The comet's appearance in 1910 triggered an amazing response in the population. In 1908 Professor Morehouse discovered a new comet and in doing a spectroscopic examination of its tail found that it contained gasses, including cyanogen gas. Cyanogen gas is related to Cyanide poison. Upon the announcement that the tail contained Cyanogen gas, the public, knowing that we were going to pass through Halley's Comet's tail in 1910, started the rumor mill going - Everyone on Earth would die of cyanide poisoning. Scientists were quick to assure everyone that the gas was so thin that it would not have any impact on the planet. The newspapers were delighted to generate news of the supposed impending disaster.
1910 was the height of the postcard "craze" throughout the world. People loved to send postcards to their friends and the postcard makers made dozens of Comet - End of the World - postcards. In French, the words were Fin Du Monde and in German the word was Weltuntergang.
