The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-01-06
THE FALLING STARS.
MURAT .iALsTEAo RECALLS A GREAT
EVENT OF HIS BoYHOoD.

Ho Tells In Picturesque Language OK
What He Saw on Night In 1888, When
He Was Only Years of Age-A Supper
of Squirrels Brains and What Followed.
am of tho few who can speak as eye
witnesses of "tho night Of she falling
stars, Nov. 1918, 1888. Those who be-
held tho wonders of that time wero dazed
by tho awful splendOrs and long spoke Of
them us of some majestic, supernatural
vision. My ago was years and months,
my point of observation valley in south
western Ohio. Ono of tho treasures of our
mousse was an astronomical atlas, with
mysterious maps of tho consultations over
which my parents pondered, and tho
strange animals drawn among tho stars
wcro figures the moro incomprehensible
inc moro they wcro explained. My parents
were much given to studying tho clouds by
day and the stars by night, and ono of my
earliest rccollections is that thoy would
call each others attention to celestial phe-
nomona, so that I was something of q
star gazer' myself and know whom
4-ycar-old about Jobs coffin and Orion's
belt, tho seven stars, tho dippcr, tho north
star and tho star of the morning and even
ing.
My father tho day before tho memorable
night had "killod mess of young SOUR
rols, and out of deicrcnce to me, had not
stlot thn.l ms n marksrnan shoultl-through
the hcad-for my fayorito dict was SOUR
rcls' brains My passion for this dainty
dish was INDUCED at supper, and during
tho night disturbed the house shouting
Tor alloriation of sharp pains resulting
from too much brains-in my incxpcri-
cnccd stomach. My mother, aroused, saw
strange light garing at the windows,
and, 10, it was evident enough the uni
verse was afirc My father seldom allowed
anything to astonish him, but that did II
nc had not seen it, he would not have be-
licvcd it, and yet he did not think tho last
hours of tho globe we inhabit had come
and tho Judgment" was Mt hand
The hour was after midnight and how
long the stars had been falling could not
DO ascertaincd. 1t was very good of my
parents to think it worth while to have mo
take part rs II Waterman of tho tremendous
illumination just to see whether could
remember it us long as 1 lived. havo so
FAR, clearly, as if it had happened few
days ago, and it is Ga years. My face was
washed to clear my eyes from tears, pcr-
haps, and, wrapped in blanket 1 was
carried into the yard on tho north sitlo of
the house. Tho view to tho north was
somewhat obstructcd by wild cherry tree.
Eastward was n low hill covered with
hickory, maple, walnut and sassafras trees,
and that was where the morning star pecn-
ell through tho lofty fringe of naked
Doughs and trunks Of tho trees in the win
ter.
Special attention was given to pointing
thlnes out for me to fix in my memory,
and tho amazing scene is before mo now,
though that was long before photography.
do not recollcct that l looked westward
ut all. Observation Of tho east fascinated
me, and do not think 1 turned my face
III any other direction. There were innu-
morablc lines of light, drawn rs if by in
visible pencils with points of fire; strange
ly straight lines sweeping from near tho
zenith to the horizon. My clear impression
is there were no cross lines; that there
seemed to be monstrous stream of fiery
hair, vivid blending of sun and moon
light, pouring from n stupcndous, exhaust
loss urn, some of the bright lines fading as
they swept far down, fainting into tho Sc
reno depths of the sky. There was n GER
tain majestic serenity about the exalted
coniiagration. My parents were not
alarmed or greatly agitatcd, but cnioyng
every momcnt. 1 recall their low tones
ana some of their oXclamations of surprise
and admiration. All the boys and girls of
the house wcro called, and they wanted to
Know whether it was really tho stars that
them by tho rather unsatisfactory state
mcnt: mo. It's nothing but mctcors.' ~
How 1T happened there was such u flood OF
them was Il matter not deeply gone into
Iho IDEA that comet had exploded and
our world was whirlng through the dust
left floating in the abyss of space was not
at once evolved, and it was some time be
1oro our weekly papers mentioned that
there had been other startling showers of
mctcorsi that this thing happened several
times and might and probably would
again.
Tho silence that attended the dazzling
display, the apparent flight of all tho stars
from their courses, the mighty movement,
Inexpensive save in the swift darting of
celestial arrows that flashed into space and
made no sound, most impressed the be-
holders, and was always mentioned ms
something mystical-an appariton of
glory uncomfortable. 1t was insubstantial
as the northern lights, and yet what more
could happen after one had seen the vault
OF heaven incandcscent, with Il thousand
streams of pale lightning all still as tho
frost that glistcned on the grass. Tho
dome OF the cdillce in which the world is
as Il toy was the fountain from which spcd
shcavcS of long drawn shafts of light, ms
IL some sudden volcano in the blue had
sent forth radiant array OF spectral spears.
putting ont the stars. The commotion
among the people in some country neigh
borhoods was as if warning had been given
that the day Of burning worlds was Mt
hand.
1t was relief to tho avatchcrs--my eyes
were soon weary of the fireworks and so
have only hcarsny for it-whcn the first
cold white, then rosy, light of morning
came, and it was seen the hills had not
skipped, and that tho brooks babbcd on
In their ncnIlctnIinl