The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-09

meteors made the people Of Kansas
think the day OF judgment had come.
A great burning balQ appeared in the
sky ABOUT o'clock in the evening. Il
came from a point in the western sky
about where the moon was hanging. II
increased in brilliancy as 1t came along
over the sky and ali the people VINO were
out Of doors felt that something direful
and final was about to happen The
thing tore along over Iowa. Missouri,
Illinois, Michigan, Ohio. Pennsylvania
and West Virginia, and farmers and city
folk decided the last day was dawning.
1t passed in a little more than the
twinkle Of the eye, but four or five min
utes after it had gone there followed
series Of explosions like the noise Of an
empty wagon over a rough road. The
ball seemed to break into a cluster over
Illinois, each member of the cluster be
ing computed to be five miles broad and
forty miles long. An Indiana farmer
heard tnud in one of his fields, and on
going to the spot the next morning
found a great stone which was very pc
culiar and like unto nothing else in the
neighborhood. There was no doubht
that 1t was a missile from the meteor
q portion that accidentally escaped the
destructive power of the friction. 1t
was calculated that the path OF this me-
teor was about fifty miles from the
earth, and 1t went through about twen-
ty-five degrees Of longitude and five de-
grees OF latitude in the upper region Of
the air in about two minutes.
NOVEMBER IA IS THE DATE.
The English astronomers vino make
meteors specially have sent word that
the signs point to a brillian display on
the morning Of November IA. The show
will begin about midnight. 1t Will last
for two or three hours. almost to day
light. The gigantic rockets will move at
the opening in direction almost horizon
tai to the surface Of the earth in this
part OF the world, but in the eastern
hemisphere they will come straight into
the atmosphere. At about sunrise the
people who are looking for the exhibi-
ton will be almost directly in the line
of the advance of the meteors. The met
eors will then appear to be darting di-
rectly at the spectators instead OF across
the sky. Some of them will rapidly and
visiblyincrease In size as they approach
The coming meteors Will not only at
tract attention on account Of their num-
ber but they will be remarkable for the
appearances that attend ani follow their
rush through the air. There will be long
pbosphorescent streaks or wakes be-
hind them. They viii be visible for sew
eral minutes after the bodies disappear
ed or have exploded. The meteors them
selves will be red or orange color, while
thettails will be OF greenish hue, CIV
ing a peculiarly weird effect as they
slowly drift through the sky, turning
and twisting much like a serpent.
There is one circumstance which may
rob the expected display Of part OF its
impressive aspect. The moon will rise
about o'clock in the evening and be
the brightest about the time OF the best
moments Of the show. This same oondi-
ton has happened on many previous
occasions, but there have always been
enough rneteors of such fonderful bril-
liancy that the watchers always have
been able to see something Of the bonn
bardment.
CHANCE FOR PROPHETS.
It may be that the events of other
days will be repeated and that in the
midst Of the whizzing bits Of other
worlds there will arize a flock Of pro-
pt,ets ready to declare that the end OF
time has arrived. The bursting and dis
appearance Of the meteors has made the
basis for theory as to the ultimate fate
Of the earth. There is puff, report
and tons upon tons OF metal and rock
go into absolute nothingness-save gas.
It may be that the world will even
tually be wiped out of the universe in
the same way as the November meteors-
The earth flying aroun'1 the sun at the
rate of more than eighteen miles eacn
second, is also flying with the sun in the
direction OF the great star Vega, at
speed which Is unknow. but is very
great. II the earth should meet re-
sistance comparable 10 that which en-
counters the meteors on entering the at
u1osphere, 1t would be dissolved before
the human race would know VIVA, hap
pene1. There would then follow lit
e-al fullfiilment OF the prophecies OF holy
writ and the great globe asd heavens
thereof would be rolled UP before the
sons OF Adam could gasp for breath
Novenr5er meteors are not chance cir
c1Imstances. They come by rule, The
generally accepted theory is that they
are a company of particles. composed Of
metals and minerals, Ike all meteors
which first entered the solar system.
l25 A. D. In their wanderings through
space they had ventured 50 near the sun
that fhey began to cross the orbits OF
his more distant planets.
METEoRS ARE ATTRACTED.
The planet Of Uranus was in that part
OF MS orbit where the meteors were
crossing, ans he exertei 50 strong an at
traction on them that the form CO their
pathway was completely changed. and
they were thrown into an eclipse, lav-
ing the sun in one OF rs toci. They have
remained subject 70 the sun ever since.
and they get once around the sun each
rlirty-.hree Years.
This swarm OF u1etso-s numbers in
caiculable billions of individuals L
moves in an immense column. 50 broad
taat the earth takes more than a half Q
Ct nW