338 On the Meteors of 13th November, 1833. 



remained in sight several minutes. One of these which was borne 

 east as if by the wind, was seen at New Haven in the northwest by 

 Prof. Olmsted and is described by him (vol. xxv p. 366 ; ) another 

 certainly, and perhaps more than one, also borne east by the wind, is 

 described as seen in Ohio by Mr. Riddel (p. 377 ; ) a third, in N. 

 Carolina, was seen in the south by Dr. Smith (p. 379 ; ) and a fourth 

 was seen east of south in Louisiana, near Fort Jesup, by Mr. Peter 

 Peterson, and is described by Dr. Leavenworth, in a letter to Prok 

 Olmsted. 



From other letters which the gentleman last named has put into 

 our hand we extract two descriptions which contain facts that ought 

 not to be lost and the reading of which may induce persons who 

 saw the like, or who saw other remarkable trains in the sky, to 

 put down in writing what they did see and commit the facts to some 

 gentleman of science who can make use of them for valuable purpo- 



The following is extracted from a letter written by Mr. E. Wade f 

 dated Union Ville, Geauga Co. Ohio, Dec. 24th, 1833. "Another 

 peculiarity was the luminous train left behind the larger meteors 

 for some seconds, and in one (and I presume the largest which could 

 have been seen during the time of my observation) for a space of from- 

 five to ten minutes. 1 was particular in the observation of this. It « 

 started from near the zenith and shot off nearly north west to withia 

 perhaps fifteen degrees of the horizon, illumining the whole heavens 

 "above the brightness of the sun" for a few seconds. The lumin~ 

 ous train of this meteor (distinctly visible for five minutes) was prob- 

 ably not less than forty degrees in length. It began gradually ta 

 bend from the point towards the zenith eastwardly until, while it was 

 distinctly to be seen, the upper half (for the angle was formed about 

 the middle) formed a right angle with the lower half of the train, 

 and in this position gradually vanished." 



Mr. James Sperry, in a letter dated Henrietta, Monroe Co. N. Y. 

 writes, — " The large ball which you describe as having shot off in a 

 N. W. direction, resembled one which 1 saw at fifteen minutes past 

 five, moving to the S. W. This left a streak of light apparently as 

 broad as the moon, and extending at least 30° of the arch of the heav- 

 ens, that was visible three minutes, shining at first with such splendor 

 that small objects on the earth could be as easily distinguished as at the 

 full of the moon: it was straight at first; but, after continuing 

 about one minute, contracted and crooked in the middle — the bend 



