[meteorite-list] Year of Meteors [1859-60]; "The Portent (1859)" PT2

[drtanuki]

List, 
Here is what I found for FALLS in the metbull search for 1859-60 in the USA.  I may have missed some since am very tired.  

Harrison County    Official  Y  1859 Indiana, USA  L6 680 g 

Bethlehem    Official  Y  1859 New York, USA  H 13.9 g 

New Concord    Official  Y  1860 Ohio, USA  L6 230 kg 

Dirk Ross...Tokyo
www.meteoritesjapan.com
www.insekijapan.com



> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "drtanuki" <drtanuki at yahoo.com>

> To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>; "Ken

> Igarashi" 

> <drtanuki at gmail.com>

> Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 10:09 AM

> Subject: [meteorite-list] Year of Meteors [1859-60];

> "The Portent (1859)"

> 

> 

> > Dear List,

> >  I happened upon Whitman`s poem, Year of Meteors

> [1859-60],

> > tonight.

> >

> >  ..."Nor the comet that came unannounced out of

> the north flaring in 

> > heaven,

> > Nor the strange huge meteor-procession dazzling and

> clear shooting

> > over our heads,

> > (A moment, a moment long it sail'd its balls of

> unearthly light over

> > our heads,

> > Then departed, dropt in the night, and was gone;)

> > Of such, and fitful as they, I sing--with gleams from

> them would

> > gleam and patch these chants,

> > Your chants, O year all mottled with evil and

> good--year of forebodings!

> > Year of comets and meteors transient and strange--lo!

> even here one

> > equally transient and strange!

> > As I flit through you hastily, soon to fall and be

> gone, what is this 

> > chant,

> > What am I myself but one of your meteors?" [FULL

> TEXT BELOW]

> >

> >  Does anyone know of which meteor (large bolide) he is

> speaking of.

> >   Also a reference that in 1859 December, Herman

> Melville wrote "The 

> > Portent (1859)”

> > "But the streaming beard is shown

> > (Weird John Brown),

> > The meteor of the war."

> >

> > The comet was most likely Comet 1859(1)- Comet

> Temple1.

> >

> http://deepimpact.umd.edu/science/tempel1-discoverer.html

> >

> > Thank you.

> > Dirk Ross...Tokyo

> > www.meteoritesjapan.com

> >

> > Year of Meteors [1859-60]

> > by Walt Whitman

> > (1819-1892)

> > [FULL TEXT]

> >

> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

> > Year of meteors! brooding year!

> > I would bind in words retrospective some of your deeds

> and signs,

> > I would sing your contest for the 19th Presidentiad,

> > I would sing how an old man, tall, with white hair,

> mounted the

> > scaffold in Virginia,

> > (I was at hand, silent I stood with teeth shut close,

> I watch'd,

> > I stood very near you old man when cool and

> indifferent, but trembling

> > with age and your unheal'd wounds you mounted the

> scaffold;)

> > I would sing in my copious song your census returns of

> the States,

> > The tables of population and products, I would sing of

> your ships

> > and their cargoes,

> > The proud black ships of Manhattan arriving, some

> fill'd with

> > immigrants, some from the isthmus with cargoes of

> gold,

> > Songs thereof would I sing, to all that hitherward

> comes would welcome 

> > give,

> > And you would I sing, fair stripling! welcome to you

> from me, young

> > prince of England!

> > (Remember you surging Manhattan's crowds as you

> pass'd with your

> > cortege of nobles?

> > There in the crowds stood I, and singled you out with

> attachment;)

> > Nor forget I to sing of the wonder, the ship as she

> swam up my bay,

> > Well-shaped and stately the Great Eastern swam up my

> bay, she was

> > 600 feet long,

> > Her moving swiftly surrounded by myriads of small

> craft I forget not

> > to sing;

> > Nor the comet that came unannounced out of the north

> flaring in heaven,

> > Nor the strange huge meteor-procession dazzling and

> clear shooting

> > over our heads,

> > (A moment, a moment long it sail'd its balls of

> unearthly light over

> > our heads,

> > Then departed, dropt in the night, and was gone;)

> > Of such, and fitful as they, I sing--with gleams from

> them would

> > gleam and patch these chants,

> > Your chants, O year all mottled with evil and

> good--year of forebodings!

> > Year of comets and meteors transient and strange--lo!

> even here one

> > equally transient and strange!

> > As I flit through you hastily, soon to fall and be

> gone, what is this 

> > chant,

> > What am I myself but one of your meteors?

> >

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