REMARKABLE METEORS. REMARKABLE METEORS. from the rest of New England, and from New York and Canada, about 10 o'clock in the evening of the 9th of March, 1822. From observations made at Burlington and Windsor, Prof. Dean computed its and from which fell large quantities of meteoric stones in Weston, Connecticut, was seen from Rutland in this state,and the observation there made formed one of the elements in Dr. Bowditch's calculations of its velocity, distance and size. A me-course to be S. 35° W., its distance from teor of the same kind passed over New Burlington 59 miles and from Windsor 83 England and New York in a southwest- miles, and its height above the earth about erly direction a little before 10 o'clock in 37 miles when it first appeared, and when the evening of the 23d of February, 1819, it disappeared its distance from Burlingand was seen from many parts of Ver-ton was 144 miles and its distance from mont. We had the pleasure of witness-Windsor 133 miles and its height 29 miles. ing it at Bridgewater in this state. The According to these computations, at the meteor there made its appearance about first appearance of the meteor, it was ver10° south of the zenith, and, descending tical over the unsettled parts of Essex rapidly towards the southwest, it disap- county in the state of New York, and at peared when about 25° above the horizon. its disappearance, it was over the western Indeed, its velocity was such over Wind- part of Schoharie county in the same sor and Rutland counties as to give to all, state. who observed it, though at the distance of Several other meteors of this kind have 10, 20 and even 30 miles from each other, been observed, the most remarkable of along the line of its course, the impres- which was seen from the northern part of sion that its fall was nearly perpendicular; the state and from nearly the whole of and each observer supposed that it fell Lower Canada, about 4 o'clock in the within a few hundred yards of himself. morning of the 28th of May, 1834. It beNow as this meteor was probably moving ing a time when people generally were in nearly parallel to the horizon, the decep- bed and asleep, comparatively few had the tion must have arisen from the rapid dim- opportunity of seeing it. Many, however, inution of the visible angle between the were awakened by its light, and still more meteor and the horizon, occasioned by the by its report. Residing then at Hatley in great horizontal velocity of the meteor in Canada, which is 15 miles north of the its departure from the zenith of the ob- north line of Vermont at Derby, we were server. These facts should teach us to suddenly awakened by a noise resembling guard against the illusions of our own that of a large number of heavy carriages senses and to admit with caution the tes-driven furiously over a rough road or timony of others respecting phenomena of this nature. According to the best of our judgment, the meteor was visible three or four seconds, in which time it passed through an arc of near 50° of the heavens. Its apparent diameter was about 20', or two thirds that of the moon, and the color of its light was very white and dazzling, like that of iron in a furnace in a state of fusion. It left a long train of light behind it, and just at the time of disappearance a violent scintillation was observed, and the fragments detached continued luminous at considerable distance from the main body of the meteor, but no meteoralites are known to have fallen. Five or six minutes after the disappearance of the meteor, a very distinct report was heard accompanied by a jarring of the earth, like the report of a cannon at the distance of five or six miles. Now, assuming the correctness of the above data, and that the report was given at the time of the scintillation, the distance of the meteor was then between 70 and 80 miles, and its diameter about one third of a mile. Another, and still more remarkable meteor, was seen from this state as well as 3 PT. 1. pavement, and by a shaking of the house, which caused a rattling of every door and window. Supposing it to be an earthquake, we sprung out of bed and reached the door two seconds at least before the sound ceased. The atmosphere was calm and the sky was perfectly clear, with the exception of a narrow train of cloud or smoke,extending from southwest to northeast, and at considerable distance to the northward of the zenith. It was nearly motionless, and was apparently at a vastly greater height than clouds usually lie. Indeed there was something so peculiar in its appearance as to make it the subject of remark and careful observation till after sunrise, when it gradually vanished, although at this time we had no reason to suspect its connexion with the noise and shaking of the earth, which had awakened us. We, however, soon learned that a remarkable meteor had been seen, and that its course lay along the very line occupied by the remarkable cloud above mentioned. From an intelligent young man, who was fishing at the time on Massuippi lake in Hatley, and who had a full view of the meteor during the whole time it was visible, we learned that it made its NEW ENGLAND EARTHQUAKES. AURORA BOREALIS. horizon towards a point not far from the zenith; but at times it assumes forms as various and fantastic as can well be imagined, and exhibits all the colors of the rainbow. It is not uncommon that it takes the form of concentric arches spanning the heavens from west to east, usually at the north, but sometimes passing through the zenith, or even at considerable distance to the south of it. At times the meteor is apparently motionless, but it is not an uncommon thing for it to exhibit a violent undulating motion like the whipping of a flag in a brisk wind. But it is so variable appearance at a point a little north of west at an elevation of about 35°, passed the meridian at a considerable distance north of the zenith and disappeared in the northeast with an altitude of about 25°. He thought its apparent magnitude to be 8 or 10 times that of the moon, and that it was visible about 10 seconds. It was of a fiery red color, brightest when it first appeared, and gradually decreased in brilliancy, all the time throwing off sparks, till it disappeared. About 4 minutes after the vanishing of the meteor, a rumbling or rattling sound, which sensibly agitated the surface of the lake, com-in its appearance, that it is vain to attempt menced in the point where the meteor was first seen, and following the course of the meteor died away at the point where the meteor vanished. This meteor was vertical on a north and south line,about 50 miles to the northward of Derby in this state, or nearly over Shipton in Canada, and its altitude must have been at least 30 miles, and still the agitation it produced in the atmosphere was such as to break considerable quantities of glass in the windows at Shipton, Melbourne and some other places. The course of this meteor was mostly over an unsettled country. The most remarkable circumstances attending this meteor were the train of smoke which it left behind, and the long continued noise and shaking of the earth. Since the settlement of New England, there have been recorded a considerable number of earthquakes, and several have been noticed in Vermont. The sound accompanying these is usually described as having a progressive motion; and that, and the shaking of the earth have been supposed to be produced by the rushing of steam through the cavities in the interior of the earth, but the effect known to have been produced by the meteor last described, furnishes strong reasons for suspecting that the cause of many, and perhaps of all the earthquakes which have occurred in New England, has been in the atmosphere above instead of the earth beneath. Had this meteor passed without being seen, the sound and shaking of the earth, which it produced, would have been regarded as a real earthquake, and its origin in the atmosphere would not have been suspected. Aurora Borealis.-This meteor has been very common in Vermont, ever since the first settlement of the state; but in some years it is of more frequent occurrence, and exhibits itself in a more interesting and wonderful manner than in others. Its most common appearance is that of streams of white light shooting up from near the its description. We will, however, mention a few of the remarkable occurrences of this meteor which have fallen under our own observation, and some of the attending circumstances. On the 12th of October, 1819, at about 7 o'clock in the evening, the Aurora Borealis assumed the form of three luminous resplendant arches, completely spanning the heavens from west to east. The low. est arch was in the north a little below the pole star, the second about midway between the pole star and the zenith, and the third 10° or 15° to the southward of the zenith. These belts gradually spread out till they became blended with each other, and the whole concave heavens was lit up with a soft and beautiful glow of white light. It would then concentrate to particular points whose brightness would equal that of an ordinary par helion, and around them would be exhib. ited the prismatic colors melting into each other in all their mellow loveliness. The motions of the meteor were rapid, undulatory and from north to south varying a little towards the zenith. The sky was clear and of a deep blue color where it was not overspread by the meteor. It was succeeded in the morning of the 13th by a slight fall of snow with a northwest wind. The aurora exhibited itself in a manner very similar to the above in the evening of the 3d of April, 1820, and sev eral times since. But the most remarkable exhibition of this meteor, which has fallen under our own observation, was in the evening of the 25th of January, 1837. It first attracted our attention at about half past 6 o'clock in the evening. It then consisted of an arch of faint red light extending from the north west and terminating nearly in the east, and crossing the meridian 15 or 20° north of the zenith. This arch soon assumed a bright red hue and grad. ually moved towards the south. To the northward of it, the sky was nearly black, in which but few stars could be seen. Next AURORA BOREALIS, MAGNETIC VARIATION. regarded as an indication of an approaching storm, but, like other signs, it often fails. It is most common in the months of March, September and October, but it is not unusual in the other months. to the red belt was a belt of white light,, This meteor, when very brilliant, is usually and beyond this in that direction, the sky was much darker than usual, but no clouds were any where to be seen. The red belt, increasing in width and brightness, advanced towards the south and was in the zenith of Burlington about 7 o'clock. The Magnetic Variation.-Very few obserlight was then equal to the full moon, and vations have hitherto been made in Verthe snow and every other object from mont for the purpose of determining the which it was reflected, was deeply tinged variation of the magnetic needle, and with a red or bloody hue. Between the these few have generally been made with red and white belts, were frequently ex- a common surveyor's compass, and, probhibited streams of beautiful yellow light, ably, in most cases, without a very corand to the northward of the red light rect determination of the true meridian; were frequently seen delicate streams of and hence they cannot lay claim to very blue and white curiously alternating and minute accuracy. But since such obserblending with each other. The most vations may serve to present a general prominent and remarkable belt was of a view of the amount and change of variablood-red color, and was continually va- tion, since the settlement of the state, we rying in width and intensity. At eight have embodied those to which we have o'clock, the meteor, though still brilliant, had access, in the following table. had lost most of its unusual properties. 7°12' 1830 8°42' 7 18 1831 8 48 7 24 1832 8 54 7 30 1833 9 0 7 36 1834 9 6 7 42 1835 9 12 From repeated observations and from Magnetic Variation at Burlington. a careful examination of the lines of the Year Var.w Year. Var.w Year. Var.w Year. Var.w original surveys, John Johnson, Esq.was of the opinion that in 1785, the westerly 1785 7°12' 1800 6°27' 1815 variation at Burlington was about 7° 1786 7 91801 6 24 1816 12' and that it diminished till the year 1787 7 61802 6 21 1817 1805 when it was about 6° 12". From 1788 7 31803 6 18 1818 1805 the variation has been increasing up to the present time, 1842; and is now 9 54. This would give a mean annual change of variation of 6' since 1805, and of 3' previous to that time. And although he thought the change of variation may not have been perfectly uniform, yet he was of opinion that a table constructed with the above variation would not differ materially from the truth. The following is such a table. 1789 7 01804 6 15 1819 7 48 1836 9 18 7 54 1837 9 24 1793 6 30 1823 8 01838 9 30 6 451809 6 361824 8 61839 9 36 1795 6 421810 6 42 1825 8 12 1840 9 42 6 391811 6 48 1826 8 18 1841 9 48 1798 6 34 1813 7 01828 8 30 1843 10 0 1799 6 3018147 61829 8 361844 10 6 BEMARKABLE SEASONS. GREAT FRESHET. COMPARISON OF CLIMATES. July 15. Thursday, 94. 66 16. Friday, 92 46 17. Saturday, 92 66 18. Sunday, 92 66 19. Monday, 90 แ 20. Tuesday, 91 66 21. Wednesday, 94 Remarkable Seasons.--Although the mean temperature of Vermont has not usually varied much from year to year, -yet seasons have occasionally occurred, which became, for a time, proverbial on account of their unusual coldness, or heat, or on account of an excess or deficiency of snow or rain. Of the years, which Nor was the heat much diminished in were remarkable on any of these ac- the absence of the sun. In some cases counts in early times, we have no accu- the thermometer stood as high as 80° rate records. But it is universally con- during the whole night, and it sunk but ceded that the year 1816, was the coldest, little below 80' during any part of the and perhaps the dryest during the early time included in the above table. Another part of summer, ever known in Vermont, such succession of hot days and nights although we have no meteorological ob- was perhaps never experienced in the servations for that year, and are therefore state. From the 15th up to Saturday the unable accurately to compare the temper- 24th, the weather was for the most part ature of its seasons with other years. clear and calm. On Saturday afternoon, Snow is said to have fallen and frosts to the rain commenced and continued with have occurred at some places in this State only short intermissions, till Thursday in every month of that year. On the 8th following. During the 5 days from Satof June, snow fell in all parts of the State, urday noon to Thursday noon, the fall of and upon the high lands and mountains, water at Burlington, exceeded 7 inches, to the depth of five or six inches. It was and of this 3.85 inches fell on the 26th in accompanied by a hard frost, and on the the space of about 16 hours, and this is morning of the 9th, ice was half an inch believed to be one of the greatest falls of thick on shallow, standing water, and water, in that length of time, ever known icicles were to be seen a foot long. The in Vermont. The Winooski, which was weather continued so cold that several most affected of any of our large streams, days elapsed before the snow disappear- was at its greatest height in the afternoon ed. The corn, which was up in many of Tuesday the 27th, and was then from places, and other vegetables, were killed 4 to 20 feet, according to the width of the down to the ground, and, upon the high channel, higher than had ever before been lands, the leaves of the trees, which were observed. Although the county of Chitabout two thirds grown, were also killed tenden, and the northern parts of the and fell off. The summer was not only county of Addison, seemed to be the secexcessively cold, but very dry. Very tion upon which the storm spent its greatlittle Indian corn came to maturity, and est force, yet its disastrous effects were many families suffered on account of the felt with unusual severity throughout the scarcity of bread stuffs and their conse-valley of lake Champlain, and in all the quent high prices. The year, 1828, was nearly as remarkable for warmth as 1816 was for cold. The mean temperature of all the months of this year, with the exception of April, was higher than their average mean, and the temperature of the year 3o higher than the mean of the annual temperatures which have been observed. The broad parts of lake Champlain were not frozen over during the winter. The year 1830 was distinguished on account of the great quantity of water which fell in rain and snow, and especially for one of the most extensive and destructive freshets ever known in Vermont. Up to the 15th of July, the weather was exceedingly cold as well as wet. It then changed, and became suddenly and excessively warm. The following table shows the height to which the thermometer rose in the shade, on each day from the 15th of July to the 21st, inclusive. northern and central parts of the state, and the destruction of property in bridges, mills, buildings and growing crops was great, almost beyond computation. But its most melancholly effect was the destruction of human life. By a change of the channel of New Haven river, in the town of New Haven, during the night, between the 26th and 27th, several buildings containing families were insulated, and afterwards swept away by the waters. Of 21 persons, who were thus surprized and washed away, 7 only escaped; the remaining 14 found a watery grave." The whole quantity of water which fell at Burlington, in 1830, measured 59.3 in. being half as much again as the mean annual quantity, and probably exceeding the amount in any other year since the state was settled. Comparative view of the Climate.-As Vermont extends through 2o 16' of latitude, there is, as might be expected, *See part III. Article, New Haven, CLIMATE OF AMERICA AND EUROPE. CAUSES OF DIFFERENCE. of Vermont, which lies in the latitude of the southern part of France, is as cold as that of Denmark, situated 11 or 12° further north. The following table exhibits pretty nearly the mean temperatures along the coasts of the two continents, with the differences, from the 30th to the 60th degree of latitude. Table. sensible difference between the tempera-ical observations. A comparison of the ture of the northern and southern parts, journals kept in this country with those and there is a difference still more mark-kept in Europe shows us that the climate ed between the elevated and mountainous parts and the lower country along our lakes and rivers; but observations are too limited to enable us to form any accurate comparison between the different sections of the state. Between the climate of this state and that of those portions of other states, lying in the same latitude, there is no material difference, with the exception, perhaps, of the sea-coast of New Hampshire and Maine, whose mean annual temperature may be a little higher. But between Vermont and the countries of Europe, lying in the same latitude, there is a remarkable difference, the temperature of the latter being no less than 1149 higher than ours; and there is a like contrast, increasing towards the north, between the whole western coast of Europe and the eastern coast of North America. It would appear from varions observations and circumstances, that during calm weather, when the sun does not shine, the temperature of vallies and low situations is lower than that of the high lands, but in windy weather and when the sun shines, it is coldest on the high lands. In confirmation of this statement, in part, we give the following extract of a letter to the author from the Hon. Elijah Paine, of Williamstown, (see pages 9 and 10.) "I have found," says he, "that in extremely cold, still weather, the mercury in the thermometer at Burlington, Montpelier, at Northfield, on Dog river, on the low lands at the meeting-house in this town, at Woodstock, Hanover, N. H., and even at Albany, N. Y., has sometimes been 14 degrees lower than in mine. Sometimes, even in March, I have found the difference equally great, when the wind was light and the weather very cool for the season. But the reverse is the case in extremely cold, windy weather. I have known my thermometer in such weather 11 degrees lower than some of those I have mentioned." Lati- Europe. America. Differ- 30 70.1° 66.8° 3.3° 35 66.5 60.5 6.0 40 63.1 54.2 8.9 45 56.8 45.0 11.8 A contrast so remarkable, as is exhibited in the preceding table, has been the source of much speculation, but, as it appears to us, without throwing much light upon the true cause of the phenomenon. Among the earliest writers who attempted to account for it was Father Bresani, an Italian Jesuit, who spent most of his life in Canada. He says that "a certain mixture of dry and moist makes ice, and that in Canada there is a remarkable mixture of water and dry sandy soil; and hence the long duration of cold and great quantities of snow." To this he adds another cause, which is "the neighborhood of the northern sea, which is covered with monstrous heaps of ice, more than 8 months of the year." FatherCharlevoix, who visited Canada in 1720, and from whose travels the forgoing opinions of Bresani are taken, says that, in his opinion,' ," "no person has explained the cause, why this country is so much colder than France in the same latitude." "Most writers," he continues, "attribute it to the snow lying so long and deep on the ground. But this only makes the difficulty worse. Whence those great quantities of snow?" His own opinion is that the cold and snow are to be attributed to the mountains, woods and lakes. Many European writers have supposed the great lakes, which abound in the country, to be the cause of the coldness of our climate; while others have imagined that there must be a chain of very high mountains in the interior of the continent, running from southwest to northeast, which produce the coldness of our north westerly winds. Doct. Dwight supposes these * Charlevoix's Travels in America, Vol. 1. p. 136. |