Year: 1877

Messrs. EditOrs,-The meteor which burst
upon lis yesterday afternoon was in several
respects so remarkable that think record
should be made OF it.


had fine opportunity OF observing it,
and l took some pains to note its phenom-
ena. Walking up Broad street, in the west
ern part OF the city, was watching the sun
pass behind n bank Of clouds near the hori-
zon, and admiring the bright-red tinge which
it gave to the whole western sky, when sud-
denly my attention was claimed By an object
that far outsbone it in brightness. 1t seemed
just like n red-hot drop OF some molten ma
terial, say drop OF melted iron. 1t was
almost pear-shaped, the smaller part being
uppermost; and it left the impression OF 4
semi-huid drop moving along through, or
over, something that slightly resisted its
motion so as to cause it to.elongate behind.
a drop Of pitch or of thick molasses sliding
down smooth, inclined surface, would as
sumo somewhat the figure am trying to
describe. 1t is hard to give its apparent
size, for it was not like star, and a
com parison with any earthly object
would be misleading. But il the full
moon were cut up into eight equal parts
I think one Of these would about give the
size OF the meteor. I probably saw it as
soon as it became visible, and it was then
about hall way from the zenith to the hori-
Zon, say at an elevation OF forty-tiye degrees,
in direction west OF southwest OF where I
stood. It moved almost perpendcularly
down towards the horizon, say for
TWENTY-FIVE degrees. or rather more than
half way, when it quietly disappeared,
apparently going behind some very
light and thin patches or streaks OF
cloud that lay just there. The motion was
comparatively slow and steady, and the
general impression was OF body close by /;
insomuch that / half expected to see it
emerge from the cloud and strike the earth.
I suppose the time Of its visibility was about
q half second. Consulting my watch imme-
diately, I found the local time to be 4:3S,
which would make the sun to be ABOUT
SIX minutes high; so. that here was 4 rare
meteor, showing itself in full daylight, and
with its brilIiancy and beauty pushing its
successful rivalry close up to the throne OF
the great king Of day himself. ~


But the most wonderful and interesting
feature remains to be told. The meteor left
in it's track train Of unusual beauty. AT
first it was thin, straight, brilliant line,
precisely like fine gilt wire, marking the
course, very sharp and well defined, 1t was
to watch the duration OF this train that
I took out my watch. a minute
elapsed, and it was still there. I point
ed it out to some bystanderS. Then
it began to change. First it lost its bril-.
lancy and became whitish and smoke-like.
Then it began gradually to assume q
zigzag direction, at first varying little
from its previous straightness, but be-
coming slowly more and more crooked
and zigzagged as long asIit was
observed. At the same time the line itself
grew broader and broader, till 1t was as
broad say as one fourth the diameter OF the
moon. The appearance suggested strongly
q boys broad, wavy, irregular scribbing
with chalk upon close white fence.


I continued to watch this wonderful me-
teor-track at intervals for Twenty-Five min.
ates, and at the end OF that time it was
still distinctly visible. Indeed, it seemed
to have turned to a cloud-streak, and to be
quietly sleeping in the sky.


I think this meteor was not only OF great
interest in itself, but especially so as illus
trating the nature of metcors in general.


Here was evidently mass OF matter
which in its wanderings came or was drawn
too near our earth. Striking our atmos-
phere, it strove to dash through it, but the
resistance Of the air increasing with the
so,lare OF the great yelocities involved,
generated heat enough first TO render lumi-
nous, then to melt, then TO turn to vapor
and to dissipate into thin air, the rash in-
truder upon realms. ,g,iy... .-~ :. /.


The train was doubtless portions OF mat.
ter dragged off and left at first red-hot, but
gradually cooling and floating away and
Spreading out Just like smoke, and not dif.
fering much from the material a rocket
leaves behind it. f. Z *


Remarkable as this meteor was-and we
do not remember ever to have seen one
which surpassed it in interest-it is not SC
wonderful as is the received statement as to
the number OF these bodies which are
moving about us. Who can read without
shuddcring the orthodox Calculation tna'
during every twenty-four hours four hun.
dred millions OF mcteors pass through our
atmosphere?


Respectfully, IT.. c. II. w.


RICHMOND COLLEGE, NIRG1NIA, November
q, 1877.