The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-11-13
THE METEORS.
They Will Fly Through Space This
 Week.

Week.
 The meteroic shower of this week
 is expected to be a perfect "downpour,'
 the greatest since the famous displays
 of 1883 and 1866. More or less of a dis
 play is usually expected from the 12tt
 to the 14th of November, but Professor
 Brooks of the Geneva observatory says
 that the most careful estimate indicates
 that the 16th will be the great night | As nothing can be seen till after mid | night this probably means the early
 morning of the 18th.
 In order to get the best views one
 should have a clear outlook toward the east, reaching as nearly as possible to | the horizon. The very best opportunity
 would be upon the ocean, where the | reflection of the failing stars would | greatly heighten the effect. l But, while the meteors will not dam
 age the earth, says a correspondent to the Brooklyn Eagle, every one of them will be not only damaged but probably | destroyed. The sudden concussion of these flying rocks with our atmosphere | will produce degree of heat that will | consume them on the instant; that is, not annihilate them, but turn them into gas, which will be absorbed into our own atmosphere. In this lightning like process there will be a development of light which will afford us the brili- ant spectacle for which we are waiting. However, many meteors are thus seen in our sky during these coming days, there will be just that number taken out of the swarm and permanently retain ed by earth in gaseous condition. If the process continues enough centuries, it may be that the earth will eventually have appropriated the last of them, and then the November meteors will be no more.
 Extensive preparations are being made at the Yale Observatory to pho tograph meteors during the Leonid shower which is expected the com ing week. Many experiments in this kind of photography have been made during the past few years by pr. D. l.. Chase and Dr. w. l.. Elkin, and more satisfactory results have been ob- tafned than any other observatory in the country. Pictures will be taken from the two observatories, which are several miles apart, and by very in genious apparatus the velocity of the meteors will be obtained, as well as other interesting facts.
 The shower comes at a very unfavor- able time this year, because the moon will be almost full, and for this reason not one meteor out of hundred, which would otherwise be visible, can be caught by the camera under these con- ditions.
 The Columbia astronomers visited the Yale Observatory q few days ago and after careful examination of the various machines decided to adopt the same system at Columbia, and it is hoped by these combined experiments that many valuable discoveries may be made.
 THE GREAT SHOWERS OF '3S.
 In 1883 the population in many parts of the country was terror stricken by the beauty and magnificence of the spectacle before them. A gentleman in South Carolina wrote:
 T was suddenly awakened by the most distressing cries that ever fell on my ears. Shrieks of terror and cries for mercy I could hear from most of the negroes on the plantation. I heard a voice near my door beseeching me to rise and saying: o my God the world is on fire I opened the door and 1t is difficult to say which excited me most-the awfulness of the scene or the | distressed cries of the negroes. up- wards of 100 lay proetrated on the ground, some speeches. and some with | the bitterest cries imploring God to save the world and them. The scene was truly awful. East, west, north and | south 1t was the same.'
 Thirtyfour years ago Baron Hum- ooIdt reported that on the morning of he 18th of November, 1799 in South AmericaA thousands of bolides and ,alIing stars succeeded each other dur ng four hours. There was not a space n the Armament equal in extent to hree dlameters of the moon that was lot filled every instant with them"
 Of the same shower Mr. Ellicott, a United States officer at sea in the Gulf if Mexico said:
 About o'clock I was called up to lee the shooting stars. The whole appeared as if illuminated with ky rockets. The meteors, which ap- ,eared as numerous as the stars, flew n all directions, sQ that I was in con- tant expectation of their falling among ls'