The Portland daily press., 1866-11-16

The much 1eralded meteoric shower of 1866
appears to be fzzle. Something of meteoric
display there was on the morning of the 18th
but nothing like what justly indignant pub
lie were looking for. In 1888, they did things
differently. The celestial fireworks on that oc-
casion were wonderful and to the uneducated
or superstitious rightfnl to behold One of
them appeared larger than full moon at ris-
ing. 1t was seen in North Carolina and New
Haven, at the same time. At Poland, Ohio, a
luminous body was distinctly visible in the
northeast for more than an hour. 1t was very
brilliant, in the form of a pruning hook, and
apparently twenty feet long and eighteen
inches broad. At Niagara Falls large lumi-
nous body, shaped like square table, was seen
near the zenith, remaining for some time al
most stationary, and emitting large streams of
light. A South Carolina planter thus describes
the effect of the exhibition upon his negroes:
was suddenly awakened by the most dis
tressfng cries that ever fell upon my ear
Shrieks of horror and cries of mercy L could
hear from most of the negroes on three planta-
tons, amounting in all to about 600 or 300
While earnestly listening for the cause, I heard
faint voice near the door calling my name
arose, and taking my sword stood at the door.
At this moment, heard the same voice still
beseeching me to rise, and saying ooh, my
God the world is on firep l then opened the
door, and it is difficult to say which excited me
the most-the awfulness of the scene, OF the
distressed cries of the negroes. Upwards of
one hundred lay PROSTATE onIthe ground, some
speechless and some uttering the bitterest cries,
but most with their hands raised, imploring
God to save the world and them. The scene
was truly awful for never did rain fall much
thicker than the meteors fell over the earth
east, west north and south it was the same.
Now we have have had nothing to match
this display After the most extensive adver-
Using, the exhibition has failed. 1t is not a
case of postponement on account of weather,
for the skies have been as calm and clear as
could be desired. The explanation of our in
genious neighbor, the Argus, that the display
may have taken place in the daytime and been
overpowered by the sunlight, will not answer
unless it be shown that the constellation Leo
from which the meteors chiefly emanate, and
which has lately been in the habit of getting
up about midnight, has changed its practice
and taken to rising in the daytime. The show
er, we repeat is failure; and there is moth
ing left for the newspapers except to discourse
upon the phenomenon in general.
On the night of the 18th of November, 1899,
an extensive display occurred Humboldt has
described this spectacle, and according to his
testimony it occurred toward the morning,
when thousands Of meteors, aerolitcs balls,
or falling stars, as they were variously denomi-
mated, succeeded each other during four hours
their direction being from north to south.
They rose in the horizon at east-northeast, fol-
lowed the direction of the meridian, and fell
toward the south. There was little wind, and
this from the west. No trace of clouds was
seen, and there was not a space in the firma-
ment equal to three dameters of the moon
which was not filed with Stunning stars of va
rious sizes, which left luminous traces, or
fails, of from five TO ten degrees in length
These traces were visible about eight seconds.
Many of the stars had distinct nucleus as
large as the apparent disc of Jupiter, while the
largest were from deg. to deg. 10 min in di-
ameter. Their light was white, and they SEEM
tants of Cumana witnessed the display. and it
was asserted by the oldest that the earth
quakes of 1865 were preceded by similar phe-
nomena
Other authentic dates, from the time of the |
Greeks are given in the subjoined table: