The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-11-16
Boys Clothing
:. GUTMAN & CO.'S
METEORIC.

Report Of Commodore Sands IN re
gard TO the Recent Mefeorfe sno"'
WASHINGTON. November 14.-Ihe toll
lowing is the official report from Com
moaore Sands, Superintendent OF tne
Naval Observatory, in regard To tno
racart meteoric shower, received at INC
Nav Department this p. NJ:
NAVY ~ 8 NAVAL OBSERVATORY,
w. ouISGToN. November IA, 1868.
S,n.-I have the honor to submit the
foiIowing preliminary report OF the me-
tsor;s shower of this morning: Dur
inc the evening of the 18th instant
there were no greater number OF mete-
ors TO be seen than are usually observed
ON clear nights until about IL T. M,
when there seemed to be an increase in
numbers and brIlliancy, though not
sufficient to indicate the beginning OF a
shower. At midnight the number had
considerably increased and the preva-
lence of trains was generally noted.
At thirty-five minutes past midnight
the observing party, consisting of Prof.
Eastman and Messrs. Harrison, Trisby
and Hays, began to count the meteors
and to plot the tracks of the principal
ones in that portion of the heavens
covered by the star chart constructed at
the observatory 1867. At one hour and
thirty-five minutes A. NJ. three hundred
meteors had been counted, most of them
quite brilliant and nearly all OF them
leaving green, blue or red trains. Ihus
far the display had not been confined
to any portion of the sky, but most OF
them were ia the northern and south
ern heavens and scarcely any in posi-
ton to be placed in the star chart.
MANY of the trains were visible several
minutes. One lasted ten minutes, and
traces of one near B. Ursa Minor were
seen thirty minutes after the appear
auce of the meteor. After one hour
and fifty minutes, Prof. Eastman as
sisted, and noting the time of the appa-
rition of the principal meteors succeed
ed in sketching the tracks of about
ninety. During one hour and forty
three minutes four hundred had been
counted, and afterwards the successive
hundreds were observed in the follow.
ing intervals: THE intervals are here
given by Commodore Sands.
The observations were continued un-
til after 3 A. NJ, at which time there
had been counted 507S. At 2:20 A. NJ.
Prof. Nones and son joined the party OF
observers and assisted in counting the
meteors in the western heavens. Dur
ing the whole display there were many
meteors seen in the west, but from four
o'clock to five the numbers were about
equal in the east and west. The time
of the maximum frequency was about
five hours, when they fell at the rate OF
about $500 per hour. The radiant point
was quite we'll defined during the lat
ter end of the shower, and was found by
estimation to be about 149 degrees IN
the right ascension and % minutes and
thirty seconds in declination.
The tracings were unusually bril-
liant, presenting the various green, or
ange, blue and red, and remained visi-
BILE for an unusual time; frequently as
many as five could be seen at once, pre-
senting an appearance whea nearly dis
sipated of light cirrus clouds. The
shower commenced several hours be-
fore it was expected. AS 1T was pre-
dicted last year it would be seen In 1865
in the Pacific Ocean only, number OF
star charts were distributed, few days
ago, to the various ebservatories and
scientific men of the country, and it is
believed many valuable observations
have been made, of which we soon shall
learn.
(Signed.) Very respectfully,
Your ob't serv't, b. f. SANDS.
Commodore and Sup't.
NASHVILLE, November lathe me-
teoric shower occurred this morning at
3 o'clock and lasted till 6:30. The dis
play was one of the finest eyer seen.
New ORLEANS, November IA very
brilliant meteoric display was witnessed
last night, lasting from midnight till
daylight.
! LONDON, November IA fine me-
teOric display was witnessed by observ-
ers at Oxford University tonight.
New YORK, November l4.-Dispatches
from Hartford, Poughkeepsie, Fortress
Monroe and Richmond mention brilliant
meteoric displays during the night. The
number of meteors seen here last night
exceeds $500, by actual count.