Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-12-03
The Shower of NAeteOrs--SAsgniIi-
cent Display in England and
ScOrImnd..Ehe Scene In London.

ScOglnnUss Rno scene IN A<OnuOh.
The leading editorial article OF the LON
don Times of November 10 says -.f.-,,o
Look where we would it was the same;
in the far west, and throughout the entire
north, there was either the bright glancing
speck OF light, or the long train, or what
seemed an actual ball of light, that. illumi-
mated the country, and was slow to die
away. AS the night advanced these me-
teOrS chased one another across the sky,
following in one anOther's track, or run
ming side by side. The heavens seemed
alive with this unwonted host. There were
times when it seemed as if mighty wind
had caught the old stars, lOOsed them from
their holdings, and swept them across the
tirmanent.i The 0lympian hlfhselt might
have been supposed on the throne launCh-
ing his bolts against an offending or for
getfll world. There he was all but visible,
for at that one place there were meteors
that appeared only as spots to disappear,
or to traverse only just as much space as
would show motion. That, in fact, was
the very pathway of all this artillery, which
was thus fUreshortened, like a column OF
soldiers, as seen by those that have'tO bear
the brunt. ln the course of two or three
hours there must have been many thOus-
ands of these visitors, usually so rare. Even
when the sky became PARTIALLY overcast
tney still showed themSelvesat every OPEN
ing, aud shOne through the vail of clouds.
Few, indeed, who sawlit had ever seen the
like, or could expect ever to see it,. .es.f,fs
"These stones enter our atmos-
phere with velocity of forty miles per sec.
ond, and destroy themselves, as IL were, by
their own violence, ,.tor, when once arrested
by our grosser air, they are instantly melt-
ed and dissipated in the air. That process,
however, is only possible with very small
stones, estimated byIgraihs, for an aerolite
of only few pounds could only have its
surface affected by such,la momeptary
operation. Is it quite impossible that some
day the earth may have to encounter more
bulky metal, more eol..parable to- cur
mundane artillery? Showers of stones
there have been; aud there evidently is, no
limit to their size, either In history or In
science, for tile laws which govern the
movement of every body in our solar svs-
tenn apply equally to all sizes and all sub
stances, from this earth to a grain of dust,
from mass Of metal to vapOr. Here is q
shower of missiles, Of unknown weight
and inconceiyable velocity, always In mos
tion IRON some unknown battery, aud
every human generation has to run the
gaunIleC. VIII GulS atmosphere OF ours al
ways prove am absolute protection, and turn
off these balts, as merit is said co 10 tine
shafts of envy and detractpn r That is a
question at least to be thought Of
.ga,5sst Bo AT SOUTHAMPTON ai-e.s, 81
The ''shower'' began at Southampton at
half-past eleven on Tuesday night and did
not entirely cease until Six O'clock 'WeGhes-
day morning. The direction of the me-
teors was trGneast to West.o The flight of
some of them lasted five or six seconds /;
some appeared as big as a, cgieket7ball,
They were Of a BLUSH color; the smaller
meteors were Of a yellowish red color. al
great number of the inhabitants Witnessed
The phenomena. AT times the meteors
shooting athwart thesky, from their NUM-
Der, rapidity aud brilliancy. formed mag
nificenJ spectacle. 10 OIL hugIJ 9ai 0i