Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-07-30
The Meteor.

WORCESTER, July %, 1860
Mr.. Editor Having long waited to see
description in your paper of the meteor which
passed over this city on the night of July
Goth, instant, as seen by persons in this city,
and as no other person seeming likely to so
favor us, tender 10 those among your readers
who are curious in such matters, and to the
friends of science, the following description of
its appearance, as seen here by myself: | was
standing on the railroad track near the west.
ern depot about 10 p. NJ. The night was
pleasant; the air clear, cool and still. was
just turning my gaze towards the last star in
the tail OF Ursa Major when a luminous globe
perfectly spherical, appeared above the trees
on the old common. My first impression was
that it was a fire balloon sent up from the com.
mon. 1t was of a mild green color, and APP
peared to be three times the diameter of the
sun at midday Its elevation was about two
hundred and fifty feet. Its course was nearly
horizontal, and it moved eastward. Its pro
gresS was slow and uniform, and it was visible
forty five seconds while passing from the COM
mon to near the corner OF Grafton and Provi-
dence streets, where it disappeared. This
does not correspond with the descriptions |
have seen in the newspapers of the original
meteor seen by others on the same night but
it was evidently one OF the two great bodies
thrown off by the original meteor while in
state of incandescence, or was new and en-
tirey distinct one. During the last twenty
hive seconds OF its appearance, it was sensibly
decreasing in size, and changing to dark red
color, like cooling iron, and while in this state
lett behind luminous train not well defined,
and hardly brilliant. The train at this stage
resembed a rope made of straw, and soon
kindled up brightly, and changed into three
distinct hgures-each one closely resembling
thyrsus, as represented in Grecian art.
These figures were six feet apart-were very
beautiful, and appeared as regular in form and
as artificial in workmanship ever conceived by
human genius, or fashioned by human skill
Still thinking it to be of human contrivance
was in the act f revolving within me the
almost boundless capacity of the human mind
which could invent such spectacle, when the
meteor disappeared, AT its disappearance,
heard no whiZZing or explosion, nor felt any
conclusion, the usual accompaniment oil me
teors and areoltes. There was no sulphurous
smell, nor was there anything remarkable in
the appearance of the atmosphere-nor extra
ordinary in the meteor; but the seemingly
complicated and artificial Continuance in ats train
will long be theme for the curious, and its
cause will for ever battle the skill of those who
wish to be looked upon as intallible in science.
DANIEL O'CoNNELL.
The various descriptions given OF the me-
teor seen on the night of the Doth inst, war
rant the inference that this fiery visitor that
went so mysteriously through the atmosphere,
was continually changing its form and appear
ance. The various observers do not describe
it alike, and most of them report that its form
underwent visible changes during the very
short space of time it was in sight.