380 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO*1759. 



of that city, who not only had a view of the meteor during part of its course, 

 and heard a report, but measured the height at its apparent elevation when he 

 saw it, and at its extinction, from the memory of another person, who had a 

 sight of it to the last. The direction of the meteor was from south-east to north- 

 west. It did not appear in a globular form as it passed over Carlisle ; but tapered 

 to a point. Its head seemed to be about 14 inches in diameter, and its length 

 from head to tail about 5 yards. It appeared much brighter than the moon, and 

 lighted the atmosphere to such a degree, that a person in the street could easily 

 have distinguished the difference between a small needle and a pin, if they had 

 been lying on the ground before him. It emitted several sparks as it went along, 

 and continued in sight about 25 seconds. About a minute after it disappeared, 

 there were two explosions immediately following each other, of a hollow noise, 

 as loud as the report of a cannon at 2 or 3 miles distance ; and immediately after 

 the explosions there was heard a confused rumbling noise in the air, which con- 

 tinued at least 20 seconds. The greatest height was 32° above the horizon, on 

 a vertical circle ; and 41° from the north towards the west.* The height when 

 it disappeared, was 8°.-}- In answer to what you require in your last (viz. whe- 

 ther the path of the meteor was to the eastward or westward of Carlisle?) Mr. 

 H.'s situation, when he saw it, was near the centre of the town ; and the bear- 

 ing of that part of the house, over which he saw it, was 41° from the north 

 towards the west ; and as its progress appeared on the left side of him when 

 facing the said house, the path was consequently west of him and of any part of 

 this city. J 



10. Mr. Jonathan Ormiston, merchant at Newcastle, stated, from the New- 

 castle Journal, that a surprising large meteor was seen here, about 9 o'clock, 

 which passed a little westward of the town, directly to the north, and illuminated 

 the atmosphere to that degree for near a minute, that though it was dark before, 

 one might have taken up a pin in the street. Its velocity was almost incon- 

 ceivably great; and it seemed near the size of a man's head. It had a tail about 

 2 or 3 yards long ; and as it passed some say they saw sparks of fire fall from it. 

 It appeared low in the atmosphere ; and we are advised from Edinburgh, that it 



• It appears by this observation, that the meteor being so low as 32*, it must have passed the 

 town a great way before Mr. Hewii got a sight of it. — Orig, 



+ The meteor being extinguished when perpendicular to Fort William (as will appear by a subse- 

 quent observation), at the apparent altitude of 8° at Carlisle, makes the real height at Fort Wil- 

 liam to have been between 26 and 27 miles, allowance being made for the curvature of the earth, 

 of 3| miles, between these two places. — Orig. 



1 From this last circumstance, compared with observations 5 and 13, we are enabled to judge 

 nearly of the true path, which must have run from Cambridge across the Solway-frith, between 

 Carlisle and Dumfries, aud by obs, 16' on to Fort William. — Orig. 



