162 II. A. Newton— Fireball of January 13th, 1893. 



somewhat fainter than the eighth magnitude are in general 

 visible. The disks in the latter case are much enlarged and 

 are not entirely symmetrical. An enlarged reproduction of 

 the track in several portions is given in Plate III. 



3. Since we have thus a photographic picture of the meteor's 

 path it seems worth while to put on record quite in detail the 

 statements of the several observers from whom we have been 

 able to secure reports. It should be borne in mind that 

 such observations in the nature of the case have always to be 

 made suddenly, and usually by persons not accustomed to 

 exact observing. As a result the statements are always sub- 

 ject to large probable error, and quite large corrections have to 

 be usually given to some or even to all of the observations 

 if we would make them consistent with each other. The 

 character of the observations is often shown in the language 

 used in describing them. Hence original statements may prop- 

 erly be quite fully recorded. 



4. The meteor' s path as seen from Boston, Mass. — -Miss Clara 

 Binswanger of the Boston Public Library was walking on 

 Columbus avenue (Lat. 42° 20 / .5, Long. 71 b 4'.9) and saw the 

 meteor in the western heavens falling northward, rather ob- 

 liquely. The color was a bright green, and it resembled an 

 incandescent electric light in a green glass bulb. Mr. E. W. 

 Abell, at my request, called upon Miss Binswanger and ob- 

 tained more definite statements. He -placed against the win- 

 dow a paper, and laying a ruler against it, asked Miss Bins- 

 wanger to adjust the ruler to the slope of the meteor track as 

 seen against the sky. Three trials were made, and the results 

 sent to me gave inclinations of 37°, 35° and 27° respectively 

 with the vertical. The meteor disappeared to her by passing 

 behind the edge of a building. Miss B. indicated the height 

 at disappearing as about f of the height of the vertical edge 

 of the building and described the place on the west side of 

 Columbus avenue from which she saw it. . Mr. Abell was able 

 to determine very nearly the place where Miss Binswanger 

 stood, and the building behind which the meteor disappeared. 

 Her description indicates an altitude of about 7° when the 

 meteor passed out of sight behind the building. The edge of 

 the building was about 100 yards distant from her. Mr. 

 Abell's tracing from a city map combined with the known 

 directions of the streets implies that the direction was S. 67° W. 



5. As seen from Roslindale, Mass. (Lat. 42° 17', Long. 71° 

 9'). — Mr. Frederick L. Wolkins of Roslindale was sitting by 

 his table in his dining room and saw the meteor cross the 

 southwesterly sky, going downward and northward. Mr. 

 Abell on the 27th of January saw Mr. Wolkins and obtained 

 estimates of the inclination of the path as he remembered it. 



