Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-08-10

T4p Ms1rpn---Tbis luminous md ssraf;c body
which msdc Its appearance 90 unexpectedly last
Thursday evening, was larger and more. brilliant
and beautiful than any one we have ever SEEM
We vl leave 70 the learned In meteorological sci,
encs the explapation or The saus. Of such wsn-.
derful phenomenon, and will present TO our read
ers some detais in conuection with It, which, if
they should not prove important as facts may, at
least, be regarded as interesting. About 10
o'clock, p M we were sitting on the porch OF the
National Hotel, enjoying a pleasant breeze from
the s. s. w The moon was shining as bright as
ever moon shown before, rejecting strong light
against the side of the Planters Bank, Just oppo-
site to where we were sitting. Suddenly this light
increased in Intensity, assuming faint blush tint
then red, and dazzled the eye with its brightness.
Jumping instantly from our seat, we looked toward
the east, and seeing nothing, turned toward the
west and beheld scene which We will not soon
forget. The Cumberland river, and the Railroad
Bridge, together with the long treste which is
thrown across the bottom and the green hills be-
yond, seemed bathed in a sea of golden light--for
the hue had changed again. The whole western
sky was illuminated, and the stars, already paled
BY the light of the moon, appeared for an instant
to have been blotted out from the heavens. When
we turned again toward the east it seemed for a
few seconds no lighter than a starlit sky would
make It. Falling out our watch we noted the
time, which was ono-fourth of a minute past ten.
The afternoon had been warm and sultry--the
thermometer rose to sO0 Fahrenheit at o'clock,
p m. The sky was clear during the day, except
in the morning, few eumulus clouds we've floating
about, and the moon rose partially. obscured by q
dark misty veil, which disappeared after she bad
reached AN altitude Of ten or twelve degrees, A
short time before, and Immediately otter the me.
teor, we noticed halo around her which to us
presented an unusual aspect. It had faint blush
green tint, and was apparently about 30 in diane.
ter. her disc was more brilliant than common
being painful TO the eye to lock at, longer than
few seconds. We do not know what condition o.
atmosphere this would indicate. The meteor star
ted from point a little west of SOUTH and sho
over the heavens towards the N. E., having littl,
downward inclination--after trayersing a spac,
equal to coo or e5o, and descending to an altitude
of 800 above the horizon, it died away. It's appa
IHNH' NAeHNS'oA "S7 0ooas Fh"O-thiIue tnat VI III
moon, and 1t occupied about three seconds in it
transit across the sky. II threw of many lumin
Gus fragments in its passage, and also a train O
light followed it, very much resembling that Of
comet
The appearance of comets and meteors few
centuries ago, were regarded by the superstition
as the precursors Of the greatest evils. They wer
looked upon ithhOrrow BY Kings, Popes and til
high-born of the world But science has long de
monstfated that they at least harmless visitors
that they owe their existence to certain naturo
laws, which not at this time fully understood