Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-12-03


During the month, 8 clear days.
No7E.-The state of the weather. this month,
has been much like that Of toe corresponding
month Of last year. with this exception. that the
Indian summer was of shorter duration.
The most remarkable occurrence which has
transpired this month. Is the Shower of Meteoric
Fire, on the 18th inst. Ii occurred shortly after
midnight. and continued ill daylight Accord
ing to accounts the appearance was the same IN
every part of the Continent The scene Is de.
scribed. by all who Saw II. as truly masnih. ent
and awfulIy grand. far exceeding the power Of
conception The best. and indeed the most par.
ticular. account Of this phenomenon. which |
have met With. accompanied with an engra>Ins)
was IN the Old Countryinan. published IN Ne"
York, part Of which is as follows, VIZ:
1.-The heavenly Piston that vas beheld here
last Wednesday commenced Immediately after
midnight Then the star shoots were few and
far between By one o'clock the Huid disc barge
had become almost incessani; and BY two oolook X,
the whole heavens were streaked with liquid fire
aud strung with golden beads, which, bursting
upon US 10 brightness of variou, cnl0rs and va
rious diameters. noW lid the soft CORY Of the
stars. and anon would have caused the Moon, II
present, To have hung her head, and acknowledg
ed hpr.ci' ouishonp.
At 4 o'clock, II appears. the explosion Of one
Of the falling balls Vas sensibv heard. And
about a quarter past five we sac a star shoot
from near the Zsnlth. about two or three points
to the westward OF North. which in descent shew
ed line o lie the coor Of FISH blood, about , or
8 inches wide. which after reversing far down
the vault described a ball the size OF a mans
hat. aui then rushed on the road II had come.
and actually became SERPENT. 1t laid up.
On the armament We saw ten minutes. others
saw twelve, and then IT struck Of II seems to the
West, aud SCROWLED up!
While the SERPENT hung in the heavens.
a star shot from the clrce--near the zenith
about f. which left an immense trail behind.
. inches perhaps wide, and as measured by the
eve, about "a feet long. Its first color was
,insed beautifully with blue, it merged into sill
yer. became an orange bail. near the size Of
mans hat, and then rapidly vanished.
ltis impossible to describe the beauties Of the
scene with tongue or pen. We could write hour,
on the subject, but must conclude
The stars in falling presented uniform di.
vergence. But we doubt il the point. or circle,
from which they appeared to emanate. uds Is
degrees south easterIy from our zenith, as some
assert. or two thirds of IT.
Some stars fell almost to the horizon. others
but half way down the arch, and Others not
more than one-third Some balls appeared to
be immensely large, the SIZE Of hat; others as
small as an orange. Some lines of light appear.
ed no thicker than whip cord; others as thick as
your wrist. We think all the primitive colors
we're displayed. We saw blue. green, orange,
red, falling to tverv point Of the compass. The
circle above, from whence they started, was very
accurately preserved"
As throughout the past season, so the health
Of this city and its neishborhood continues to be
good.
MUSEUM, Nov. so, 1855.