The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-09

DERFUL PHENOMENA.
Chicago Times Herald; The sky is
full OF meteors, They are flying about
like firebugs in a swamp. 1t does not
take telescope to see them, All
you've got to do Is to go into the front
yard with scarf about your neck, gum
shoes on your feet as protection
against the dew and be patient, 1t will
be no trick at all to count at least a
hundred in night, and II the display
OF celestial fireworks Is not satisfactory
you are entitled to get your money
back, The performance has just start
ed, and will continue to get better for
a week, reaching the best and most
magnificent production on the evening
OF November IA,
Astronomer George w. Hough, OF
Northwestern University, calls atten-
tion TO the pyrotechnical demonstration
He says the blazing strangers with their
long tails of brilllancy bear no impor-
ance when considered scientifically,
They are only interesting because they
make a wierd show, and possibly illus-
trate the way In which this now solid
earth OF ours may be whirled to an IN
Simultaneous doom at the end OF time.
The men who handle the telescopes
have made rules for the operations In
the sky as explicit as the running sched'
tiie of a railroad, and they have been
expecting the meteors. The earth Is al
most due to cross the great army of
wanderers which has moved In its
beaten track for years. 1t gets into this
place once every thlrty-three years
The crowd OF burning meteors Is so big
that the stragglers are now coming into
view-two Novembers before the main
body will be reached.
PROFESSOR HoUGH EXPLAINS.
There are many who will remember
the wonderful sights in November, 1865,
and the two Noyembers preceding that
date" said DR.. Hough last night. THE
sky was brilliant with meteors. II was
possible for me, stationed at Auburn,
N. Y, to count forty-seYen minute.
The only drawback In witnessing u par
tial repetition of the show this year will
be that the best hours for observation
are those Just before dawn, The
shower is due by rule to repeat itself
during this November and the following
two. There is no telling whether II win
equal the brilllancy Of the last import
ant season OF meteors or not, They
have begun to make an appearance,
One ought to be able 10 see q hundred
or SO almost any clear night during the
rest of the month.
"The fall this year will be merely the
forerunner OF that TO come In 1899. II
may not be that the shower will be as
abundant as 1t was before. The meteora
are constantly changing, and the size OF
the cluster changes, The ones that get
too far from their course sweep into tho
atmosphere and start for che earth. Tho
friction turns them UP. II happens only
occasionally that piece Of a supposed
meteor Is found in this country. II may
be that the cluster has been added ia
this year. and that II will take us longer
to get through the stream than usual.
In this case we shall see them In great
abundance The watching OF them Is OF
no Importance from a scientific stand
point, but they always attract the pubs
lie eye"
NO ACCIDENT IN IT.
This celestial bombardment to which
astronomers and common sky-gazerN
are looking forward with anxiety is not
a haphazard incident. II is due to hap
pen. according to the dates In the cata-
logue of the rules of the heavens. II
was long ago discovered that a grent
stream OF meteors had been gathered
into one path and started In grand Or
bit around the sun. 1t was figured out
that the earth would pass through this
stream once In q third of century
The rule has not failed. The sky waa
the scene of a host of flashing wanderers
in 1893 and again in 1856 The indicaS
lions are that the exhibition will be re-
peated in 1899
This dazzling stream of remnants OF
planets Is 80 long that the front of II ls
seen In struggling way some six or
eight years before the main body Is
reached. The earth comes upon II with
infallible regularity in November.
There are signs In the sky that some-
thing is about to happen at this time.
While 1t 10 two years until the thrice
in-a-hundred-year date shall come
around and full week until the real
opening night Of the show, tho heavenI
are already being billed for the demon-
stratlon. II Is recorded In two prevlouf
observations 1888 and lSG6-that for
three nights following November II II
has been worth tho While OF any man
to sit UP and watch for the burning up
OF the thousands OF meteors that conn
within the range OF the earths atmos,
phere and are crushed into gas or are
consumed by heat.
TELESCOPES IN ACTION.
The Yerkes telescope and the tele-
scope OF the Northwestern University
and all the other telescopes Of the world
will be used with industry on this oc-
caslon. Professor Barnard will search
for new facts from the bluffs OF Will
Jams Bay and Professor Hough will try
to verify the old rule and make new
ones with the instrument at Evanston.
II rs ret thought that any Important
facts from an astronomical standpoint
Will be recorded, ms the flight Of me-
teors is Of interest more to the populacc
than to the scientist. II makes nm
overwhelming show from the pyrotech-
nlcal standpoint. II has been so lmpos-
ing in some years--and next week
ought TO be as imposing MS any Of them
that men have feared the world was
coming to an end or that great coll
IisIon between the terrestrial and celes-
tiai body would precipltate oil that Is
human and earthly Into one chaos of
burning mntier
Professor Hough ls Of the opinion
that there need never be any fear from