The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-02-12
sODOm AND GOMORRAH.
POsaibiIity that shs Oities OF ths
Plain we're DESTROYED ~ msteoss.

Mr.. Proctor writes from ilian, De-
cember &c: "The idea that Sodom
and Gomorrah may have been de-
stroyed by nsteoric downfalls 10 not
al ogethcr . new enc. advanced Il,
but not very seriously, several years
ago in the English Mechanic. and it
was taken up quite seriously by an in
genious, though rather 6ery, corres-
pondent Of that journal, Mr.. E.. l.
Garbett, the well known architect. H
took up the theory precisely in the
form in which had, half jestingly,
suggested 1t. namely, that the meteor
system which produced the destruction
of the cities OF the Pisin was the So
called November system, which at that
remote date, .would have beeu 8 .p-
tember system Il can be shown that
Temples comet, In whose track the
November meteors travel, must have
passed near, and may have passed
very near indeed to the earth, at about
the time which tradition assigns to the
destruction of eodom and Gomor-
rsh. Moreover, there Cen be little
doubt that the comet's meteor
train was then far more compact than
it 10 at present. Again, tt II certain
that among the meteors Of the Novem-
Der system are many which far exceed
in size those seen during the display OF
November IS Il, 1865; for during the
display Of November 1914, 1888, some
Of the falling stars we're bright enough
to cause distinct shadows u be thrown.
Supposing the msteo-s forming the
comet ittelf, or very near 70 the comet,
to be larger yet, they would probably
be able to break their way through the
air 80 the larger meteorites do, snd II
strewu with poFpoftions.s density, 90
as 10 fall 10 the form Of Q compact
-tream, they v uld descend - very
destructive shower upon whatever part
of the esrth's surfses happened TO be
most fully expose TO tkem. Now II
happens, strangely enough, that At the
tims mentioned In the verse you quote
THE sua waa rising upon
the earth when Lot entered into Z1er;
then the Lord rained upon sodon
and Gomorrsh birthstone and fire
from the Lord out Of Hsayen'-ths de
stFoyed cities lay almost certainly on
~ - otoS VI b8o SAAt4 naE4 - - A8IuG4
toward the srsdisnt' Of the November
meteors. n ever . specisl and not
very large district Of the earth could
be so rained upon BY meieors that
towns In IL could be destroyed, the ca
tastrophe would urquestionsbly be at-
attended By just such circumstances -
tbese-ths. 10, the region would be. -
fully ~ pnssibIs, exposed 10 the bail Of
meteors, and this hail uould be as
heavy a. possible, which would require
that either the const itself. or part Of
its meteor train very elose % The comet,
should Be the source Of the meteouc
hail. In the case supposed, the veloci-
u you have msntioned Wsuld Be far
exceeded; fos. rot only does the earth
herself speed along goaDd the sun
at the rate Of f1eo miles min
ute, or more than .cighseen miles
second-meefing bez almost full tilt.
% that We have for The velocity uith !
which the meteors rush thFp1Rh the ar |
something like forty mlics per second. |
Add 10 this that when the nekeoss Of /
November 1914, 1855, wsrs ex1mised /
with the. spectE0seops The eicment |
which wae found 70 be most largely |
present vas sodium. The chief compo-
nent Of our comuon saif, whence nay
be derived . - natuF1li1ed expisns-
ton Of the fate Of Lots Wlls. Thoss