Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-11-28
METEORIC SHOWERS.
An Eye Witness Account Of the Dis
play in November, 1888.
Columbus ga Enquirer.

play in November, 1858.
Columbus tGa) Enquirer.
The meteoric display of November
10, 1888, was by far the most remarka-
BILE natural phenomenon | have ever
witnessed. 1t came unheralded, and
took us all by surprise. was residing
at the time in McDonough, Henry coun-
ty. Suffering at the time from an in
fl 4med eye, and being unable to sleep,
| rose about / O'Clock on the night in
question, and went out to my kitchen
tor the purpose of lighting a lamp (lu-
offer matches had not then been invent
ed, or had not at least come into use in
that section In passing to the kitch-
en-, did not happen to look up. But
as soon as our old cook (old Aunt Mary
opened the door she drew back in alarm,
exclaiming, Lord, master, the world is
coming to an end! See the stars; they are
falliug!" My faith in the scriptures
(such as Matthew xiv, Ia, and others
of the same purport( precluded the idea
of its being the end of the world, and L
was not alarmed. Returning to my
room l prepared my wife for viewing
the phenomenon, which she did with
out undue excitement. | then sailed
forth to rouse some of my neighboIs,
that they also might enjoy the wonder
full display. The two nearest We're q
lawyer and preacher, both of whom
were terribly alarmed, and despite my
expostulations, greatly alarmed their
wives. Without going further, had
my hands full in endeavoring to restore
them to some degree of composure.
From l o'clock until daylight | wit
messed the grand display. Looking up
ward, it seemed as if the meteors all
starred from common center, and fell
in curving lines to the very earth, and
there were thousands, if not millions,
of them in sight at the same moment,
until daylight put an end to the scere.
1t literally rained fire. Sometimes the
shower would slacken for u moment or
so, and then it would be renewed until
the very heavens seemed to be ablaze.
Some were brighter some of paler blue
but they were all fire (or seemed to
be so and all were pouring down to-
ward the earth. But | am attempting
to do what promised myself would
not undertake, to describe scene which
no Imagination can conceive, nor
tongue nor pen portray. 1T was rs clear
a night as | ever saw. | would fix my
eyes on u given star, and in a few mo-
ments it would seem to fall, owing. /
suppose, to the fact that it was obscured
by II passing meteor. The illusion was
perfect.
For two or three days after the occur
renee the atmosphere was so smoky as
to prevent the stars from being seer at
night, and to cause the sun to look like
a bali of fire in the daytime, upon which
one might gaze with the naked eye
without pain.
A few occurrences connected with
the event may lntert st your reader. In
Covington, Newton county, at 2 o'clock,
the church bell was rung and the whole
population WAS aroused, who repaired
to the meeting house and spent the re-
mainder OF the night in devotional ex-
ereises.
The gold mines in Paulding and adj
jacent counties had drawn together
many Observation-Disclosures and gam
blers. A gentleman direct from that
section informed me that soon after
midnight guns were fired, horns own.
and the sleepers tor miles were aroused.
The gamblers threw their cards in the
fire, enemies made friends and there
was such praying as was never heard
in that section before, and perhaps has
never been heard since.
Only few days after the phenome-
non was passing from McDonough to
Z bulon, and stopped to spend the
night with ~ friend. He had two north
ern men employed in erecting mill
on small stream near his residence,
the elder one of whom had been II sea-
mring man. As soon as | arrived, the
failing of the stars" became the sub
ject of conversation. Seeing the north
ern men coming up the hill, my friend
said: Engage those men, especially
the elder one, in conversation on the
subject" Supper over ! managed TO
draw them out. The older one said:
II have spent most oi nv life on the
sea, and have passed through many
dangers. But | ne"er had to look death
and eternity so squtrely in the face be.
tore. You know, parson, that sailors
believe IN the north star. Well, | saw
that the other stars were falling, but
thought that as long as the north star
kept its place all was safe. So | went
out there and sat on the ground, with
my back against the chimney lit was
u rock chimney and then | watched
that star, trying not even to wink. In
Il few minutes it cut loose, and here it
came. And then, paroon, fell on my
knees and did some OF the tallest pray
ing you ever heard, and l have not
sworn an oath since" | have seen
many people since who have waited for
the north starto fall before they would
pray,