What Was This?

[Weather-history]

From Manchester Examiner, April 7th 1869

"On Saturday morning, between 4 and 5 o'clock, a ball or more properly speaking, a pillar of fire, passed from east to west over the city of Carlisle and was plainly visible for fully a score of miles around. It resembled an ordinary gate post in size and shape and seemd as though it was prevented from falling by some invisible connecting cord. It travelled in a westerly direction and plainly visible at Cummerdale and at Glasson 10 miles distant from Carlilse. At Glasson, a respectable yeoman watched the pillar intently and he says that it caused a great heat while another person in the same locality says that the fiery substance seemed to pass within a score of yards of him and the heat was alomst overpowering. It exploded in the air and immediately after the report, resembling the sound of discharge of cannon, a singular brightness lit up the heavens."

[RedShift]

Sounds like ball lightning ???

But I'm not sure that would last for an hour (if the article means that the 'pillar' lasted for 1 hour)

[trebor]

meteor more then likely

I suspect the hour long reference is the approx time it was spotted

Edited May 22, 2009 by trebor