Miscellaneous Intelligence. 167 



loud explosion is reported as far east as Concord and Erie, Pa. 

 The meteor consisted in fact of a large flock of brilliant hails 

 chasinir each other across the skv, the number being variously- 

 estimated from a score to a hundred. This flight is of peculiar 



The region around Chicago was overcast, and though the clouds 

 were lighted up in a most remarkable manner no sound seems to 

 have been heard. In like manner no sound is reported from St. 

 Louis. But over all the region of Central Illinois between these 

 two_ cities a terrific series of explosions were heard. In Keokuk, 

 la., it was heard, but not elsewhere in that State so far as appears 

 from these accounts. A rumbling is reported as far south of the 

 track as Bloomin<;ton, [ml., 120 miles distant, but whether it was 

 caused by the meteor is doubtful. \ et over the northern part of 

 Indiana the passage of the body was followed by loud explosions. 



Whether a portion of the body pursued its way onward over 

 New York State and out of the atmosphere is from the statements 

 before us doubtful. The path was nearly parallel to the earth's 

 surface and might easily be in its latter part upward. But if the 

 sky wsis then clear over western New York the meteor would in 

 such ease certainly have been seen in that region. 



The path was about X. 75° K, and was mam or .mite a straight 

 line and not less than 1,000 miles long The duration of flight 

 was of course variousiv estimated, from fifteen seconds up to three 

 minutes, and yet no one probably saw the body through more 

 than a fraction of its path. 



It entered the air in a course differing only about 30° from the 

 earth - - m ,,. : _r the earth." Its real motion made 



therefore a still smallei imj. with that of the earth. But the 

 relative velocity was so slow, probably not over ten or fifteen 

 miles a second, that the earth's attract'ion had changed its direc- 

 tion greatly. It must, have been w ' :lt change, 

 from a point near to and a little south ol the ecliptic in the 

 eastern or southern part of the constellation Capricornus. There 

 '■ • 

 of the heavens. 



Should no one else undertake the complete discussion of this 

 meteor, we may treat it more fully in a future number of the 

 Journal. We shall be grateful for any accounts of obgen ere— 



■' • • 

 shall use them ourselves or place" them in the hands of others tor 

 reduction. H - A - *• 



V. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 

 ' 1. Bnmt Prize, of the Twin Academy of Sciences.— The fund 

 for the Bressa prize— in • ^ oi M - Cesar Ale *' 



..■..:.:.... - .. '■■-•: 



—became available in 1876. A prospectus issued by the Royal 



a prize, amounting to the income of two years, will be given in 

 1879, and every four years thereafter, to the man of science, of 



