Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-07-26

The magnificent meteor seen on the night of
tbe Doth inst. is prominent theme in most OF
our exchanges The descriptions of its appear
ance vary somewhat, but there was not time suf
6cient for very accurate observation. The edit
mr. of the New Haven Palladium, who saw it,
saws 1.-THE lines of fire appeared to be jointed
like telescope, drawing out joint after joint
from each section of which hung pendant
drops of fire like melted iron falling" But
the meteor appears to have changed its appear
ance from time to time as it moved on. Prof.
Bond gives some speculations in regard to its
course. He says, it passed over the northern
mart of Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, the
north east corner of New York, and over Long
Island Sound, falling into the ocean southeast
of Nantucket. There is however, the fact that
twas seen two hundred miles out at sea, east
wardly from Nantucket, by persons on board
the British schooner Achiever.
A gentleman writes TO the Albany Evening
Journal that he saw the meteor while out iii
the woods an hundred miles north of Albany.
Wehaye also very particular accounts of it as
it was seen at Rochester, Auburn, Buffalo, Os-
wego. and at various other places, showing
thai it was visible throughout the entire state
of New York. 1t appears to have been visible
throughout Pennsylvania, and it was seen as
far west as Detroit, and how much farther
west it was observed it is not yet time to
know From the various reports already
made we infer that Professor Bonds specula'
ton relative to the course Of the fiery body, is
nearly correct 1t must have been somewhat
further south than he supposes. 1t was south
of all those who saw il in New England and
New York and north of those who saw it at
Norfolk, Va, Washington city, Baltimore, and
Wilmington, DEL and the Philadelphia Ledg-
er speaks of it as arising in "the northwestern
part of the heavens"
All the attempts made to explain the origin
and nature Of this fiery show only reveal how
little these wonderful appearances are under
stood even by the most learned and philosoph-
ical men who observe them. Every scientific
man has his theory but theories are cheap
and easily formed. Some may indicate much
more cleverness than others, but they are all
more indebted to fancy than to science. Prof.
Bartlett of West Point thinks such meteors
are very small planetary bodies that move
about the sun but, getting entangled in our
atmosphere, they are ignited and become me-
teors. One old theory makes them stones
thrown from from volcanoes in the moon, and
thrown so far as to become subject to the at.
traction of the earth. Prof Peters of Hamil-
ton College thinks this may have been body
which foated into our atmosphere, went
through it while, and then passed off again
into space. If men of science knew what it
meant, they would not entertain us with
these tances. 1t is our opinion that when SCI
entlhc men can explain these meteors sat
isiactorily, and on such principles as VIII
compel universal assent, they will have
complete science of that mysterious
and indescribable something which we cal
lightning, electricity, magnetism ana gaiVah
ism. And then we can all explain the north
ern lights more completely, and know grea'
deal more than we know at present Inc
true explanation would probably show thai
meteors are generated in our atmosphere ano
have an intimate relation to electricity, hight
ming and the aurora borealis Merriam says
of this meteor cit was proba' ly lightning
ball, possessing the properties of the loadstone
adding to its body as it moved through th'
atmosphere by magnetic attraction, and con
suminp a norton of these accumulations in it
progress" And he is quite as likely to b
correct as those more dignifed professors c
science whose theories are wilder and NOR
improbable