The New York herald., 1879-12-08
TARDY METEORS.
A MrAGRE DISPLAY OF SHOOTING STARS OBJ
SERVED BY SUNDAY NIGHT srRoLLERs.

MrAGRE DISPLAY OF SHOOTING STARS OBJ
SERVED BY SUNDAY NIGHT srRoLLERs.
Those who watched the sky last night we're re-
warded by sight of the shooting stars predctebby
Professor Richard Proctor in his letter to the
HEa AID few days ago. IN various parts of the
city the verihcation of the astronomers prediction
was noticed as the earth evidently passed through
belt or meteors. HERALD reporter hur-
ried to the observatory of the United States
Signal Service the phenomenon
was detected. The signal sergeant in charge said
that records of the not kept by the
service and little OF astronomy known by the
officers. The reporter then desired to take some
private observations. With that object in view he
climbed dark pair OF stairs leading from the office
to the .swatch pen" and found himself in the large
rallied space in which "Old Prob" takes notes.
The moon was invisible and the sky ex-
ccptionally light with stars. The lights Of
the city stretched away below like
terresTial Ornament, shooting stars being repre-
sented'by the ferryboats which flashed from side to
side OF either river. The reporter removed his hat
and leaning far back gazed at the sky Ia Proctor
Leaning too far back he lost his balance and a mo-
ment later saw such tremendous shower of stars
as would have pleased the most ambitious as
tronomcr extgnt. This phenomenon was prob
ably not Witnessed elsewhere. Resuning the
watch number OF stars observed to
shoot across the heavens They seemed mostly
to start from point directly northwest OF
the Great Bear constellation and dart in south
wardiy direction. The distance traversed was about
onctenth OF an arc. Some or the stars shot from
the east Of the Great Bear directly south. A very
large and brilliant star was observed to shoot in
southery direction starting south of the Bear. It
moved more slowly than any of those which were
more indistinct.
UPTOWN GAzgRs
During tho earlier part of the night no unusual
appearance III the heavens observed the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. The unclouded sky and brilliancy of
the myriads OF stars above seemed to taken little
notice Of by the hundreds Of passers by. At
the corner of Twenty-third street Mr..
j. p. Sweet stationed with
his reflector telescope observing the planet
Saturn that was seen in unclouded glory shining to
the southwest OF the Pleiades. which were observed
twinkling high overhead. Until some minutes after
ten o'clock meteor noticed. just at ten min
utes after ten one was observed shooting out OF the
constellation Gemini IN u direction almost parallel
to the earth's axis. II appeared to cover
an arc OF thirty degrees OF the heavens The
nucleus seemed to be about the size OF star OF the
second magnitude. and the breadth OF the tail did
not exceed that of the nucleus There was then q
considerable interval, during which the few persons
who had grouped themselves around the telescope
Were occupied in contemplating the different
wontea splendor in Aries; the Great Bear was
coming into sight in the northeast and Taurus also
lent its lustre to the night. At thirtynne minutes
after ten tho watchers rewarded by seeing
another meteor, similar i'll size and appearance to
the first shoot southwardly from Orion. covering
it. Thirty-fve seconds afterward still
I other meteor. seemingly as large as star
of the first magnitudcS flashed out from the north
ern part the sky and crossed Genini in direc-
ton ten ling toward the south. Eleven seconds af-
terward-thirty nine minutes and thrty-one seconds
after ten--the fourth meteor darieI from the lower
! portion of Orion to the constellation some
| times called the Hare. Ten seconds after
ward fifth took its flight from the
| ..Wagoner" through Taurus. This one also had
the appearance of cquang in size star of the first
magnitude. and resembed the preceding ones in
this that tho breadth of the line of light left in it's
! wake no greater than the nucleus itself. At
forty minutes after ten the sixth meteor-one Of
the largest in size that had been observed-started
from the head or Orion, took its flight for the
southern hemisphere. and went out OF sight south
I of the Pleiades. This one. like the others,
\ produced no unusual brllliancy in the sky, and,
like them 1t covered considerable arc. 1t was the
! last observed up till q late hour. Indeed. some
characterized shabby, considering the beauty Of
the night the display of what might be called celes-
tial pyrotechnics provided for the OCCASION After
late hour the metcors ceased to command attention
+ from the casual night walkers, who had hardly .
glance for the Dog STAR that shone with all the
brightness OF q small moon.