The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-11-15
LEONID STREAM OF METEORS
MAY BE VISIBLE NEXT WEEK

N'AAi III NANA' ''NF'A WI ~ AH'f Wy bliAfI
States Commissioner Eilicott, off the
coast OF Florida was noted again in
1888 the thermometer having run down
20 degrees In this vicinity lat other
points as much as 30 degrees) from a few
hours before the appearance of the me-
teors uniil sunrise of the 18th of Novem-
Der. And the fall In the temperature
continued until the 2lst at which time
the daily mean had fallen from O. de-
grees on the 18th TO q degrees. a SINH
lar perturbation occurred I'm 1867; and II
a RAPID decline should occur within a
few hours after sunset on the evening
OF November II next, Ii will probably in
dicate the close proximity of the earth
TO the approaching meteoric swarm.
20, too. the rainy character of those
years Is remarkable. No records on this
score are obtainable for 1893. But In
1885, in this vicinity generally, the rain
fall was in excess of from four to seven
inches above the mean of a quarter-cen-
fury. The summer of 1867 was noted for
its heavy, incessant rains; there fell in
the month Of June 1873 inches, and In
july inches, or an aggregate for the
first seven months of the year Of 3O05
inches-the annual average being about
40 inches. The month of August was an
unusually rainy one. single downpour
IN the middle of that month having last
abatement. September and October were
pleasant. but November and December,
with their rain and snow, carried the
years record to about 81 inches, the
highest ever known in this vicinity. The
year 1861 was also, like the other period
ic years, remarkable for SHOWS and
| thundcrstorms out of season and other
phenomena of an extraordinary charac-
| ter. In the first week of November great
| sod In, Inli
violent gales on our Great Lanes, and a
| remarkable thunderstorm In Montreal:
while in this vicinity the thermometer
| dropped on the morning of the It'll, TO
80 degrees and Immediately began to run
| up again until 1t reached 81 degrees
shortly after midnight On November II
the day at Washington, d. c., was I'M
| usually warm, ending in a violent thun-
derstorm at night followed Immediately
| by very high and cold wind and at
| noon a fall of snow
| The present year, 1901, has been just
| such n rainy one as those which have
heretofore marked the Leonid periods.
At the end of last August the rain and
| snowfall footed up for this vicinity about
1874 inches, or about inches more than
the average of the first eight months
during the period of 80 years. The en-
| traordinary phenomena noted this year
are precisely those which chara cterzed
the previous periodical years. So that
there seems sufficient reason to look for
| ward with confidence to a temperance
Of the great Leonid shower this fall. A
remarkable circumstance was noted al
Undertook, n. Y, on the nth of No
vcmber. 1888, two days before the great
shower. Phosphorescent lights wer.
seen on the tops of sticks, posts and
other pointed objects. some of those
lights being as large as flame of a
candle, and having a dim white ligh,
pointing upward. At the same time the
atmosphere appeared unusual red. This
and many other phenomena that espe-
c!ally characterized the periodic years
lead not unreasonably to the conjecture
that the passage of meteor!c swarms and
Of comets, either close to or into the
earth's orbit. affects seriously the atmos
phere the temperature and the weather
of our planet.
+. MACBENNETT.
Long Island City, New York.