comet: 1843

1843 was a rough year for Jamaicans - earthquake shocks and one of Kingston's worst fires, and, to add to the stress, a comet in March - the Great Comet of 1843, - and a large meteor passing over in April.

It might well have seemed that the comet was a harbinger of disaster!

Maxwell Hall, 1916

1843 in Jamaica:

(from 1845 Almanac)

March 3. A great comet appeared in the south-west. It continued visible about three weeks.

March 6. Severe shock of an earthquake at 3 a.m.

March 11. Three smart shocks of earthquake at half past 10 p.m.

March 13. A shock of earthquake between 4 and 5 a. m.

March 17. Proclamation of his excellency the governor issued, appointing Friday the 17th as a day of general

  humiliation and thanksgiving to Almighty God for his great mercy vouchsafed to us in preserving the

  island from the ruin with which it had pleased his Divine Will to visit the neighbouring colonies. The

  day was kept in the most devout and solemn manner.

March 20. A very severe shock of earthquake about 10 p.m. causing much alarm. The inhabitants rushed from

  their houses to the different places of worship, which were speedily thrown open, and became thronged.

April 27. A very large and brilliant meteor passed over the city of Kingston about half past 8 p.m. in the

  direction of S. W. to N. E.

June. The lightning rod at Morant-Point light-house struck by lightning.

July 2. Severe shock of earthquake between 8 and 9 p.m.

July 15. Another smart shock of earthquake at 2 p.m.

Aug. 10. The fist iron steam-boat (Anglesey), the property of Messrs. Thomas Lundie & Co. of Kingston,

  commenced plying between Kingston, Port-Royal and Port-Henderson. — It was put together at, and

  launched from, the foundry-yard of Messrs. Wm. James & Co.

Aug. 18. The Hope river brought to North street in a guttering ploughed by oxen, and flowed down the street,

  an experiment to show the ease and facility with which the water could be conveyed to the city.

Aug. 26. An awful fire broke out from the foundry establishment of Messrs. Wm. James & Co. at the east end of Harbour-street, shortly before 1 o’clock this day. There being a very strong south-easterly wind

  blowing at the time, and the weather for several months previous having been excessively dry, by which the shingles were easily ignited, the flames spread rapidly with fearful velocity in a diagonal line, until they reached the old Catholic chapel, (which was entirely consumed), the corner of Duke-street and

  Mark-lane, destroying a great number of houses with much valuable effects in their progress. The

  flames were not finally extinguished till early the following morning, the 27th.

The longest observed tail on record

(before 1996) was the Great Comet

of 1843, which had a tail that was

250 million km long (greater than

the distance from the Sun to Mars!)

- comet as seen in South Africa