Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-10-23
FALLING METEORS
c. r. Merrill.


To the ordtaary, everyday, dollar
chasing human being the advent OF
a meteor is always clothed In a cloak
of mystery. sort Of sublime SUPER
natural. Coming from another world
as 1t were and passing through space
within the limits of this worlds at.
tractive force is enough in itself to
cause one to believe that things do
move" outside and beyond our own
little cooling ball of mud. And when
one Of these meteors gets SO close
to earth that its original propelling
force is overcome by the earth's at
traction aud 1t. falls with duh but
dazzling thud we all sit up and take
notice. .........s.
A meteor falling to the earth is
not OF SO rare an occurrence as an or
dinray being would suppose, still,
the falling of one Ia considered wor-
try of cable and telegraph tolls from
one end OF the world to the other
and the news is sent broadcast.
Most extraordinary occurrences
that happen through the agency OF
man grow tame and gentle and even
pail and grow stale and cease to
call forth comment in q short time
no matter how thrilling and won
derful may have been the initial per-
formance. Not 30 with a meteor
1t is always new, always on tap for
speculation, always subject that
the wlsest of us know SO little
about.
II Is but a month or so past since
Honolulu was granted the privilege
Of gazing at a small-sized metcoric
shower. These meteors are quite
small in size being the fragments
of some large meteor which, in pass
ing through the other with such We
locity that II was caused to burst
by friction heat. This bursting pro-
badly took place beyond the limit
OF our vision. The result of such
bursting would be an innumerabie
number of small meteors, more COM
monty known to astronomers as star
dust.
The passing of falling Of large
fragment Of a meteor is sight to
be long remembered by those in the
lucky zone who are fortunate enough
to witness 1t.
I was sitting at the south window
Of a railroad station one morning
about half past four (having been
on duty all night when my atten.
ton was attracted by a peculiar.
loud Kissing sound from without.
Turning to the window l beheld q
sight that for dazsling brilliancy
surpassed anything had ever seen
before or ever expect to see again
unless am fortunate euough to wit
ness another massive meteor. fol-
such It was. Notwithstanding III
loud Kissing and intense brilliancy
its shape was clearly defined. II
resembled nothing 30 much as a
monster banana turning END oveI
end. Although its forward move
ment was swift Its rotary motion
was quite slow and steady. lt'
shape being SO clearly outlined II
probably accounted for by the fact
that daylight was just breaking
thereby detracting from the intense
glare that would have been mani
fest and probable hidden Its SHAPE
from me had the time been LITTLE
earlier during the dark season.
should judge that this meteor re
manned within my line OF vision fol
about twelve to fifteen seconds. pass
ing an urc having dcwuwnd ten
lency and Disappearing behind thu
| hills, AS the Pacific ocean was onl,
two miles distant this meteor un
Goubtcdly made quite splash whei
II struck the surface OF the water
My observation of this meteor wa,
40 thorough and Its nearness ant
shape so clearly defined that
thought Il worthy of q report to tn
asst. onomers at she Lick Observa
tory on Mt. Hamilton. Mr.. Holden
he then superintendent Of the OBJ
%erSatory. replied TO my communica
ticn, stating tina; they had failed Il
see 1t, as, ut about that hour tn
observers were retiring after thu
nights work. He nske,l many ques
| inpa nhi..h 4 opsMa. "a a.. ahn 10,