Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-11
MYR[ADS OF METEORS
Falling Through Space Into Void
From Every Direction.
ANNUAL SHOWER OF PALE STARS
Sightseers View the Phenomenon With
Great Interest.
PECULIAR RAINFALL IN DUFF CITY

A heavy meteoric shower occurred last
night between the hours of 9 P. NJ. and 8
A. NJ, during which over 1000 shooting
stars were observed.
The phenomenon was quite generally
watched in and about Pittsburg, and parties
Of star gazers, in the literal sense of the
words, were numerous in the suburbs and
other parts high enough for clear, unob-
structed views. The meteors, as q rule,
were quite small in size and flashed across
portion of the sky with but mediocre We
locity. They were of a pale yellowish
color, as observed through astronomical in
struments, and soon spent themselves. The
brilliance OF the moon affected the eastern
sky during the earlier hours of the night,
and it was difficult to compute the numbers,
as but three parts of the sky could be no.
ticed. The greatest number seemed to be
in the west to the naked eye, but the proba-
bilities are that the other parts were
equally as productive, but were invisible
on account Of the moon.
The Time for Shooting.
''The latter part of July and the first
fortnight in August are, as a rule, the most
prolific times for the meteoric stars, as the
Constellation Perseid is in the direct path
of the earth's orbit. "' Prof. Keeler said
last night: "Perseid is the most prolific of
the heavenly consultations regarding
meteoric showers, as they are the most
widely and equally distributed, and are not
limited to particular date, although more
or less abundant at this particular time of
the year" He went on. "The showers from
Perseid are the most ordinary to astronomers
and less interest is directed toward them,
as they bave upon no occasion been distin-
guished by discoveries of any note.
whrra the Stones Come From.
''The celebrated meteorc shower of No
vember II, 1888, when the stars fell in
snowstorm numbers, came from the con-
stellation Lionides. and the meteor picked
up in Mexico In 1885 came from shower
from the Andromeda group.
prof Young, of the Lick Observatory,
in his article upon meteoric showers says
none of these stars have ever reached the
earth, with the exception of that which fell
in Mexico in 1885, He gives the general
belief of their size as too small to burn
throughout the entire passage between
their position and the earth. He compares
them, in this regard, TO q pebble and q
boulder, the aeroite which frequently
reaches the earth as the latter and the
shooting star as the pebble. He supple
ments this, however, BY saying the posi-
bility is that the shooting star is a small
cloud of dust in which'gas is lntermingled
and ikens it to puff of smoke.
twenty-five Miles q Second.
1.-THE shooting star from the Perseid group
generally moves at a rate of % miles a sec
ond of earthly measurement, while the
meteors from the Leonides constellation are
much swifter. This is due to the different
positions the bodies are in when in closest
contact with the earth. The Leonides
meteors coming directly toward the earth
and those from Perseids more slanting"
Prof Keeler, of the Allegheny observa-
tory, was too intent upon his observations
of Mars to pay more than passing attention
to the phenomenon. In speaking of it to
DISPATCH man he said it would have no
effect upon the earth and the planet Mars
was in no way responsible for 1t. 'Much
talk is indulged in about this time" he con-
rinued, ''to the effect that these shooting
stars have more or less of an effect upon
the earth, but there is nothing in it. The
stars move irresponsible of any of the
planets near us. They have no effect upon
the elements and as far as we now know
upon anything else. They are merely
peculiarities of the consultations from
which they come. They differ materially
from comets and other aerolites as they
make no sound and their passage is so rapid
that it is most difficult to get any idea of
the component parts of them. One very
bright meteor from the Lionides group was
closely watched some few years ago and
the observer reported 1t to be composed of
magnesia and iron. but discoveries are
rare" and the professor returned to Mars.
APecuIiar Phenomenon.
A peculiar phenomenon of the elements
occurred yesterday afternoon near Duff
City, village some 1S miles out the Pitts
burg turnpike. A heavy rain fell for a
considerable time, and the ground was
muddy and water ran into pools to depth
of several inches. So it was for a radius of
six miles. Without this radius the ground
was dry, parched and the roads were dusty.
The dividing line between the wet and the
dry was very dis tinct, and the farmers in
the locality are at loss to understand the
singular phenomenon.
Quite severe electrical storm occurred
in the eastern part OF the county and tele-
graph wires suffered considerably. Alto
gether it was quite phenomenal day.