The New York herald., 1868-11-17
Tue PHILOSOPHERS AMONG the METEoRs.
Professor Newton, Of New Haven, on the Ce-
lestiul Display.

From the New haven Journal, Nov. 1871
The meteorc display which took PLACE last satur-
day morning was very beautiful and brilliant
trUnonllc exhibition AS Professor Lyman was not
well enough to make observations at the scientific
School, a few Of the students merely for their
qualification, watched the heavens until two O'Clock
IN the morning and made an Imperfect count OF the
meteors that were to be seen. They counted only
6co. Professor Newton, with corps OF assistants
took observations from the top OF the Alumni Build
ing, and succeeded IN making quite satisfactory
record oil what took place In the visible armament
They occupied their places, ready for observation
soon after III O'Clock. but II was not until after mid
night that the earth reached such position that tina
mete0rs could be seem IL was then found that the
shower was in full activity. How long it had been
IN progress cannot be told un;il intelligence Is re-
ceiyed lroln those VINO made observations at other
points on tue globe. During the first hour from IL TO
O'Clock, Professor Newton aud mis- assistants counted
s51 nete0rs The number increased through the night
until dawn prevented their being seen, when nearly
1900 an hour were counted. The shower In lull
activity when the daylight prevented further opera
tons, ana now much longer ~ lasted cannot be
known until those who took observations further
wes shall report. The total number counted was
abont 1000, and II IL estimated that the number that
appeared in the six hours during which the heavens
were watched was about 10000. The first meteor
seen was at twelve O'Clock. The shower proceeded
from the usual place In Leo. Professor Newton says
'the shower was IN fun action as early as we could
see it-that is. at twelve oclocK-and II showed no
slgn os cessation even the dawn. We could see
signs even In the strong twght. The increase OF
numbers toward morning was due 70 the heighth
hardly any mcteors, ony for an hour
or two before sunrise, when they came pell-mel.
longer when 10 commenced or ut what time IL
ended we cannot tell. As to individual meteors,
they were not quite as bright as last year, but,
owing TO the absence Of the moon, they ap-
peared much brighter. They seemed more bril-
liant in the first hour than they were aiterward,
because their course approached the perpendcu.
lar, hiding their trains. Last year there was
ploon when the shower took place. The largest
number counted In any i've minutes was 2l4 A
single Individual counted in five minutes GO or
20. one counted rs. The average number seen was.
not often more than ten or eleven minute by
single person. The color OF the fnetcors was OF "a
greenish unge one had reddish ball as IL ap.
preached termination. As the dawn approached
those that were seen against the strong twilight had
y beautiful reddish color There were some
that mad rel color in them, and some with rose ana
RED coors mixed with the green. The nucleus was
rsther reddish. The stream OF mete0rs was much
nrOauef taan when We cut through II last year ana
zoe year beiore-at least two or three times
nroader-Dut u was not 40 thickly 1lled as II was
st wear al the densest part" We also learned thst
the stream where we passed through II last year was
2O,t w mlss Woe, ana where we cut through this
year W was AZ least 10000 miles wide, which ac-
countvI Ior the meteors not being thicker, aud The
shower, so TO speak, heavier.
Itist imposed as we understand H. that this group
OF meeu "a = ied Dy comet which passed the earts
orbit IN JtIuary, 1885, which occurrence many Will
recollect w.VO saw tDis flashing ball OF fire in the
skies. In II W tue neteOrs seen very much as
they were Frlay night. Tney the dyance guard
or picket line ot the innumerable army. Tie stream
has been pSssng our orbit little over two wears
aud ten menths " passes AZ the rate Vi twenty-five