The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-04-08
FALLING OF THE STARS,
The Coming Shower of MeterOids and Rain
f re Ono Year HENCE

The Coming Shower of Meteroids and Rain
oF re One Year Hence.
The astronomers look for the next
great meteroric shower on the morn
ing of November Is, 1899. They CAL
lculate that the earth will then pass
again through the center of an i'm
mense swarm of meteoroids, as they
are called, before combustion. These
great "Leonide Star Showers" as they
are called, occur at intervals of every
50 years and one day. The great show
er of 1899 occurred on November IL;
that of 1888 on November IA, and, con-
sequently repetition of the next won
derful phenomena is expected on the
'orning of November Is, 1899.
In the meanwhile, however, as the ag-
gregation of meteoroids is of immense
length, one end of it will encounter the
earth in 1898 and the other in 1900,
making as Professor Lewis Smith, the
distinguished astronomer of Rochester,
N. Y, says considerable showers in
those years also. Not only this, but
1t is stated on the same authority that
many forerunners of the great shower
may be expected to come within the
earth's atmosphere on November IA,
1897, because many of the meteoroids
are always considerably in advance of
the main cluster. Professor Swift says
the thickness of the meteoroidal
stream is 100000 miles, and the dura-
ton of the shower is equal to the time
of the diagonal passage of the earth
through it, usually from midnight to
dawn" He adds: "As there is a light
shower of Leonoids every November,
we know that there is vast ring form
mense shoal in one portion is the pro-
duct of the exploded comet itself, and
through which we pass once every 33
years and a day."
The meteoroids are dark bodies, and
it is only when they pass into the
earth's atmosphere that they are igni-
ted by friction and become visible for
4 few seconds. The stream makes a
revolution around the sun in about 33
IA years, and by consequence the
earth passes through it in a new place
every year. The length of the swarm
is so enormous that although it moves
at the rate of nearly 25 miles a second
yet it takes it two years to pass the
earth, so that when it's hinder part is
still with us it's advancing side will
have reached the orbits of Jupiter and
Saturn. Notwithstanding this extent,
it is but fraction of the entire orbit.
Professor Swift says: This great clus-
ter v Il reach the earth's orbit about
June 1899, but the earth will not
due nearly six months later, when our
planet will plunge into the swarming
mass, and for at least five years we
shall experience literal rain of fire."
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Not His Kind of Captain.
On an Australian liner recently, ac-
cording to correspondent of an Eng
lish paper, the purser was responsible
for mistake that gave major, who
was going out" a bad start. The ma
jor, after spending the first evening
with his friends in the saloon, sudden
ly returned to them after saying Good
night" and requested an interview
with the purser. He was very white.
"There is a lady" he said, "in my cab
in-No. A." Rubbish" exclaimed
the purser. Here's the list; your COM
panion is Captain Higginson." Moth
ing will induce me to go into the cabin
again" said the major We'll, I'll CO."
rejoined the other. He returned with
great celerity, and with face as white
as the majors. Upon my life, you are
right. Well put you somewhere else
for the night, and see about it in the
morning" With the earliest dawn
they sought the steward, and demand
ed an explanation. IT'S all mistake,
gentlemen" he said, Its Captain Hig-
ginson all right; here's his luggage"
We must have this explained" said
the purser. This portmanteau is un-
locked; let us see what is in it," 1t
contained lady's wearing apparel.
by Jingoi" cried the steward, that's
what comes of takiEg names as don't
belong to US. she said she was Cap
tain Higginson; but she didn't say as it
vas only in the Salvation Army"
1t is great leap from the old fashioned
doses of blue-mass and nauseous physics
to the pleasant little pills known as De-
Wits Little Early Risers. They 'care
constipation, sick headache and bilious
ness f. T Reynolds
Laughter and the Lungs.
An English scientist, DIR. H. Camp
bell, has written an essay dealing with
the physiological effect of laughter:
when we laugh" he says, I'VE in
crease the play of the tension of the
lungs, and one result of this increased