Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-13
RiCtGOCiC Showers.

The mcteoric display Of November Is. 1888,
was by very far tho most remarkable natural
phenomenon | haso over witnessed. Learning
| that something OF tie kind is predicted to take
paco on the 18th inst, these lines arc written
/ Tor tho purpose Of c,liing tue attention of your
| readers to the subject. Tho former cvont came
unheralded, and took us oil by susrrise. | was
residing ct tho Tina in MoDouoush, Henry
county. Suifuliog ut the tic!e from 40 intlanl-
ed eye, ard being unabia 70 Sleep | rose about
o'clock on tho Diybt in question, and wont
out to my kitchen for the purpose Of lighting
lamp llucltcr matches had not thou been in
vented. or had not at least como into u,c ia
that sccsioa.l 10 passing to tho kitchen | cid
not happen TO lock W. But as SOON as our
cook lold Aunt Nary opened tho door she
drew back in alarm, exclaimiug, "Lord, mes-
ter, tho world Is coming to an end Just look
OF tho stats. They aro all falling II Fly faith
in the Scriptures such a. Matthew yxiy., ii,
and other; OF the same import rrccuded tho
idea OF It's being tho end OF tbs world, and |
vas not alarmed. Rcturaing 10 my room, |
prepared my Wlic Tor viewing tho phenomenon.
which she did without undue excitement. |
then sailed forth to arouse some OF my neigh
bors, that thoy also might erj Joy the wonderful
display. Tho two nearest we're o lawyer and
preacher, both oil whcm wcro terribly alarmed,
and, despite Dgcxpostulations, greatly alarmed
their wives. Without goisg further, | had my
hands full 10 endcavcsing to restore them TO
somo degree of composurc.
From ono o'clock unt daylight witnessed
tho grand display. looking upward, it seemed
asli tho metoors all started ron!a common oen~
tire. and fell lu curVlog lines TO the very earth,
and thero were thousands, If not milliors of
them IN sight CT tho eamc moment, and
every moment, u1tii daylight put an eud
to the scene. )t literally Taned fire. Some
times tho shower would slGckcn for 4 mo.
ment or so, and then it would be renaTad, until
the very heavcDs seemed to bo ablazo. Some
Wcro brighter, some OF paler here; but they
waro all Gro Tor seemed to bo SOY, and all were
pouring down toward the Garth. Eut am at
tempting 10 do what [ promised myself would
not undertake; to dcsoribo sccrc which 20
lulagloa!lon oan conceive, nor tongue or pen por.
tray. 1t was ss clear nght as l over saw.
would bx lny eyes cn glvon star, and 10 iow
moments 1t would seem to isil, owing, | suppose,
10 the TACT that il was cbscured by II raising
meteor Tho Illusion Was peiftcs.
For two or tbrco days after the cccurrcuoa
the atmosphere was Sly Smokyas to prevent tho
stars froI; being sHcn at night, and tn CAUSE
tho suu to look like ball OF fro in tho dsy.
timc, upon which ono might Razo with tho
naked eye without pain.
4 few occurrences oonoanl2d with The ovcnt
may interest your readers. Ia Coyington, NV.
ion county, Ut o'clock, tho church bel, was
rupg, and tho whole population was aroused,
1bo repair ID 10 tho M9aling house and spcnt
the remainder 6f the night in devotional cxcr.
elses.
Tho gold M,inca 10 Paulding and adjacent
counties had drawn together msny advontur-
ers-mircri eud gamblers. 4 gentleman direct
from that section informed mo that soon after
midnight guns were fired, horns b'owo, and
Tho sIccperI for miles were aroused. The yanb
lers threw their c5rls in the fire, cocmic1 madc
friends, and there WAS suoh praying as was
mover heard in that s:cion before, aad per
hars has never been heard since.
Ooly fow days after tho phenomenon was
passing irom McDoncrgh 10 H,bulon, snl
stopped to spend tho night with frierd. lie
had Two northero men employed in clc sting u
mill on ANAL atrnsm naar his residence, tho
elder one Of whom bad baou a sasIariug mac
AS soon as arrived the falling of thn STAR"
b, C .mo the suit i;ot Of conversation. SGcng the
northcra men ccming uD the hill my friend said!
"Eugago those mca--eapecially tho elder one
iu conversation Gu the suit :cr." Supper over,
J. managed to draw them out Tho elder one
said II have spent rdost of my life on the sea-
| and have passed through many dangers. But
| never had to look death aud eternity so square.
| ly in tho iaoo before. You kaoR. paraon, that
| sailors believe in tho North star. Well, | saw
that the Other stars woro falling, but j thought
| that as long as tho North star kopt its place
| all was safe. So went ont there snd sst on
tho ground. with my book against tho chimney
! (it was q rock chimnoy,) and then watched
i that star. trying not oven To wink. Ia few
miuutes it cus loooso, and here it came. And
then, person. foll on NY knees and did some
of the tallest paying you ever heard. and |
have not sworn an oath since" lie had been
dreadlully profane. have seen many people
since who hsvo waited Tor the North star 10
fell before they would pray.
| J. Ii. CAMPBELL.
| -Co!an.bus. Ga., Enquirer.