26 ON THE ORBIT AND PHENOMENA 
the meteor was not seen; but at length, June 8th, 1865, a letter was received by 
Dr. Andrews, from Dr. Lathrop, from which the following extract was forwarded 
to the author: “I have seen recently at Port Austin, a Mr. Larned, proprietor of 
the large saw-mill there, who informed me that one of his men was fishing on the 
lake that night, about a mile from the shore, who saw the meteor, and was ex^ 
tremely frightened by the same. According to his statement the meteor was di 
rectly over his head. He was under the impression that it would strike him, as it 
came directly towards him, and hence his fright.” Immediately on the receipt of 
Dr. Andrews’ letter, I wrote to Mr. Larned, who, in his reply, gave the following 
additional particulars: “ The men were returning from the fishing-ground as near 
9 o’clock P. M. 1 as they could judge, and when about four miles northwest of 
Point au Barque, they saw the meteor coming, they say, from a point a little south 
of east (!), and passing midway between them and the Point (au B.). It appeared 
to them (one says as large as a shanty) 20 by 30 feet in size, and made a hissing 
noise, and emitted sparks in passing. They say it moved through the air in an 
undulatory course, being, as they supposed, sometimes within 20 feet of the water, 
and then again two or three hundred feet from it. It was seen also by the fisher 
men at Pigeon River and the Au Sable River (40 miles across the bay). Our men 
think they saw it from 3 to 5 minutes. They were much excited, and had the 
ropes over the sides of the boat, ready for a bath if it came too near.” 
Pontiac, Michigan, Nos. 2 and 84. The observer, under the signature C. IT. B., 
in a newspaper report, says: “At about 12 minutes past 9 (Cleveland time) 1 2 I saw 
a meteor apparently coming towards me from a little north of west, and but a few 
degrees above the horizon, emerging from the ‘ heat lightning,’ which at that time 
illuminated the entire western horizon.” He says further, that “ throughout its 
entire course it seemed to ricochet or bound through the airthat it disappeared 
“ some 5° above the eastern horizon, nearly lj minutes from its first appearance.” 3 
Port Chester , New York, Lat. 41° 1', Lon. 73° 42'. “ Passed almost verti 
cally, and exploded when almost at the meridian.” 4 
Poughkeepsie , New York, Lat. 41° 41', Lon. 73° 55'. Reported time 9h. 30m. 5 
Providence , Rhode Island, No. 223. Communicated to the Providence Journal. 
The writer says: “ It appeared to be double, and to pass in a direction nearly 
parallel with the horizon, and elevated about 35° or 40° above it. An observer 
who was in Hope Street at the time, saw it explode when nearly south of him.” 
Time 9h. 57m. 5 
Quincy , Massachusetts, Lat. 42° 15', Lon. 71° 2'. Reported time lOh. 2m. 5 
1 Calculated time of meridian passage “ 4 miles N. W. of Point au Barque, 9h. 10m. 55 sec.” 
a Calculated time of meridian passage at Pontiac, by Cleveland time, 9h. 16m. 21 sec., or at 9h. 
10m. 5 sec., by local time. 
3 By calculation the meteor was seen for 34 seconds after it passed the meridian, and if it was 
seen as long before, the whole time would be lm. 8 sec. 
4 According to the calculated path, it passed about 4 miles from the zenith, and exploded 2 sec 
onds before it reached that point. 
5 Calculated time of meridian passage at Poughkeepsie, 9h. 48m. 15 sec. ; at Providence, 9h. 58m. 
27 sec.; at Quincy, lOh. 0m. 5 sec.