The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-01-24
Blazed at Night Like the Sun.
TIE Great Meteor as Seen at Sea.
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
s.Landlubbers" may fancy that grog
may have had something to do with the
wonderful meteor which Captain Nc
Kee aud Chief 0&cer Catherine, Of the
steamship Yemassee. reported having
saen at sea on their arrival here yester-
day from Charleston, S. G.
They are both willing to swear that
they we're sober, though. at che time
that this great meteor went careeriDg
about tie heavens in q manner to
make them fancy that Judgment Day
had come and that the earth Was shout
to be smashed into ''smithereens" BY
this awful ball Of ere.
The captain declared that the meteor
was q big IS eve full moons. while the
chief officer cisimed it was as large as
six full moons. Both agree as to
everything else concerning the meteor.
which, If all they tell about it be true,
Is the most extraordinary meteor ever
let loose to astonish mortals.
Il must not be inferred from the fact
that those who saw It 6x it's size by
saying it vas as big as SO many .'full''
moons THAT tue meteor was ..full. :"
Though it took sigzag course there is
no reason for believing that it was not
asssempersse . meteor ss the sober men
Who saw it.
LOOKED LIKE a BIG SUN.
Il Was gust abou. dawn on the morn
ing Of December 20. when the
Yemassee was fifteen miles south of
Charleston bar, that the meteor was
seen. Capssin Mckee and Chief
OGcer Catherine we're the only two
men on deck at the time.
..Me meteor Was dead ahead and far
up IN the heavens when We first saw
il. = said Chief officer Catherise. t.and
seemed to be coming straight for the
ship I thought judgment Day had
come, sure, and that some planet wae
about to strike the earth. It was as
big as SIX full moons, and burned like
the sun.
Suddenly It shot of to the east, fol-
lowed BY great streak of Gre. When
I saw it VAS not going to strike the
ship felt some relief. It frightened
me badly. I admit.
After going about Fifty degrees to
the east it began to take zigzag
course. It darted about the heavens at
great speed. just as bolt Of lightning
would. I. continued to 60 about in
that way for long time.
At last it busst into more than q
hundred pieces, like q skyrocket. The
small freballs were shot ali over the
heavens in every direction. aud gradu-
ally died away as the fire does from ao
exploded rocket .
IN sIGRT HALF AN HOUR.
81 pulled ont my watch when the
meteor-or whatever it was-began its
xigzag conrse. and the display lasted
more thsn half az hour. The captain
and I both watched the thing from the
time It started until the great streaks of
ere il left 10 its wake gradually died
ont" This is what the log of the Yem-
assoc reports:
December 20, 1885: 40 a. NJ
Fifteen miles sonth Of Charleston bar.
At this time an immense meteor FELL.
bearing about east. leaving wonderful
bi5sEilhtstrsak Flight City degrees long.
perfectly straight. lasting about ten
minutes. The streak changed to a
zigzag, lasting about the same length Of
time. It finally scattered The pbe-
nomena lasted half an hour.
Captain Mckee is a man Of few
words and after telling of the size Of
the meteor and how it acted referred
inquirers to Chief Officer Catherine for
full particulars.
The mate of the ship wanted to know
vhy he was not called to witness the
exhibition of the meteor when he was
frss told about it. Chief Officer
Catherine told him that he and the
captain we're .strans6xed With astonish-
ment'' and did not want to lose sight of
it for moment.
Scientists or sceptics can get full in
formation about this meteor from either
Captain Mckee or Chief Officer Cath