Daily gazette and comet., 1860-06-02

MtrsoRit sfcrfs.--" The rnost mseri.
aeent meteor Of the last century, and ref-
haps of modern times, was witnessed on
the 18th cf August, iTss. II was visible
at Edlnabufeh, j. ndon. Bfussels, ps,js.
atd Rcine. tavsiiu observed II rro,n the
seftsee of windsot Castle. aud fn,nishsd
an account ~ " 10 the Rvysi Society. A
marrow, ragged cloud lay elr at the north.
west, and little below II was notired a
luminous stationary body. apparently
sboat half the siss of the moon, which ws.
flashing ont streams like en- aurora bore
sliss Its colet wac faint blue, Boon II
beasn 70 increase IN brightness and TO
move. " course was esstefly at an alu-
tide Of about rs desfees above the Lo,i,nu
end u wss visible half Minute, itsiigbt
was prpdirleus, Ahef starting II sopp
acquired tail, tben spllt into se,etl psr,s,
each with tall, aud all moving ID the
ssine direction, and finally disappeared.
Abont ten minutes aitef, rumblihe noiss
wps heard, Ike thunder at q great dis-
tshce, which was supposed 10 be the re.
port OF the explosion. The diameter Of
this uetect was calculated by the philoso-
pher at 1910 yesds tie height above the
earth At any ris and half miles ssj
the length ofits track at Ave hundred and
'any miles but observations made on t,e
Continent rendered Il nearly eettain that
". path extended TO enc theussud miies.
which u essefsed In the space Of half q
minute.
1.-THE various theories by which rb,io.
sophefs have attempted 20 account for
these phenomena, are none Of them free
from ohieetion'. Aneieatly ~ was saps
posed that these stenes were projected
from volcancr In the sun or moon, The
modernH, With more pfspfiety, have
,hoafht that they NAV have been osst out
from the internal Ates or cur own earth,
stones wfe ,hrown 30 the height of many
miles hom The eraters of volcanoes, and
sshes, tfom Vesuvius A. times have heen |
blown by the winds aimost nil over Eu. |
rope. HALEY sappesed that q meteor was |
merely train of innammable sapo,. |
which, taking Gre At one end, burned 10 !
.ne e,nef, IKE q Train Of runpowder, Civ
tug the appearance Of motion,
others, and among them Professor Of |
Yale College, have snrrested that ,bsy
were solid bodies revolving tound Tho
earth like the moon, TIN, by some accident
losing their course, they fall to the earth, |
ca.aiie adopts part of this inst theory.
ana adds that the orbit Of ,haee bodies
may os epirs', and continually contract
,nH, ~ eeneequence OF the superior attrao.
ton of the earth I'll, on coming In CON.
,sct Win ear atmosphere, the friction
heats Them melting the surface and ann.
plying the black crust, while The nneonai
expansion OF The parts Of tho body canses
them 10 explode, NJ stones often do in n
common IRE. To all this may te added
,ne P'susols conjecture that as clouds of
uuse' MIXED with leaves aud mud, and
even living reptiles, are often carried 10
nien Mutndes by whirlwiuds and water.
spoae, 70 say nothing Of matter thrown
.," ,h.' nc se'ssnas' ~ weald seem not unlikely
~ tne atmespherc, act on Are BY electrical
currents or other chemical changes .hania
pnag ~ These together aud fuse them with
ihe mineral matters OF the rasos thsm
'elyes into a mass which lmmsdss,.l~
lskinr, motion, and exposed 60 cons,an,i,
increasing friction aud alternstsens oshs
aud cold, to passing through the vadns
strata OF the atmosphere. aud prohshiv
,lso, TO The action ola strong cen.rlFagsi
orce, hnaily bursts, aud comes In hot smo'
ling fragments 70 tho earth.