The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1874-12-09
The November MeteOrs.

The remarkable shower of meteors in
the year 1899, and its recurrence in the
years 1888 to 1889, says the New York
Times, gave rise to the theory that
their appearance was no accident. but
that they might he expected regularly
each thirty y-fourth year, and for the
four or five years Immediately succeed
ing. Accordingly a third shower was
predicted for 1867, and for the years
Immediately following it. True to the
prediction there did occur most re-
markable display of meteors in 1867,
and in every November since then
there has been like phenomenon, ex-
cept that the number of shooting stars
has each year decreased considerably.
Upon the night when this periodic
shower was to be looked for the ap-
pointment was fully kept. It is true
that 200, 900 stars did not fash through
the sky in seven hours, as was said to
have been the case in 1888. And neither
did the meteors fall as thickly as
snow flakes, as one observer described
their appearance in 1867. But it must
calls for number decreasing with each
year succeeding 1867, and that require
ment was amply satisfied. From mid
night until early dawn there were
scarcely any ten consecutive minutes in
which the heavens were not crossed
by CLEAN of phosphorescent light, and
occasionally several meteors might be
seen at once. And, as an astronomer
would have expected, most of the
meteors flashed out from the vicinity of
Gamma Leoins. In short, without
wishing to magnify in the least the
number of meteors that were visible,
they were abundant enough to show
that they could not be the sporadic or
accidental shooting stars of any casual
evening, but were really the remnants
or after-thought, 80 to speak, of the
magnificent periodical display of 1867,
which, as the period is thought to be
thirty-four years, cannot be again ex-
pected before 1901. So remarkable q
phenomenon as this has of course called
forth many theories as to it's explana.
tion. One, for instance, is that the
earth at each revolution in its orbit
plunges more or less deeply into ring
, of debris which circulates about the
sun. This theory demands belief i'll
the existence of an indefinite, or rather
of an infinite number of small heavenly
bodies, technically called bolides, that
wander aimlessly through space in an
orbit which, if it exists at all, is an ir-
regular one. Another theory is that
this shower of meteors is caused by the
passage of the earth through comitic
matter, the particular comet in ques-
tion being that known as Biela's. And
it is certain that this hypothesis is sup
ported by many reasons, which are said
to be astronomieally strong, but which
| are also, to an unscientifc mind, at
least, quite as bewildering as con-
vincing. OF theories unscientific the
number is legion. One of them is that
these meteors are merely volcanic
stones, which, having been thrown in.
definitely upward by an eruption, at
last return to the earth by force OF
gravity. And another theory differs
from the last only in placing the vol
canoes on the moon rather than on the
earth. But, however the existence of
these meteors is explained, there is
another thing about them which
troubles the popular mind. Astrono.
mers say that the luminous path which
the shooting star makes in the sky is
about twenty-seven miles long, and
terminates about fifty-five miles from
the earth's surface. But what becomes
of the stars after they have flashed
across the space thus marked out for
themp AS to this there is but one ac.
cepted theory they are entirely con.
sumed by their swift passage through
the atmosphere, and are thus either
entirely volatilized, or else they descend
to the earth in an imponderable powder.