'590 Four SCARLET AND BLACK Friday, October 12. I955 Searching For Comet, S 8 B News Team Journeys West By Bob Hodierne John Phillips Henry Wilhelm John Wolf There was a kind of tense quiet around the 5&3 workroom Wed- nesday night as the paper was be- ing put together. No one wanted no say it, but everyone knew why: The paper didn’t have The Big Feature. Nothing to set it apart. Nothing to make it stick out in Ono’s mind. It was mentioned offhandedly, m passing. it was to he the brighte est comet of the century and would be visible that night. “Why not," someone suggested, 'do a photo feature on the comet?” It would rush the printer a bit not getting the pictures until Thursday afternoon, but for something this big . . . It was decided that the four of us would get up at follr o’clock Thur day morning, drive out into the country, and take pictures. The comet, it was reported, would be most spectacular just before and right at dawn. From here on out the story of the search for the comet is best handled in straight chronology. 12:00 — it was still raining in Grinnell and of course tlle cloud cover would prevent comet photoe graphing. We called the Des Moines weather bureau. They said It would clear up by 3:00 or 4:00 that morning We finished up with the rest of the paper. 2:00 — We called Des Moines again — just to he sure. They had changed their minds. it was clear in Omaha-Council Bluffs, they said, but it was still raining in Des Moines. At dawn all they would promise would be clear skies about 30—40 miles west of Des Moines. Their advice was if you want comet pictures Go West Young Man. The advice had a familiar ring, we considered it briefly, and decided. 2:15 — After a stop to gather supplies We were off. Essentially it was the same team that had cov- ered Selma last spring. We were getting used to leaving on a mo- ment's notice to get the story. We had four cameras, nine different lenses, two tripods, smoked glass, lens tissues and film. We took a special film with us, film ordered directly from Kodak. it is the World’s most light sensitive film made especially for taking pic» tures of things like stars —- and comets. We were ready. 3:30 — it was raining quite hard when we reached Des Moines, But after all, the weatherman had said 30-40 miles west of Des Moines and, besides, the country and western disc jockey on WHO said that the day would dawn clear and with those two on your side . . . 5:00 -— At Atlantic, Iowa, we were slowed to a near crawl it was raining so hard. Arid (lawn was fast opproaching. We kept heading for the west and for the promised clear skies. 6:30—We reached Council Bluffs at dawn and, thank God, the skies had started to clear. We found, ap- propriately, a bluff from which we could watch and photograph the brightest col-net of the century. "oven THERE . . . no, over fhere . . . no . . seemed to be the resenon at the sea news team as they stood yesterday morning on a bluff outside Council Bluffs. They are ii. to r.) Phillips. Wilhelm. Wolf. and Hodierne. The wind on the bluff was co‘dv damned cold, but we put our cameras in place, took the light readings, and were ready for our photo feature — if only those clouds right along the eastern horizon would lift, We had read that the comet would be visible three diameters of the sun below the sun. or, to be more pointed, directly behind that bank of clouds on the eastern horizon. 1:00 — It was broad daylight and overhead there wasn’t a Cloud to be seen — except alflrlg the east- ern horizon, of course The sun kept peeking about half its di< ameter above the cloud bank but the other half and, we presume, the comet, remained safely hidden from our Waiting, watching bank of cameras. 7:30 — We ate breakfast at a small diner in Council Bluffs and the ,waitress didn't make any comments about the beards or Cameras. it was the highlight of the trip, which gives you some idea of what kind of trip it was. 8:00 — We started back — and it was raining again. Someone in the car read an account of the comet sighting irom Hawaii. The account said it was a spectacular comet — the brightest of the cen- tury —— in case you were wonder- ing. 12:30 — We arrived hack on campus — all of us having missed all Of our Classes — which ranks right up there with the waitress as the trip’s highlight. GIBSON'S DISCOUNT CENTER CLOSE OUT 45 RPM RECORDS 5 FOR 5" 0° SECRET AEROSOL neononnur Family Size 51.49 Value 88‘ DOVE LIOIIID DETERGENT lpt. sin. 51‘ BRYLOREAM King Sin 98¢ Value 5 8‘ MODESS 43 Pk. 99‘ HERSHEY Giant Size Bars 3 FOR $100 PRESS 25 3FLASH BULBS $2.04 Value 5"" CREST TOOTHPASTE King Sire 75: Value 49‘ WISK uoum DETERGENT 1/) Gal. Size s1 53 LADY ESTER 4-Purpose Oream sl.49 Value 58‘ WHERE YOU NEVER PAY RETAIL ! STORE HOURS: LILT SPECIAL Home Permanent $1.59 Value 94‘ V05 OREAM RINSE $1.00 Value 62‘ BURGESS ‘7 Volt TRANSISTOR BATTERIES 3mqw EVERY DAY DISCOUNT PRICES SAVE YOU MORE 816 5lh Ave. Orinnell. Iowa 7 arm. to 7 pm. Friday 9 mm. to 3 pm. Mon.. Tflelq Went. Thinks.I Sat. SUAVE HAIR SPRAY 9?: Value 51‘ AERO SHAVE 69¢ Value 39‘ BIIFFERIN 100’s $1.39 Value 86‘ PEPTO BISMOL $1.39 Value 83‘