376 On the Meteors of 13th November. 
data for calculating the height of these | luminous bodies; which is a 
— — desirable to be solve ly cru e conjecture is that 
elevation from the earth was very ripen ; and consequently that 
dheie die was inconceivably rapid.” 
7. Phenomena as observed at Lynchburg, Virginia, (Lat. 37° 
30’ N., Lon. 79° 22 W.,) by Mr. F. G. Smiru, (froma Lynchburg 
paper. | . 
«© Messrs. Editors,—On this morning, (Nov. 13) between 2 o’clock 
and daybreak, we were presented with a most beautiful display of 
electrical excitement in the upper regions of the atmosphere, proba- 
is excelled in interest by the similar meteoric phenomenon of 
802. 
At 10 o’clock last night, I was struck with the uncommon trans- 
parency of the atmosphere and brilliance of the stars. Soon after 
having my attention thus called to the peculiar state of the air, I felt 
a slight repetition of the tremulous motion of the earth, which has 
repeatedly been observed in this vicinity of late. 
e shooting stars, of which we had so impressive an exhibition 
this morning, made their first appearance in our hemisphere between 
2and 3 o’clock, but I did not notice them until about 5 o’clock. From 
the vast number and brightness of the meteors, the. sight was, at that 
time, indescribably beautiful. .Their general course was from the 
_ southeast to the northwest, most of them appearing to the southwest 
of our zenith. They first came into view 20 or 30 degrees to the 
east of our celestial meridian, and extended their fight 40 or 60 degrees © 
to the west of it. Their general motion was probably horizontal, al- 
though, from the position of the observer, they seemed to fall. 
Their path was marked by a train of light which was most ee 
near the point of their disappearance, continuing from 3 to 7 or 8 
seconds, and sprinkling the heavens with gis ee dashes of light, 
resembling in their form the marks made on the window, by the first 
drops of a shower driven against the ste The color of the light 
was generally a pure white, but sometimes tinged with a reddish hue ; 
and so great was the number and frequency of the meteors, as to illu- 
minate the night sensibly, though slightly. The average flight of 
each ball was over an are of 50 degrees. The phenomenon was 
the most brilliant to the south = west of Lynchburgh, at an eleva- 
tion of from 30 to 60 degrees. The meteors vanished from sight 
without a visible or audible eesbaion: and for the most part without 
scintillations. 
No appearance of the Aurora Borealis was observed: nor the 
slightest vapor of any kind. ‘The air continued as on the evening be- 
fore, entirely pelluci 
At half past 6 o ‘clock, the thermometer stood at 54 degrees, Far. ; 
the barometer at 29 inches and 4 tenths, and the hygrometer about 
