Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-11-14
THE METEORIC DISPLAY
Over Fifteen Hundred
MetcOrS Observed.

Over Fifteen Hundred
Metcors Observed.
1ateresslag Observations by sho
ACADEMY of Science.
The promised pyrstschnio display In ire
heavens last night was anxiously awaited
By numbers Of eur citizens. Very many
gathered on the house-.ops and waited : y
tiently until the Arssral clock had doled
out the hours Of eleven, twelve and finally
one o'clock, aud no metsors yet, 90 being
firmly persuaded there were no fireworks
to be seen, retired for the night. doubtless
making = resolution often broken. that
they wouldn't set up nearly all night again
watching and waiting for any commotion in
the armament.
The Davenport. Academy Of Natural
Sciences met at, their rooms in Farrand' .
Block, early in the evening, intending to
pass the whole night making observations
The attendance was unusually
large. because Of antisipations si
. brilliant mstsoric display. The meeting
being called to order, the usual procedure
Of business Vas gone through With, after
which Dr.. T. J. lies read paper on "Ani
malculas - . cause Of diseases" It VA
an interesting document and developed
some curious fActs relative 10 these small
specimens Of animal life. The Doctor in
stsncsd several cases, ssms within the
knowledge Of our citizens, she wing the &C
tive part taken BY these infinitissmal erea-
turss in the destruction Of human life. He
referred at length to the case sf the chslsra
breaking cut among the troops which we're
stationed on Rsck Island. The reading Of
the paper was listened to with deep attsn.
tion throughout.
Professor Leighton, Of Rock Island next
followed, giving some valuable hints on .
variety Of topics 70 amateurs in science. A
new and pleasing fsstsrs st this meeting
was the presence Of quite . number Of To-
dies, whs expressed themselves - highly
pleased With the evenings proceedings,
and svincsd . lively interest in the
sucesss Of the Society. They will
always BE- heal tily welcomed, and in
deed. there are few places whsrs
an evening could b spent more pleasantly
than st the rosn occupied BY the Sssi-
ETY..
At 10 s'clock. the meeting adiourssd to
the residence Of o II. Child, Esq, corner
Sixth and Brady, where they preceded %
lecats their telescope and prepare for the
nights work. The observers organ
,zsd by assigning sections Of the
heavens to different parties. A re-
cordsr was alss assigned to each
Of the cardinal points, who recorded the OBJ
servations made. Several Interesting OBJ
ssrvatiens were taken Of Jupiter, with its
four moons. The bands and face Of the
planet were unusually brilliant, and the
sight Vas beautiful in the extreme.
At two o'clock the star>gszsrs we're
strongly impressed with the ides that the
s.raining Of their visual organs for magni
tudinous objects in the eerulean blue, was
not conducive to the normal condition Of
the inner man, So, adjourning from labor
t. rsfreshment, they proceeded for the
space Of an hour or 50 to make extended
observations on the peculiar adaptation Of
oysters and other dslicacies to the human
stomach.
At four o'clock the clouds passed to the
north, and the display became very bril-
liant: 81 metsors were counted within the
brief space of one minute. 1t 10 estimated
that up TO five o'clock over 500 Of those
flaming messengers had appeared. Every
variety Of shape and hue Of colsr was pre-
ssnted. A meteor would suddenly burst
upon the vision and 6ash across the sky,
leaving . long, nsbulous trail, similar to
that Of 0 comet. which would often remain
visible for about Eve minutes. After this
hour, but very little Of interest transpirsd
and, little before daylight, the company
separated.
We understand the Academy propose to
take Photographic Of the sun at the next
eclipse.