New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-31

miles Tmey move with great velocity seldom so SLOWLY
ten miles second, and sometimes WIN NoluI In
forty fty miles second, the velocity OF the caiIh III
It's orbit being nineteen mile second IL II Il. cs
case, however when the velocity Is over Io ii nif
second You will ask how we know its position hon Il
ferent observers note the position OF meteor MI
makes its first appea rance. when 1t l. ten 10 s
distant ana one IL close nv this star nhphci 80,
by another star, and third close by stu aho,ucl nd
from that we can Iel precisely where it was first seen
and how high it When there Is an , line Of
four people 1t i'll different positions at inc 'i "
AS 70 the time it Is difficult determine that Tor we
are apt under such circumstances TO estimate the time
great deal too long MY own way ia To take piece OF
poetry and repeat It as fast as can during ee d
meteor is visible; and usually take the famll ar uog
gerel: There was man In town, and he was VOL
drous wise" -; which repeat as last rs e, e IN,
when the exnt sion took place. Aierward gonE over
the again before looking giaS, Watch WI 'u s
Will enable me tell noting the time OF reaching inc
same syllable no many seconds elapsed in each CASE
OF this repetition ON the next day tnere VIII
not be the degree OF excitement Which wiz ptU n
ably make time reckonings little different Lei ine
urge upon you to Adopt some such plan anu anen {o
make useful observations Don't tell me tna' ~ -
foot in diameter and passed space OF Two leet III
passing the point of explosion, unless indeed you e
at the same time how big the moon Is theh VIZ aie I
right for a loot the sky is something We cannot meas
ure but If you say that the moon IA foot in diameter,
sOth of the distance between the horizon anu Inc
zenith II you will tell us the distances in parts OF
you mean. and make their computations us 10 the
positions OF the meteors you describe
WHAT MEIEORs ARE MADE or.
we find they differ terrestrial substances chiefly In
the way they are bult up There are no elements
In Them we have yet found element not known
the EARTH and the great part Of them consist OF ele
ments most common upon the earth but put tosether III
odd strange ways The mcteorc minerals are dccidcdV
different from those the earth. One OF the most strlh
ing characteristics ia the black crust With which they
are covered, coming the fusion OF the stone rs u
passes through the dir. They always rich IN iron
and the heating to express II m e'entlhc IAN
motion into energy of heat. They strike our upper
atmosphere with enormous velocity, ana are s'upu
coming 20 the earth; ana tnht energy illst w
counted for; and it accounted for IN heating tho me
teor selt and the air through witch II ps's e;, Inc
pulyeTulent hot dust; while the stone ltsel s.nli
aide ,1rfece Is fused while the interior remains cold.
One fell in India 1857 which was found covered Win
Ice: for Won know il had been moving In space with
temper,fure 10 to 800 degrees below zero
Meteors may be divided into two classes. Inc nalor
then we nd lump of almost pure iron. Il Is common
for Of tie 500 specimens which have been seen to
fall only ten, so | know. are iron; The most
characte,tic iron stones are those tha el ~ hgrs
Bohemia In l75l; at Dickson County N G.. IN 1851
at Branuan, Bohemia. in 1917; at Victoria south Atlc
in 1867; at Maysvlc Cal, In 1875 and ~ ROwlonEhg
land. in 1876 There are not nnrequenty aIge ao" go
iron picked up which cannot be accounted toI' ana
which scientific men have gcneraH htd 10 De me'eos
Those great masses, from Greenland, shown IN the
Centennial Exhibition. am ncned to tmnk al least
As to ne other class of meteors you may ont and
few minutes some niue NJ Shoot htlTss t,u ~ n
fade away. II you watch the whole sSy, II you
can get n group OF niends 70 help yol-y0n VIII
fnl that there forty visible In on hour AZ favor
able time IN any place the surface Of the earth
Ana You wOud fnd thIs also; tnat tgerc a.e ABOUT
twice my in the mOrniDS-net ween ana oellcN'
ing; and tito calculation u she distance al winch
We and the height at wbicn they ap9ear shows
nat sOmet Iu- ks 7,0OonJo or S0OoO00a day striking
tn eartl. Tat is PrOf' ssOr NcNton's cstlnntc-
"A t--Vyu lie once a
IA 350OoOo, aud Others as nigh as loOOo.OOo dhy
rasrs % Ss vel enes Ike those Of tie comets
ana Garth unters IRE In the morning thHh IN
inc evening for the re- sou at we tncn tLe Uead
hRht Of III IcumouVe as were, the trout OI tLe
earth Inuves around the ul while III me evening
take the "a IN and strike 1t from behind. Aud "a
moving IN al direcnons III 'p zee, We do no eK
efenec "a many Of the PAT. when We arc 10
trout or during morning These nete0rs arc
some of them very bright and ] an
from tnose thar send pieces u earth. On this Oolnt
seleAte opinion Is divided great o many seiS en-
lime precisely tle same rs tle larger Ineteois
tuI" Many OF tnese are 50 al tlat t9y burn up en-
in according % hGs view OF the case OtheIs
no hoid ~ tDipS VIII them, ior tins re son
tnat these metrors are exceedingly |
we never tiem come "a tine gTOnnd r near from
them al ALL 49, Instance iu tue great starsnoOhDg
SHOWERS o 1888 ls67 nUt.Dg came down, tnOubJ
the sky was uil Ny iather has described as
ike storm. although IN place Of the emo Fnakes
As for Inc Of from the earth they appear
It Is .1edt au seventy Five TO cIgij miles
and dis pear alter siOtng about ,orty through
1hcit velocity ~ .DJut hc same 80 that OF
n,,a ,hecEt n 80 .ir A. ~, lie maera,s i tberu
nOid OF tneln 10 examine tenn IL IL ONLY
OccasiunalS that We got II tIe wing by means
of The spectrOscop, wnoh shows lines 81 sodium and
MAGNESIUM, easily made out, and occas, noly iron
ere H. act deal Of Reason for snspccting hc
presene of iron IN many ~ IneDl. lac
5welish 40 delsRo!d At p tzocrg IN took
great mass and evi pJraIeJ IN wter from H.
aud exaulnii t1e rnidu, ne lou d att bottom
little l,ud IN de % little me rodud pTtcies wnoa
ing Gust ashes; and am incn 81 to reg ira II
m self although IT is just possible tnat t irOn came
Il ON "edsn iron infn~ce sono Iist'nce away ana
Was carried t.It4er by tae WIND IN the smoke.
te same tang at The bottom 81 the Oceau. The st
on o. Alan 10 haf been iodnd to contlin
gu.e considerable PERCENTAGE Of little rOunt pirucIes
-. OxI0e OI lion, very likely camc Ia tnis way
rOIn the burning o. ctsOrs
TIE WEIGHT OF METE0Rs
As for toe wolga of tse.n know nothing with very
gre 1t certainty form pretty fair estimate
Of how large tDey arc by tue amount OF light they
give cannot stop ~ into tue details OF the |
proof. but win say ths; that II their energy were
al turned inUo hgut, then, knowing now fast they !
move we cOula frO that calculate now large they
We know how much energy II taxes 10 produce candle
by wnicn demOns,rate 1t; but IL OILY per cent OG
the energy OF tie body Turned into gt or goes 10
making .ignt and the rest conrl "a rays OF heat
which w not want, then TO body 10 100 times
la ger. The testimony Oh Professors Nrwconb and
AZ uess shows tIe largest of shooting may
weign ounce. and hardly muen "a th the jr,ii-
nary or L-eui no more, prItps, than grain or
TWO. OF Sc, one consequence OF this continual
falling upon the earth IL that the earth IL growing
La ger All The Lnnei We need not be worried however,
by tai, Iac for Judging BY tie Increase at the present
time, near al can make out by lito calculation
upoh it, nave the lime to go into oetaiis OF
.l-It wonlI tako 300 900 600 or years for the
sartn 40 grow an inch IA dlameter; that IN, 10
pat coating OF metsoric matter an ucn tnicA over tine
suIfdcr-
One other poiut H. OF course, that II the earth
ing rough a mcteors, IL tnere /, any CON
so cradle the motion Of the tn m1nt be
retarded TDe lergtn of tue year wonld therefore
change and the result would be 10 bring the |
earIn down upoE the san, and some have thought
hat that be the end things Como tnoug tney
could orsee destruction Of catI by fire and is
1ua upon the SUM- but careful calculation TO