198 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



and was very remarkable. Its drift across the country was noted by 

 many observers. It was eight miles in length at first and drifted at 

 the rate of 122 miles per hour at a height of 54 miles, and it was 

 watched by observers in different cities for thirty minutes. It finally 

 assumed a globular form, and at one time was calculated to be four 

 miles in diameter, thus covering a space of at least ten or fifteen cubic 

 miles ! 



A meteor leaving another long-enduring train appeared over the 

 south of England at 7 :30 p.m., February 22, 1909. Mr. W. F. Den- 

 ning considers this meteor with its train the most remarkable one in 

 modern times. The train gradually increased in brilliance and twisted 

 about, assuming grotesque shapes. A part of it drifted to the north- 

 west at a velocity of 80 miles per hour and remained plainly visible 

 until 9 :30 or 10 o'clock. Another portion of the phosphorescent cloud 

 drifted at a very much greater speed; according to the calculations of 

 Mr. Denning, the best authority on meteors, the rate of 300 miles per 

 hour was observed ! This velocity is more than double that of any 

 other drifting train hitherto observed, and indeed shows an extraor- 

 dinary movement of the atmosphere. The train may have been il- 

 luminated for a time by sunlight on account of its appearance so early 

 in the evening. This is the longest instance of visibility of a train seen 

 at night. The record duration of a train illuminated by reflected light 

 of the sun is that of the smoke train left by the meteor which exploded 

 over Madrid, Spain, on the morning of February 10, 1896, and which 

 was visible for five and one half hours as a reddish cloud. 



Meteor Trains Observed in the United States in 1901 



Professor E. E. Barnard, of the Yerkes Observatory, who has made 

 a number of interesting observations of meteor trains reported two that 

 he observed early on the morning of November 15, 1901. The first was 

 formed by a brilliant meteor which radiated from the constellation Leo. 

 This train was greenish-white in color, about 5° long, or a distance 

 equal to ten times the diameter of the moon. It remained visible 

 from 2 :54 to 3 :40 a.m. Another, which is shown by an illustration, 

 was first seen at 3 :10 a.m. and was conspicuous until 3 :40 a.m., when 

 it was obscured by clouds. Its color was greenish- white also. This train 

 gradually expanded until it covered 20 or 25 degrees of the sky, forming 

 two tails and appearing much in the likeness of a comet. Another train 

 shown by three sketches made by the observer was seen by Mr. E. M. 

 Dole, November 14, 1901, about 5 :09 a.m. at Jamaica Plain, Mass. 

 The large size of the train is made evident by comparison with the 

 familiar stars of Ursa Major, " The Big Dipper," which appear in the 

 drawing. The train was greenish in color, gradually turning to white. 

 It was also seen at the observatory of Brown University, Providence, 

 E. I. This cosmic cloud, according to an estimation which cannot be far 



