The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-04

Reports were also current among
the police thatNs shooting affair had
occurred at a demon 9th street, in
which a well known citizen was also
shot, but at such a 1ate hour the re-
ports could not be traced up.
AN EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON.
More than a dozen persons related
to US, yesterday, their Impressions,
from personal observation, Of a won
derful phenomenon that appeared in
the heavens on Tuesday night. All
agree that it occurred at half past
IL o'clock. There is some, difference as
to the size and shape Of the meteor,
for such it was. some representing it
as about the size OF a ten plate stove,
while others fix it at the size of a peck
measure, but rather p~ear-shaped. We
publish the following from an intel
ligent gentleman who is a close OBJ
server, a quick thinker, and who is
possessed of superior descriptive tall
ent. This phenomenon will attract
very general attention, as it appears
to have been witnessed throughout
the entire West: *4atW
fConAl un >..cd l3iE
A MAGNIFICENT METEOR. z
Editor Journal: q F"
At half past eleven o'clock on Tues
day night last, (Julyi 2d,) as I reached
my home in this city, [ was startled
by'a vivid glare of light reflected on
my dwelling. Turning around. and
Looking westward toward the sky, /
saw the most magnificent meteor that
| ever beheld. 1t had started from a
point about twenty degrees west of
the zenith, and when L first saw it, it
was going northwardly parallel with
the handle" of the Dipper,'' and
had progressed about enc sixth of the
way to the horizon. In a few seconds
it disappeared in a blaze of light about
ten degrees above the northwestern
horizon. This remarkable meteor re-
sembled a comet In shape, and did
not fash across the heavens as rap
idly as ordinary ones, but descended.
as it were, at a comparatively slow rate
of progress. and elowed. both in its orb
and the track left by it with an ex-
ceedingly bright radiance. The face
OF nature was lighted up by it with a
brightness almostlike that of the sun.
The most remarkable circumstance
connected with this meteor was the
track, or . tail, that it left after it.
For ten minutes after the meteor dis
appeared the path it marked seemed
as if it were a fash Of lightning. (not
zigzag, but perfectly straight), firmly
fixed on the sky; or, in other word@,
it seemed as if the sky were cleft
open from a point just west of the
zenith. to one lear the northwestern
horizon, to show the glory beyond.
After the lapse of nearly a quarter of
an hour, the straight line of light be-
gan to sway in several places, then to
widen as if the luminous substance
were diffusing itself in space; then
there was a separation about the mid
die, when the lower section wIdened
out and brought it's extremitles to-
gether until it changed into a lumlp-
Gus or phOspherescent cloud, re-
sembling the milky way, except that
it was much brighter. The upper
section went through the same
process and bore the same appearance,
but the lower one became invisible
before the upper. The writer watch
ed the luminary cloud formed by the
upper section, for a half hour. and
when he retired, it was resting sta
tionary near the end of the handle =
of the dipper," like a cloud or neb-
ula. As it faded away very slowly, it
probably remained visible for a halt
hour longer.
l shall watch with anxiety to see an
astronomical description of this
splendid meteor and its remarkable
track, or tail, as it was doubtless no.
ticed from some. or all, of the OBJ
servatories. Such extraordinary &C.
~lestial phenomena occur but rarely,
and when they do, should be closely
observed and accurately described, for
the benefit of science, and in order to
increase our knowledge of the won
derful works of the Divine Archi-
tect.