New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-27

could be carried IN hat box TINS OF Gun
exag,eiation. but the idea holds ~.
III partlces OF A comet are supposed 70 oe eN
tremely small say not bigger u"'" f
on ar average and the largest masses OILY " o"
feet I'm diameter. These particles are ONLY "oscS
Joined together and shattered over an immense WI
t,ry II Is not hard Ia understand uieh '"A' '"e
fate O. a comet Is eventually 10 go 70 pieces ~
spread rs particles out much that no longer
attracted BY another they do not act III ui"''"
but each for itself pursues lis way aDo" '''e SUI"
The longer a comet has been In the system t'e ni'
are It's particles spread out. The comet eVe''''''
csosc, TO be a comet and becomes simply swarm
Of meteors large proportion OF comet ano ihe'eoi
swarms more In or the plane OF the planets anu
hence IL follows that earth crosses or passes he
the paths OF these every year In It's Journey
around the sum- and there are at such umes showers
OF shooting stars.
This is in brief the theory which traces meteoric
bodies back to comeuc origin All me'eors canho'
be- connected with particular comets There arc
many thousands which fall into our atmosphere every
day which, far as we know belong 10 no paruouia'
swarm But the argument Is easy that comets MAY
have Come into this system aud gone 10 pieces long
ago. and the particles may now be spread ont so h"'
that we NAV be able to recognize the me'eoTs
which come as parts OF swarm. II Is also con
iectIred that interplaneary and lnters'cimr space
contains countless independently moving PARTICLES
zach u,tl, world I'm itself, and that we are con
s,ortlv meeting them. This theory Is IN accordance
with that OF the nebula hypothesis, or evolution
theory these particles being regarded simply rs
residual matter.
II is not difficult to explain occasional meteors'
but It Is triumph OF science to offer satisfactory
and undoubtedly true explanation oil the lact VI 'o
regularly recurring showers.
Only one comet has thus far been seen TO break up
that discovered In 1926 by Biela. Austrian ohcer
Ii had period OF SO years and us orDit appfoas'
1889 a panic known the comet scare, was started
IN southern France by the announcement that 1t was
going TO come In collision with the earth Inc eaI'
pa sSed the critical point about month 100 soon Iol
collision however In 1889 The comet was hot SEN zen
1916 It appeared usual but soon afterward SPt
two parts which travelled side by side m le11 b9,h
comets were seen travelling along together buy mn
ion and half miles apart Since then neither has been
seen, although both ought TO have returned SIX ulS
the earth was crossing the track OF the lost com"t
there wonderful meteonc shower Inc Sa nre
thing happened in lseG when the earth once more
crossed the comets path and there was no lomgrr
much doubt that the comeic origin OF meeoTc SnowTs
had been demon strated The meteOTs from th swarm
are called AndrOmedai fIVm the constellation IN lii'
Sky from which they seem 10 fadiae There Is o%n
~ Probably a number Of them will fall TO nisht.
The Leonds which iadate from me oonS'ci ,
ton here and fail about the 18th OF November are also
snnposed 10 be from a dislntegTated comet. This
swarm furnished the finest meeoric shower ever w.t.
brea Fully 10000 are estimated 10 have allen
within six hours The Pcrssds are anTia nre s gro
number OF other groups the Gcminds. The LvnuS elc''
which send meteOTs at other times during lle Near'
A curious fact IS that vim one exception no mhSs
has been known TO reach the earth during het"f!c
shower on November 81. 1855. piece OF lne'eoilc
iron fell at Nazapl. I'm northern Mexico curing lhc
shower OF Androuedns This has been spoken OF aN
niece OF Biela's comet. but II IS generally regarded
ms mere coincidence. The query why stones 90 ho'
fall a such times leads 10 the discussion OF the differ
ence between meteOrs which are only seen ana hele-
oIites which are known 10 reach the earth
The difference may be and probably Is merely one OF
size and velocity According 10 this view ne coneuc
meteOrs are small and more swift While the mne.''
which reach the earth are much larger ana mover III
dependentlv and less rapidly. The meteor or Nhool-
inr star IS supposed 10 enter our atmosphere ~ IN
average rate OF about entyfve miles second, APP
nearing AZ an elevation OF about seventy I'VE mile ana
frayersnc distance OF forty or fifty miles. hecomng en-
tirely consumed by the great heat generated MoSt
meteoriies are also eniirv consumed before r"y rrhc
the earh but they move only few miles second
and usually penetrate close ~ the crust OF the earth
The most remarkable which have fallen In this country
during the present century and OF which fragments
have been found those which ien ~ me following
places. Weston. Conn, 1rO1 Wsnop>Nllf, -
G 1s43: Cabarrls County, y. C.. 1919 Newt oncoId,
Ohio 1890: Amana, Iowa. 1879 and Emmett comfy,
Iowa 1879 In several hundreds OF fragments
fell ranging I'm from half an ounce 10 800 pounds
pherc Is no record Of any one being Killed or OF any
great damage done by mcieOrt".
The early hours OF the morning are the best time
20 see shooting stars. The place whore the observer
stands Is then the forward part OF th" earth. 50
10 speak-tha IS the part which Is foremost along Tue
nath which the earth IS travelling round the sun. in
The evening people only those which ov"r'akr me
earth In the morning they see oil that are met OF
Ovcrtaken