Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-15
Che Daily grsss and 1atotaiaa
vANk DAKOTA
Saturday Evening, Nov. is, 1879.
lMErEoalc SHOWERS.
An Eye svit"ess's Account or aiae Dispia y
I ~ n november, 1888

Az Eye Wit"ess's Account or the Display
&" November, 1883
Columbus CGa..J Enquirer
The meleotic display Of November Is.
1893, WIS by very for the most remarkable
nstursl phenomenon l have ever witnessed
Learning that something Of the kind Was
predicted 10 take place on the 18th inst
these lines are written for the purpose OF
calling the attention Of your readers to that
subject. The former event came unherald-
ed, and took Us all by surprise. was re-
siding at the time 10 McDonougb, Henry
county. Suffering at the time from an in
famed eye, and being unable to sleep, /
rose about l o'clock on the night 10 ques
ton. and went out to my kitchen for the
purpose Of lighting Q lamp Qucifer matches
mad not then been invented. or had not al
Leaf come into use In that secti0n.) In PASS
rug to the kitchen, I did not happen to-
look up. Bat as loon as our cook, (Oid
Aunt Msry.) opened the door. she drew
back 10 alarm, exclaimine, "Lo,d, master,
the world is coming to an end! Just look
at the stars. They are falling!" My faith
10 the Scriptures (such as Matthew xiv ia.
and others OF tha same impolt.) precludeo
the idea Of its being the end OF the world,
aud was not alarmed. Returning 10 my
room l prepared my wife Tor viewing the
phenomenon, which she did without I'm
que excitement. | then sailed forth to
arouse some OF my neighbours. that they also
might enjoy the wonderful display. The
two nearest were u lawyer and a preacher,
moth Of whom were terribly alarmed, and
despite my expostulatious, greatly alarmed
their wives. Without gong farther, | had
my hands full in en'!eavoring to restore
them TO some degree of composure.
From one o'clock until daylight ! wit
messed the grand display. Looking upward
it seemed as If the meleors all started from
a common center, and fell in c~urving lines
to the very earth, and there we're thousands,
il not millions, Of them in sight at the same
moment, until daylight put an end to the
scene. 1t literally rained fire. Sometimes
the shower would slacken for a mement or
80, and then it would be renewed until the
very heavens seemed to be ablaze. Some
were brighter, some of paler hue-but they
we're all fire Tor seemed to be SOY, and all
we're pouring down toward the earth. But
L am attempting to do what l promised my
self | would not undertake, to describe a
scene which no imagination can conceive,
nor tongue portray. 1t was as clear a night
a. I ever saw. l would fix my eyes on a
given star, and in a few moments it would
seem 10 fall, owing, l suppose to the fact
that it was obscured by a passing meteor.
The illusion vas perfect.
For two or three days after the occurrence
the atmosphere was 60 smoky as to prevent
the stars from being seen at night, and to
cause the sun to look like a ball of fire in
the day time, upon which one might gaze
with the naked eye without pain.
A fow oocnPrancoo connoctoI 9TH fho
event may interest your readers. In Gov
ington, Newton county, at two o'clock, the
church bell was rung and the whole con.
grega,ion was aroused, who repaired to the
Westinghouse and epent the remainder oil
of the night in devotional exercises.
The gold mines in Paulding and adjacent
counties had drawn together many sdyen.
turers-miners and gamblers. A gentle.
that soon after midnight guns were fred,
horns blown, and tine sleepers for miles
were aroused. The gamblers threw their
cards into the fire, enemies made friends,
and there was such praying as was never
heard in that section before, and perhaps
has never been beard since.
Only a few days after the phenomenon l
was passing from McDonough to Zebulon,
and stopped to spend the night with a friend.
He had two northern men employed in
erecting a mill on a small stream near his
residence, the elder one of whom had been
a seafaring a AS soon as / arrived, the
failing of the stars" became the subject OF
the conversation. Seeing the northern men
coming up the hill, my friend said en-
gage those men-especially the elder one
in conversation On the subject" Supper
over l managed to draw them out. The
older one said: 81 have spent most of my
life on the sea, and have passed through
many dangers. But l never had to look
death and eternity so squarely in the face
before. You know, parson, that sailors be.
lieve in the north star. Well, 1 saw that
the other stars we're falling, but l though,
that as long as the north star kept its place
all was safe. So I went out there and SAT
on the ground, with my back against the
chimney, lit was a rock chimney and then
| watched that star, trying not even to wink
In a few minutes it cut loose, and here i,
came. And then, parson, I fell on my
knees and did some of the tallest praying
you ever heard, and l have not sworn an
oath since" He had been dreadfully pro.
fame. I have seen many people since who
have waited for the north etar IN fall hpfore