[meteorite-list] 1860 Newspaper, The Great Meteor of Friday Night

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:08:22 2004
Message-ID: <F44dyDd3OJXsNQptgFr00004c46_at_hotmail.com>

Paper: New York Times
City: New York City, NY.
Date: Monday, July 23, 1860
Page: 5

THE GREAT METEOR OF FRIDAY NIGHT

      The meteor of Friday night which astonished all our citizens who
happened to be unhoused at the time was seen, it would appear, far over the
country, and was, in its way, a most astonishing phenomenon. We have had
the Japanese (?) and the Zouaves. The Great Eastern still abides with us,
and the Prince of Wales in coming. The foreign and domestic excilements,
however, were, are, and are to be, of this earth, earthy, or of the sea,
nautically. A celestial, or at least a supraterranean visitant was needed,
and the meteor came. The rule of parallax, evidently not understood by our
ordinary street sight-seers, proves, according to the reports from various
distances, North, South, and West, (we have heard nothing yet from ships,
East, at sea,) that the globe of fire with the glowing trail of light must
have been from thirty to forty miles above the surface of our planet. That
it could not have been much more elevated, the explosion which accompanied
its disappearance would assure us, the atmosphere being rather less than
fifty miles high, and the transmission of sound being of course limited to
that region. It was seen in Philadelphia at about 9 1/2 o'clock, say the
papers of that city-rose suddenly from the horizon, about the size of the
full moon, traversed an easterly line, dropping fire in its course, like a
rocket, till it passed away in the southeast, like a red ball, about twice
the size of the planet Mars. It was seen, under similar circumstances, at
Danville, Penn., at New-Haven, along the whole line of the Hudson River, at
Buffalo, Utica, Albany and Troy, also at Newport, Rhode Island, and
undoubtedly at other places from which we have no report - at each place,
appearing to be at no great distance above the spires of the churches. Just
so the moon, at her full, appears to shine directly over every street in
every city, and over every ship at sea, in those portions of the earth which
she illuminates.
     We append a few of the communications we have recieved respecting the
extraordinary visitor. The provincial papers in this and adjoining States
come to us filed with accounts of the marvel. It is amusing to read of some
of the events to come which some of them predict therefrom. The old
superstition of "portents dire," it would seem is not yet quite effete(?).

To the Editor of the New-York Times:

     As it is desirable that all possible information respecting the
magnificent meteor of Friday evening should be collected, I venture to send
you an account of my observation of it.
     On Friday evening, a few minutes before 10 o'clock I was standing with
a friend in Thirty-fourth-street near the southwest corner of Madison-avenue
looking towards the West, when we observed a lumunous body rising rapidly
from behind the houses on the southerly side of the street. From the
peculiar color and hazy appearance of the light, I at first judged it to be
a fire-balloon, made of green tissue paper, and quite near us. But my
friend, whose eyes were sharper than my own, Immediately discovered that the
hazy appearance was occasioned by some light clouds which intervened between
us and the luminous body.
     The meteor soom emerged from these clouds, and came on rapidly
eastward. When about a quarter of the way across the visible sky, it lost
its greenish color, and broke up into four parts, which continued their
journey all in the same line. The first two had the appearance of blazing
torches whose flames are driven backward by the wind. The other two were
not nearly so bright, but had a smoldering appearance, and gave off a
coutinual series of sparks. As the meteor moved eastward, Its brightness
diminished very perceptibly, although it was plainly visible till it passed
behind the houses on the easterly side of Fourth-avenue.
     Its light was very distinct, but softened rather than intense. The
color was, as I have said, at first greenish, but changed to the ordinary
color of flame. I noticed no noise as the meteor passed across the heavens.
  We supposed It at first to be a fire balloon, but soon discovered our
error, from the fact that it moved almost directly from west to east, (more
accurately from W. by N. to E. by S.,) while the wind, at the earth's
surface at least, was blowing gently from the eastward. Still, it seemed so
near, and its flaming appearance was so distinct, that we were disposed to
regard it rather as some curious firework than as a meteor.
     It crossed the sky to the northward of us, and I should estimate its
greatest elevation about the northern horizon at about 40 (degrees).
     From my point of view, at least 110 (degrees) of its path were visible,
and it passed over this space in about 15 seconds, moving with a very
uniform velocity. The length of the lines of fire as It swept across the
sky was some 5 (degrees) or 6 (degrees), and it left no very distinct trail,
as the sparks which flew from it seemed to go out almost instantly.
     Respectfully yours, AMATEUR

                   NEWPORT, R.I., Saturday, July 21.
Correspondence of the New York Times

      A brilliant meteor passed over this city last evening about 10
o'clock. It seems to rise from behind Beaver Tail light, on Conanicut, in
west-southwest, and passed rapidly in a north-easterly direction. I was
standing on a porch, looking in a southerly direction, when the phenomenon
made its appearance, and had an excellent veiw of it, much to my amazement
and gratification, as it went by at an angle of about 75 degrees or 80
degrees south, and at first appeared It seemed a perfect ball of fire giving
forth a lurid light. It rose rapidly to a point about half way between the
horizon and the zenith, and there indulged, still moving northeast, in a few
meteoric gyrations, changing to the form of a chainshot, or dumb bell, and
twisting so as to resemble the little balls of fire which sometimes follow
the explosion of a rocket. The body here divided, and two portions,
blazing, and leaving a long train of sparks behind, passed off into utter
darkness, leaving no trace behind, and making no note of departure. The
exhibition lasted probably a minute and a half or two minutes. The day had
been excessively hot, and after nightfall there were extensive and frequent
electric appearances all along the western hoizon. The meteor showed that
shade peculiar to the Bengoia (?) light, and clothed all objects in a
ghastly hue. These facts may be useful to scientific men in their
investigations in regard to the mysterious visitant.

TELEGRAPIC REPORTS

                    ALBANY, Saturday, July 21.

     The fiery meteor was seen here on Friday night, about 9 1/2 to 10
o'clock, with much distinctness. The spectacle was most brilliant. At
first it appeared like a globe of fire about the size of a man's head. It
then separated into two distinct globular bodies, leaving a trail of light
behind and traveling at a rapid rate through the heavens. Its course was
direct from west to east.

                    DANVILLE, Saturday, July 21/

     The meteor passed last evening at 10 o'clock, giving as much light as a
full moon. It appeared on the horizon west of northwest, and passed due
east. It was about six seconds in passing. When directly in the northeast
it broke, forming two parts, one following the other. Some minutes after it
disappeared. A sound resembling thunder was distinctly heard. No clouds in
sight.


THE METEOR SEEN AT BOSTON AND OTHER PLACES

     The Boston Transcript says: "A double meteor, of rare brilliancy, was
seen in many places in this vicinity last night, about 10 o'clock - two
distinct balls of fire, passing from the southwest toward the northeast,
keeping within the same distance of each other during the whole time they
were visible. They passed across the heavens with less descent than is
usual with such luminous bodies. The light was so great that we hear of
persons who rose from bed, thinking there was a fire near by. Hundreds
witnessed this novel spectacle in Boston, and we hear accounts of the
meteors from Cambridge, Newton, Nahant, and other towns."
     The Providence Journal gives the following account of this meteor: "A
most remarkable meteor was seen last evening, about two or three minutes
before 10 o'clock. Its direction was from the west to the southeast. It
appeared to be a double, and to pass in a direction nearly parallel with the
horizon, and elevated about 35 or 40 degrees above it. An observer was in
Hope-street at the time, saw it explode when nearly south of him, and he
describes it as emitting for a moment a brilliant greenish light, strong
enough to cast shadows in the street."
     The Albany Journal, of Saturday, says: This curious atmospherical
phenomenon was observed in this city. It differed from ordinary meteors in
being double as well as in its superior brilliancy, its slower motion, and
its apparent nearness. Here, as in New York, it seemed to pass just above
the roofs of the houses, and to fall within the bounds of the city. Many
imagined it to be some novel rocket or fire balloon used in the reception of
Judge Douglas, which was just then about coming off. Some fancied they
perceived an odor like that of burning tar, and one gentleman we heard
severely commenting on the conduct of those who endangered the property of
citizens by setting such combustibles afloat over their roofs. The fact
that it was observed simultaneously at such distant points proves that it
must have been at a great height and a vast magnitude, and flying with far
greater velocity than it seemed to. The description given by those who saw
it in New York corresponds almost exactly with its appearance here. Of
course, all the confident utterances as to how large it was, how high it
was, and where it fell, are erroneous - their only value being to indicate
its appearance at different points. Untill after comparing notes, one
observer was confident that it was directly over Bethishem; another, that it
was directly over the Capitol; another, that it was directly over St.
Joseph's Church; one, that it fell in the river; another, that it fell in
the City Hall-square; another that it fell in Greenbush. Untill the New
York papers were received, almost every one was confident that it was less
than a hundred feet up in the air. What its actual height and size were can
be approximated where we learn how far apart the most distant points are at
which it was visible.
     Nearly all our exchange papers up to date, from all parts of the
country, contain accounts of the meteor, which was seen over a distance of
nearly 1,800 miles.


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Received on Fri 06 Sep 2002 03:35:03 PM PDT