The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-07-23
METEORlc PHENOMENON.
Wonders of the Heavens Extraerdinar
Double Meteor-Im Proximity to th'
Earth. Gc


Larth' NE
An extraordinary meteor was witnessed, as
far as heard from, throughout the United
STATES, on Friday night last In Baltimore 1t
was seen, aud presented the same appearance
that Il did in Richmond and the cities named
below. A correspondent Of the New York
Tribune. who saw Ii from q steamer on Long
Island sound, writes tbs following descrip-
ton Of IL TO that paper:
| AT ten minutes before 10 O'Clock, Just after
the steam boat had passed ont of the Connec-
ticut River, and before she turned westward
for New York, rs was sitting well forward,
| nv attention was attracted by bright light
| an the northwest, over the village OF Say brook.
The first thought was that IL was q balloon,
| sent up by heated air from a burning sponge
dpped in alcohol, and that IL had caught hre
and was being rapidly consumed. 1t was ap-
parentIy shedding flakes of flame, just as such
a balloon would. But the breeze was from
the southwest, and this was coming across it.
| II was soon evident that the blaze was moving
| horizontally, and with astopishing speed. As
il neAred us it showed as two splendid balls
of fire, close together, moving gracefully at
perfectly Uniform rate, and leaving a trail OF
light, with vanishing fleaks of fire. The boat
and the water were illuminated as by the full
moon. As 1t came opposite, and to the west.
ward Of rs, II must have been at the elevation
of about fifty degrees. 1t went steadily to the
southwest, and slowly out of sight over Long
Island, still apparently preserving the same
altitude.
The magnificent spectacle lasted about one
minute though, perhaps, NY estimate is unre-
liable, as | was so startled by the great won-
der that took no thought of time Some said
that il was five hundred feet high, Others,
one or two miles: scientific men may make
their own estimates. Had seen birds taking
a similar course and at similar angles from the
horizon, 1 should have said that they were
half 4 mile high.
The Philadelphia Ledger describes its ap-
pearance in that city, where it was visible
about half past O'Clock. 1t says
1t arose in the northwestern part of the
heavens, from a cloud which was not Ie-
it visible. Then an object, about the size
of the full moon, and as bright, suddenly
started from the cloud, traverssd, in a di-
rect east teriy line, the whole extent of wis.,
ible space, dropping fire, apparently, in its
course, like rocket, till 1t passed so far east
ward as to resemble u red bail, about twice the
size Of the Planet Mars, visible In the sou tn
east So soon rs il disappeared, a flash like
heat lightning revealed q cloud to the east
ward, low down in the horizon, which con-
lin ued to emit Il ashes of light for halt an hour
( afterwards. The phenomenon at one tine
seemed to separate like rocket when il bursts,
butthe larger portion keeping in straight
course towards the eastwarl. 1t was wit
messed by many persons, anu caused consid-
erabie wonderment for the time, and was GER
taiEly the most extraordinary appearance that
We ever saw in the heavens. It's motion was
not SD fast, apparently, rs that of rocket.
though its height and the vast extent of space
that II trayersed, proved that its velocity must
have exceeded that produced by any known
force which we are acquainted with. The
phenomenon, from all appearances, must have
been electrical.
The me teor was observed from various points
as distant q: New Haven, where il is described
precisely as elsewhere. The Journal and Cou-
rier, of Saturday, says:
at had about the apparent elevation of an
ordinary fire rocket. There appeared to be
three heads balls of fire. of intense brillian-
cy and beauty, connected in straight line by
a slender thread of fire. AS it passed over the
city slowly, IL left at short in ntervas sparks of
| fire in it's track, which quickly disappeared,
while the three heads preserved their bri lllan.
cy till they passed beyond vision. We never
| before saw meteor passing SO near the sur
face Of the earth. 1t must have been seen by
| many thousands, and we shall probably have
many accounts of it's appearance at the differ.
ent places over which il passed"
The Newark IN. J.) Mercury, of Saturday
says it did not appear 100 yards above the
ground, and travelled at the speed Of a pigeon.
1t adds
1t appeared composed of two distinct bodies
of equal size, and surmounted by a very bril-
liant blue and yellow light, and if it had been
ascending as rockets do, instead of passing in
a perfect horizontal direction, it light have
| been mistaken for an immense rocket both
| from its appearance and the remarkable light
| 1t was visible here for nearly half minute,
and In its course portions were thrown off
| like sparks from rockets, and these portions,
| instead of falling TO the earth, kept on in the
| same course as the meteors themselves. As
| these were thrown Oft, there seemed a slight
| explosion noticed by some but not heard by
| all The fEeteor appeared so altogether differ.
ent from all meteors noticed before that we
| are at a loss what TO say about it, and shall
| look for further accounts with much interest
| The phenomenon appeared in Alexandria
| Va, about 20 minutes to 10 O'Clock Friday
| night, in the shape of double meteor, ira
| yersing the northern quarter of the heavens
1t exhibited a greenish color and moved in a
horizontal direction. but with much less ap.
parent velocity than is usual in such bodies
1t was seen by numbers, both in the city and
adjoining county.
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL SToRM.-There was a