An Astronomy Lesson Out West

On November 12, 1833 Captain Joseph Walker and his men had a front row seat for one of nature's spectacular celestial happenings of the 19th century.   A meteor shower visible throughout the entire USA with over  200,000  stars that lit up the sky from midnight until dawn.  Wow! 

Walker's men were afraid of what they saw.  Most of these men had never read any book, let alone a science book.  The phenomenon was also rare and was probably not seen before by most people.  

Captain Walker gave the men an explanation but unfortunately there is no details about that explanation recorded.  I would  love to know what Captain Walker told those men and how he even knew what it was!  The Snake Indians perhaps?   As it is we only know that he talked to the men, got them calmed down, and hopefully watched the show overhead.

 The men were also frightened by the sound of Mother nature when they were in present day California and heard a distant noise...it turned out to be "the Pacific Ocean, rolling and dashing her boisterous waves against the rocky shore.  Had any of us been at the coast, we would have readily accounted for the mysterious noise.  We have stood upon the extreme end of the great west." (Leonard's journal entry upon seeing the Pacific Ocean)


Next time... To Eden and Back