Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-07-01
CELESTIAL -LUMTNOSITIES.
Something of Meteors and Other
brilliant Fly-AbOutS

The cOlored end of the town people
Of Macon, Ga, and a few OF other
shades, were frightened night before
last by a brilliant meteor which made
the earth tremble, and lit up, in an
electriel sort of manner, the entire re-
giOn Whereabouts. People screamed
and prayed, rushed to their houses,
shut themselves in, and were shook up
mind and otherwise. The telegraph
tells us that a loud explosion followed
the passage of the meteor, the inter
val between the streak of light and
the report being three minutes. How
ever truthful the statement may be re-
garding the luminous ignus fatuus, or
whatever else it was, there is evil
IDENTIFY a great mistake as to the time
interval. According to the rate of
speed which sound travels, it must
have burst over 100000 miles from the
earth,and almost as far off as the moon,
if the time mentioned be correct.
Scientific experiments and observa-
lions regarding meteoric phenomena,
discloses that while on a journey, a
meteoric mass moves at the variable
rate of from sixty to three hundred
miles a minute, though instances are
known where they have travelled one
thousand two hundred miles in that
time. Their distance above the
earth while visible, ranges from
eighteen to eighty miles. OF various
hypothesis as to their origin, the one
generally accepted is that they are
thrown out from lunar volca-
noes IT from the planets,
though some theorists be-
lieve they issue from terrestrial
volcanoes, and still others believe
they are produced in the atmosphere,
from various gases exhaled from the
Numerous specimens secured
show them to be composed of eighteen
or twenty different substances, the
bulk being pure nickel and malleable
iron, neither Of the two latter Of which
are found in their natural state on or
in the earth, hence their terrestrial
origin is clothed in doubt. A huge
specimen found in the upper edge Of
Nebraska, where meteors abound,
and weighing over half a ton, has been
On exhibition at the Smithsonian In
Washington City, for a num-
Der of years, and is always regarded
With much interest by visitors. This
specimen, as are all others, is covered
With a Shiny crust, as if it had been
coated with pitch or some sulphurous
Meteors differ from aerolites
md shooting stars, the latter espe-
tally being more frequently seen, and
re visible from 6 to AGO miles above
he earth, generally about 20 miles
travelling at the rate of from t
o to 1900 miles a minute. They APP I
ear in greatest numbers at certain !
'eriodical seasons, often about the ]
9th of June, but more plenteous [
bout the 9th and 10th Of August, Z
9Th of October, 18th and 18th Of '
November, 9th and 9TH of December, {
of January, and the 23d and 24th /
f April. They seem to start in the L
abundance from a point in q
he heavens known as the Constella 1
ion Perseus, far above the limits Of
he atmosphere. A good deal more |
night be said on this subject, but !
must be deferred for the present.
wishing further information
nay search the pages of any work on !
.atural philosophy, and they will i
here learn all they need to know. :