Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-08-01
WHOLE NUMBER 1922.
WONDERFUL MErEoR1e PHENOMENON.

. On Friday evening last about twenty minutes be-
fore ten O'clock one of the most remarkable pheno
mena of the heavens that has occurred during the
present century, was witnessed by citizens of New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Norfolk
and other places near to those cities All who wit
messed it represent it as two balls of fire passing
from west to east, occupying nearly minute in the
circuit and connected together by a brilliant red
and green-tinted spray of light similar to that wit
messed at the explosion of ,skyrocket The two
balls were to the eye about four feet apart and
moved so slowly and regularly together as to pre-
clude the possibility of their being meteors. The
Washington, New York and Philadelphia papers, all
contain notices of its appearance in those localities
from which we make the following extracts
... >-. AS SEEN IN NEW YORK. s.t. h. 4
The New York Evening Post says:
1tappeared at about ten o'clock over the upper
part of our city. The night was warm and close.
and the skies were occasionally Illuminated by vivid
flashes Of sheet lightning. The heat of the weather
had brought the great majority Of our population to
their doors and windows, when suddenly, in silence
more impressive than any thunder shock, meteor
snot across the sky. Its briliancy was SO great
that people at once supposed there was fire near
by; but, looking up, they saw two balls of flame
coursng across the sky from the northwest, and 60
ing towards the southeast like two chariots of fire
urging their way in some mysterious race over the
mighty course of the armament. The motion was
majestic rather than rapid, and gave myrads Of peo
pie an opportunity of witnessing the sight, while
the apparent nearness of the fame to the earth
caused many to suppose at first that it was merely
a pyrotechnical display.
1t presented different aspects at different times
When first seen it appeared like blue star sur
rounded by thick mist coming from the west
which, nearing the zenith, changed to a red ball
of fame; this soon split the two balls keeping
together until lost in the distance Some of those
who saw it thought it fell near Broadway and Fif-
teenh street. while others traced it with the eye
far the East River, on its way horizontally over
the city. Of the size of these balls of fire it is i'm
possible to form any accurate estimate They ap-
peared to be as large dinner plate, with trails
eight or ten feet in length yet we learn this morn
ing that at very nearly the same time that our
observations were made, the meteor also passed
over Albany, while from various points along the
Hudson we have received information showing that
its orbit may have been, perhaps, of planetary d.
mensions, and that it was much larger and much
niger than it seemed at the time to any who it.
| AS IT APPEARED IN PHILADELPHIA.
Last evening, about half past nine, very extra
ordinary meteor made its appearance in the Heavens
| The writer was riding in Broad street below the
city, and had fair view of the phenomenon in its
whole course It arose in the Northwestern part of
the Heavens from cloud which was not revealed
until the light of the meteor made it visible Then
an object about the size of the full moon, and as
bright, suddenly started from the cloud, traversed
in direct Eastery line the whole extent of visible
space, dropping fire, apparently, IN its course, like
rocket till it passed SO far Eastward to resem-
BILE a red ball about twice the size of the planet
Mars, visible in the Southeast So as it disap-
peared fash like heat lightning revealed cloud to
the Eastward, low down in the horizon, which con-
tinued to emit flashes of light for halfan-hour after
| wards The phenomenon at one time seemed to
| l,,k& lco
! portion keeping in straight course towards the
eastward. 1t was witnessed by many persons and
caused considerable wonderment for the time, and
was certainly the most extraordinary appearance
that we ever saw in the Heavens. Its motion was
not so fast apparently, as that of rocket, though
its height and the vast extent of space that it ira
versed proved that its velocity must have exceeded
that produced by any known force which we are ac-
quainted with. The phenomenon, from all appear
ances, must have been electrical.
! AS 1T APPEARED AT WASHINGTON.
A correspondent of the Washington Star says
At half past nine last night meteor appeared in
the Northeast at elevation of about ten degrees
above the horizon. Itmoved through descending
patlrto the East Northeast, and faded away in the
clouds. 1t consisted of two bodies, each as bright
as Venus when close to the EARTH One followed the
other so closely as to make them appear like an i'm
mense chain-shot 1t lasted about 80 seconds, and
each remarklng its being divided into two parts.
AS IT APPEARED AT NORFOLK.
The Norfolk Day Book; of Saturday, says: sr
Last night about halfpast ten o'clock, We wit
messed one Of the most strange and beautiful dis
plays of the meteor kind that has ever come under
observation and though it is difficult to describe
we attempt it. In shape, the meteor resembled two
dumb bells and were of exceeding brillancy, and
starting from Northwest direction, continued at
an incomprehensible speed towards the East in the
course, dropping one by one Of the balls of the
imaginary bells, until nothing was left but mere
speck, which quickly disappeared from view. We
make pretensions TO Astronomical lore and there
fore hazard no explanation of this singular phenom
ena We noticed also that in the direction from
which the meteor started formidable looking cloud
had banked up which Immediately dispersed when
the meteor left its vicinity.
Col Bowdsh, one of the ablest and most reliable
Democrats in this State, and as such was holding
the office of Collector, at Burlington, has beer