The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-14
WITH A SWISH.
The Advance of the MeteOric
Shower Now Due.
Swept Over New York just Be
fore Midnight.
MANY MOREFOLLOWED
But We're Not Thick Enough
to Be Called a Shower.
Greatest BrilIiancy Predicted
For Thursday Morning.

New York, Nov. 14.-With a brilliant
swish that lighted up the heavens for
quite Is seconds, the first OF the Leon
ids announced its arrival just before
midnight last night. Following the
first were others of equal intensity,
enough to make the display satisfac-
tory to those who waited up to see it.
However, the metoric shower will NOT
appear at its greatest briliiancy until
Thursday morning after midnight.
During the next As hours this earth
will have such a meterOric pelting as it
has not enjoyed since 1866, when the
heavy belt of leOnids was last penetra-
ted. Those seen last night and this
morning gave evidence of what may be
expected. The first appeared in the
northeast, bursting into the atmosphere
at a point about 45 degrees above the
horizon. Their journey was long one
and 1t left behind fiery trail of green
ish tint that was visible for many sec
Onds.
After the appearance of the conste1-
latiOn Leo above the horizon the fall
of meteOrs was fairly steady, though
it could hardly be called a shower. All
over the city watchers were stationed
and from many street corners the timer
ant astronomers did a thriving business
with their portable telescopes. Some of
the earlier meteOrs We're of the magni-
tude of planet of the first-class, but
as Leo mounted higher in the heaV-
ems the period of flight appeared short
er and the LeOnids lost their brilliancy-
Fortunately the atmosphere was clear
and few clouds interrupted the view of
the heavens. Equally satisfactory con
ditiOns should prevail tonight, but it is
feared that the storm which was cen
tral over Kansas last night will reach
New York in time to interrupt the
spectacle of Thursday morning.
While observations of the meteOric
shower are being made from every OBJ
servatOry in the country, Harvard
seems to be taking the lead in gathering
data. From the Harvard observatory
requests have been issued for reports
of all regular observations of leonids.
Those reports will be compared and
much valuable data are expected to re-
suit.
Professor John Rees of the astrono-
mical department of Columbia univers-
ity. with students and friends OBJ
served the flight of meteOrs from the
dome of the university library building
this morning. He will continue his OBJ
servatiOns tonight and tomorrow night
watching the heavens from IL O'Clock
until 4. With him viii be students from
Columbia as well Is several West Point
cadets.
AT CHICAGO.
Chicago. Nov. 1.-THE rain last night
and early this morning dampened the
enthusiasm of DR.. Kurt Laves and 9TH
er professors and students at the I'm
iversity of Chicago, who had planned to
watch for the first appearance of the |
swarm of meteOrs.
snow |
er noticed in Chicago was discovered by
Dr.Laves about o'clock Sunday morn
ing He made two observations of Is
minutes each, and in one saw a meteor
which he said was a stray in advance
of the general shower
Professor Hough, director of Dearborn
observatory at Northwestern univers-
ity, will, with a corps of scientific pro
fessOrs, make elaborate observations of |
the meteOric shower tomorrow morning
if conditions permit.
At Williams Bay, Wis, the special
apparatus for observing and photo
graphing the great meteOric shower is
in place on the roof of the Yerke's OBJ
servatory. The new "a inch rejecting
telescope is set and 16 cameras of vary
ing sizes ana angles are ranged around
it so as to cover that portion of the sky
where the meteors are most likely to
appear.
siderable time for a few nights search
ing for the ephemerids of the meteOric
cloud The position of this cloud in
our sky has been quite accurately de-
termined. The main body should now
be entering the constellation Leo If
the swarm is compact enough it should
appear in the sky as faint comet or
nebula, or rather a nebuIOus streak
across the sky. Though he has search
ed carefully with the big Yerkes teIe-
scope. the professor has not yet dis
cerned anything which he could identf-
fy as the meteOric cloud.
In his search Professor Barnard has
discovered many new nebulae and one
seen last night is exactly in the spot
where the meteOrs should be. This sig
nifies nothing, however, unless on fur
ther observations the nebula is found
to have moved
The sky last night was totally OBJ
scured with clouds
a special to the Times Herald from
Ann ArbOr, Mich, says:
Professor Hall of the observatory. is
making a careful study of the constel-
lation of Leo and on the first appear
ance of the meteOric shower will give
notice to the court house and unfver-
sity, so that bells may be rung to ac-
quaint the people of the display
OBSERVED AT WASHINGTON.
Washington, Nov. 14.-About 25
meteOrs were observed at the naval OBJ
servatory last night They appeared
between midnight and day break and
were small and not brilliant