The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-07-24
Rirtmon1 Qispatrb,
TUESDAY MORNING. July "a. 1850.

| Rlrhmnn1 Vlspatrb.
TUESDAY July "a. 1860.
The Metesric Phenomenon. Further Par.
ticulars.
The meteoric display on Friday night, no.
ticed in yesterdays Dispatch, seems to have
been very generally witnessed. A letter from
Westchester county, N. Y, says:
I / was in my garden fifteen minutes to ten
O'Clock, when my attention was drawn to a
great light at the west side of my house.
Thinking 1t was fire, l went round to lock
| in that direction, when the first thing saw
was ball OF fire, apparently three or four
| inches in diameter, moving in a horizon tai
direction from w. n. w. to E. S E. NY first
| impression was that it was a rocket or some
other fireworks, as 1t left a train of sparks be-
hind and there was also two smaller balls
| emitted from it-one about half the size of the
| original, and the other much smaller which
followed in the wake of the large ball at in ter
vals OF three or four feet. The speed at which
| it moved l should judge to be about mile In
nall a minute, as from the point first saw
| IL To Its disappearance is about half mile,
and the time could not have been more than
| fifteen seconds. Its movement was regular
aud in a straight line; the light was most
| brilliant while passing over where L stood
| II gradually died away until lost in the dis
| tance. There was good deal OF heat light
| ming at the time, and a great number OF stars
| shining. 1t had not exactly the appearance OF
| meteor, as the movement Was not rapid
enough, and 1t did no. appear to Iail. L should
have thought it a shooting star, but for the
| sparks and two smaller balls IL threw out.
| The height, while passing over, did not appear
more than $40 feet. l have seen meteors and
shooting stars on several occasions, but never
| saw any ching like it before. The temperature
| had been high all day, and the atmosphere was
| very close and sultry. There was c0nsidera-
| Bile addition TO the sultry condition of the at
thnr,
| was before; but whether to attribute it to that
| or not, cannot say.
| AS SEEN FROM STATEN ISLAND.
At precisely ten minutes before ten Friday
night, whilst standing on the west side OF
| Pelelar's Hotel, Staten 1sland-the highest
ground on that part of the island-I discover
| ed light, luminous cloud in the northwest,
| out of which emeI ged a blush purple iieht,
| about the size of my hand, and travelled off
| in southeasterly direction at a rapid rate
| From this ball of fire-which became quite
brillIant-shot forth two balls in precisely
| the same style that they are thrown off from
| Roman candles the three bodies assumed at
once meteor-like appearance, With blush
| tails, and Travelled the same direction until
their final disappearance in the vicinity OF Fort
| Hamilton. The body of the light was us
| bright and as dazzling as the sun at midday /;
this was encircled by purple ring, and still
, auo ther of pale red. The whole had blush
cast until few moments before 1t dlsap.
peared, when it assumed a pale red and died
out. 1t did not disappear below the horizon.
but vanished in the air.
! AS sEEN FROM SOUTH BROOKLYN.
| We were sitting on the stoop of house in
Woodruff street, South Brooklyn, facing due
north. The air was oppressiveIy still and
warm, and faint flashes of summer lightning
were occasionally seen. Suddenly we were
attracted by the appearance of a blush tinted
glObular body, rising into the air from the
direction of Governors Island. At the first
| sight it conveyed the idea OF one of those fire.
| works known as Roman candles, but as it at
tanned its greatest elevation it broke, without
any audi BILE detonation, into apparently four
bodies, all of which continued on the same
! course, due west to east, until they disap-
peared. The first and largest presented the
| appearance, in it's flight, OF a large gilt gas
| chandelier, with all lis burners lit, and shin
| ing with purple tinted flame. The second,
| which followed closely and in a direct line,
was somewhat smaller, but had the same
beautiful appearance. The other two were at
| a considerable distance from the first, and ap-
peaTed as plain fiery globes. They all main
| tanned their relative distances, and conse-
| quently the same rate of speed. The pheuome-
| non occupied from u minute to a minute and
a quarter IN Its passage, and took place al
about quarter before ten O'Clock. In about
a minute after its disappearance we heard a
detOnation from great distance, as from a
| large piece of ordnance, but which we sup
| posed TO have proceeded from the meteor
Afterwards there was considerable display
| OF those meteoTic lights known as falling
stars.
THE STRANGE VISITOR SEEN AT SEA.
Captain Feinhagen, of the bark Seneca, o.
Baltimore, furnishes the following statemen,
of his view of the remarkable phenomenon
July 90 at forty-fye minutes past nine
. | O'Clock =. M. off Barnegat Light observed 8
| meteor rise, with tremendous motion, in the
northwest, about ten degrees from the hori
: zon, out OF dark cloud; said meteor RISING
in the form OF a globe, and as it assembled in
| creased in size It'll ii was about seventy de-
grees high, when ii broke out in to the form OF
D a conner, with tail about three degrees ir
length In this form ii described an arc in the
| heavens of over ninety degrees; and in falling
| exploded into three small globes, making q
| southeast course, and barely clearing the yes.
Sci. First appearance was about the size Of q
full moon. and xpanded in to dou BILE that siZ
| The time it took TO describe the arc was about
| thirty seconds.
AS SEEN AT NORFOLK, VA.
; In shape the meteor, says the Day Book, re-
sembled TWO dumb bells, and were of exceed
| ing brlliancy, and starting from a northwest
| direction, continued at an incomprehensIbie
, | speed towards the east, in the course dropping
, | one by one of the balls of the imaginary bells,
| until nothing was left but amere speck, which
| quickly disappeared from view. We make no
| preten ntions TO astro nomical lore, and there
| fore hazard no explanation of this singular
| phenomenon. We noticed also that in the di-
| rection from which the meteor started d for
, | midable looking cloud had banked up, which
; Immediately dispersed when the meteor left
} | its vicinity. ~
TELEGRAPH!C
ALBANY, N. Y, July 2l.-The fiery meteor
| was seen here on Friday night, about half
| past nine to ten O'Clock, with much distinct
| ness. The spec tacle was most brilliant. At
first it appeared like globe of fire about the
| size of a mans head. 1t then separated into
TWO distinct globular bodies, leaving a trail OF
light behind and travelling at rapid rate
| through the heavens. It's course was direcl
| from west TO east.
} Ii is a singular fact that a strikingly smi-
, lar phenomenon presented itself precisely one
year 1865 days. previous, true even almost, il
not quite to the minute. We copy from the
National Intellgencer,of the 25th of July, 1859
| as follows:
"On Thursday last, the 2lst ins tant, at half
| past nine O'Clock p. NJ, remarkable pheno-
| menon was noticed by several persons in this
| city. Attention was first drawn to light
not like that of flash of lightning, bot in
| creasing by degrees, though rapidly, in in ten :
sity, sugges ting the idea OF piece of frework
| The whole lasted but for two or three seconds
and yet was sufficient to render all objects
| distinctly visible as if the full moon were
| rising, but the light was of blush tint, and
| softened by the mass of clouds which covered
the heavens at that moment. Those who
| were placed facing the north saw only the
| illumination of surrounding objects, but on
| turning southwark the light shining through
| the clouds was distinctly seen. In all pro-
| babiiity this was meteor passing from west
| 10 east or from east to west.'
| FoRRIeN ITEMs.-A Ladies Association he 9
| haan farmad in I.ouGon for ha raIiaf of Al no