The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-15
A MAGNIFICENT
METEORIC DISPLAY
l5 Seconds-Too Rainy in Chicago
to See the Falling Stars

New York, Nov. 14.--With a brilliant
swish that lighted up the heavens for
quite Is seconds, the first of the Leonids
announced its arrival just before mid
night last night. Following the first
were others of equal intensity, enough
to make the display satisfactory to
those who waited up to see it. However,
the meteoric shower will not appear at
its greatest brilliancy until Thursday
morning after midnight. During the
next 4S hours this earth will have such
meteoric pelting as it has not enjoyed
since 1866, when the heavy belt of Leo
nids wis last penetrated. Those seen last
night and this morning gave evidence
of what may be expected. They first
appeared in the northeast, bursting into
the atmosphere at a point about 45 de-
grees above the horizon. Their jour
ney was long one, and it left behind a
fiery trail of greeniSh tint that was Wis
IDLE for many seconds. After the APP
pearance of the constellation Leo above
the horizon the fall of meteors was fair
ly steady, though it could hardly be
called shower All over the city watch
ers were stationed and from many
street corners the itinerant astrono-
mists did thriving business with their
portable telescopes.
Some of the earlier meteors were of
the magnitude of planet of the first
class, but as Leo mounted higher in
the heavens the period of flight appear
ed shorter and they lost their brillian-
cy. Fortunately the atmosphere was
clear and few clouds interrupted the
view of the heavens. Equally salts
| factory conditions should prevail to-
/ night. While observations of the me-
. teoric shower are being made from
/ every university in the country, Har-
ward seems to be taking the lead in
gathering data. From the Harvard OBJ
/ servatory requests have been issued for
reports of all regular observations CT
Leonids. Those reports will be COM
pared and much valuable date are cx
! pected to result.
| Chicago, Nov. 14.-The rain last night
and early this morning dampened the
enthusiasm of DR.. Laves and other pro-
fessors and students of the university
| of Chicago, who had planned to watch
! for the first appearance of the swarm
/ of meteors. Professor Hough, director
of the Dearborn observatory at the
| Northwestern university, will, with a
I corps of scientific professors, make OBJ
servations of the meteoric shower to-
morrow morning if the conditions per-
nit.
At Williams May, Wis, a special APP
paratus for observing and photograph
! ing the great meteoric showed is In
place on the roof of the Yerkes ohser-
| vatory. Professor Barnard has spent a
considerable time for a few nights
| searching for the ephemeroids of the
meteoric cloud. The position of this
cloud in our sky has been quite accu-
rately determined. The main body
should now be entering the constella-
tion Leo. Though he has searched care
| fully with the big Yerkes telescope, the
professor has not yet discovered any
thing which he could identify as the
meteoric cloud. In his search Profess
sor Barnard has discovered many new
nebulae, and one seen last night is ex-
actly in the spot where the meteors
should be. This signifies nothing, how
ever, unless on further observations the
nebulae is found to have moved. The
sky last night was totally obscured with
clouds.
Chicago, Nov IA special to the
Times Herald from Ann Arbor. Mich.
says: Professor Hall of the observatory
is making Il careful study OF the con-
stellation Leo and on the first appear
ance of the meteoric shower will give
notice to the court house and univer-
sity, SO that bells may be rung to &C.
quaint the people Of the display.