. ‘"Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!"’
On Wednesday night the tail was vasily diminished in length, and on Thursday night the celestial visitor had vanished from view.
Will Lieut. Maury, or some of your savants, inform us what comet this was? Was it, as many suppose, the comet of Charles V.? T.
A Charlottesville correspondent takes a political view of the comet, and deems its visit at this time portentous. Thus the readers of the Dispatch are informed that--
In the reign of Manfrichi, of Italy, the appearance of a comet was regarded as a certain sign of the death of the King, and a change of Empire. The prediction was verified; Manfrichi was assassinated, and the crown passed to Charles D'Anjou. Now, I do not wish death to any one; still I must confess that it would be truly gratifying to see Jefferson Davis wielding the sceptre of power at Washington, instead of Abraham Lincoln. M.
