Evening journal., 1901-11-13
SPLENDID METEORIC PAGEANT
MAY BE EXPECTED TOMORROW NIGHT


l 1eteOrs-such a shower OF shooting
s tals" as has been observed and re-
oIded at intervals for the past thou
6 and years. and of which scientific rec
I'd was made in 1893, 1888 and 1867.
Two years ago, according to the com
pu.ations of English mathematiclane,
I the phenomenon was due. But the
watchers were disappointed. Last year
IL was looked for again, but again as
trCDomers were disappointed. Scientists
diffa as to the possibility OF the occur
renee of the phenomenon this year,
III Ose who are doubtful baslng their
opinions on the theory that the swarm
of meteors from which the shower falls
has either been diverted from its usual
course. or has been wholly scattered by
the Influence of some of the large plan
cts.
While historians and writers-even
those of very early times-have handed
down the records of the vision of
cleaning eplendor in the autumn skies,
it was not until the nineteenth century
that satisfactory scientific theories of
its origin were formulated.
Writers of the early days regarded
great calamity or disaster or as the
heavenly sign Of some great occur
renee on the earth.
NowcOmb. in his Popular Astron-
omy.' gives this account from the pen
OF an Arabian writer:
In the year 500. on the last day of
MOharrem stars shot hither and thith-
er and flew against each other like a
swarm of locusts. This phenomenon
lasted until daybreak. People were
thrown into CONSERVATION and made
suppication to the Most High. There
was never the like seen except on the
coming of the Messenger of God, on
whom be benedictiOn and peace"
A Moorish writer chronicles the
death Of a king in 9O2, adding: THAT
night there were seen as it were,
lances. an infinite number of stars
which scattered themselves from right
to left. and that year was called the
year Of the stars
Ball. the English astronomer. who
tells this story. adds that no one be-
lieves the heavens intended to COM
memorate the death Of the Moorish
king. but at the same time the record
is Ct considerable importance because
it indicates definitely one of the times
in which the shower occurred.
MANY HEAVENLY DISPLAYS
From that time to this it is believed
that there have been twenty-nine or
thirty of these gorgeous pageants-Oc-
curing at intervals Of about thirty
three years-in the heavens. Histori-
cal records exist. however, of but
twelve. and of these the most valuable
scientifically are the accounts of the
showers already spoken of-those Of
1893, of 1888 and 1867.
As HUMBOLDT SAW IT
Humboldt and Boupland observed
the shower of November -, 1893. from
the Andes. The display was described
by Humboldt as commencing IA little
before . o'clock and the meteors as ris-
ing above the horizon between east
and northeast. and moving over toward
the south.
The brilliant shower OF 1888 caused
the greatest terror and exctement
among the negroes in the Southern
States and among ignorant and super
stitious people generally who believed
it to be warning that the end of the
world was near. Scientists of the time.
among them Olmstead of New Haven,
and the astronomer OILERS. made care
ful observations of the phenomenon.
Olmstead deduced a theory. erroneous
in many respects. but valuable in sug-
gesting the true basis on which to study
the marvel Olbcrs had had his atten-
tion attracted to the periodic return of
the beautiful sights and predicted a re-
turn of the phenomenon in 1867.
J. year or two before this shower was
due the subject was taken up by Pro
fessor Newton. of Yale and the theory
held by modern scientists is largely the
result of his researches.
1T is now universally conceded. -
SAYS Newcomb, that the celestial
spaces are crowded with innumerable
minute bodies moving around in every
possible orbit When we say crowded
we use the word i'm a relative sense
they may not average more than one in
a million cubic miles, and yet the total
number exceeds all calculation. Of the
nature of the minute bodies of this
class nothing is certainly known But
whatever they may be. the earth is con-
etantly encOunterihg them i'm its mo-
tion around the sun. They are burned
by passing through the upper regions
OF our atmosphere and the shooting
star is simply the light of that burn
ing.
These are the shooting stars" tha0
arc To be seen almost any night Bu
the "leonids' that is the nam,
the astronomers give to these bril-
liant mcteors that flash across the SIX,
i'm Novemher-in smaller numbers OF
off seasons and in great companic.
during the years of the periodic displa,
do they belong TO the same class?
THE FLIGHT THROUGH SPACE
Most assuredly. And for tine bette
S understanding of the phenomenon. TIL.
d. great host of minute bodies that E
D crowded into the celestial spaces shoul
be pictured as being marshaled in
ant a part Of TiverpOOls trade. Tn
warehouse is 725ia feet in length. rs
feet wide and 12i feet 10 inches high
e The ground area is $4,000 squar