192 
HAROLD’S DISCUSSIONS. 
On November 27, 1872, tlie earth passed through 
a swarm of meteors. It was a beautiful sight. We 
seemed to move toward 
a gigantic Roman candle 
shooting forth balls of 
fire in all directions about 
the earth. Whence 
came they ? Astrono¬ 
mers expected Biela’s 
comet to collide with the 
earth, but instead, this 
meteoric shower met it. 
Is it possible that the 
comet broke up into 
meteors ? This comet 
was first seen in 1772, 
and every six and three- 
fourths years until 1815, 
when it had divided into 
two parts. These parts 
returned again in 1852, 
but eight times as far re¬ 
moved from each other. 
Since that time they have never been seen. It is 
probable that each of them separated into two or 
more parts and thus became invisible. 
Thus it is thought that meteors are broken pieces 
of former comets, and that when a comet breaks up 
the fragments remain more or less together and con¬ 
tinue to move in the same orbit. Our earth is sup¬ 
posed to pass through one of these collections in 
Fig. 95.—Meteor as seen in Cali¬ 
fornia, July 27, 1894. 
