METEORS. 381 METHODISM. ter of meteors since the brilliant display of ISOO. This star-shower, perhaps the grandest that has ever heen observed, was conlideully pre- dicted from the occurrence of a similar shower at the corresponding date in 1799, 18.S3, and 18S4. The shower connnenced about 11:30 P.M., with the appearance at brief intervals of single meteors; then they came in twos and threes, ^teadily ami rapidly increasing in number till 1:13 .'..M. o" November 14th, when no fewer than .i7 appeared in one minute. From this time the intensity of the shower diminished gradually, wholly ceasing about 4 A.ii. The total number of meteors which at that time came within the limits of the earth's atmosphere was estimated at about 240.000, and the number seen at each of the several observatories in Great Britain averaged nearly ti.OOO. This star-shower, like '.hose ot 1833 and 1834, seemed to proceed from the region of the heavens marked by the stars f and 7 in the constellation Leo; and it has been shown by astronomers that this was the point toward which the earth in her orbit was mov- ing at the time; consequently she had either over- taken the meteoric shower or had met it proceed- ing in a contrary direction. The meteors on that occasion presented the usual variety of color, size, and duration; the great majority were white, with a bluish or yellowish tinge; a con- siderable number were red and orange, and a few were blue ; many surpassed the fixed stars in lustre, and some were even brighter than Venus at her maximum. Host of the meteors left trains of vivid light .5° to 1.5° in length, which marked their course through the heavens, and en- dured for three seconds on an average, then be- coming dissipated, though some ot the trains were almost 40° in length, and remained in sight for several minutes. On the morning of Nch veniber 14, 1807, a star-shower nearly equal in magnitude to that of 1866 was obsei-ved in this country and in France, but was almost wholly invisible in England on account of the cloudy state ot the atmosphere. METER. See INIetbic System. METER, Electric. See Electric Meter. METER, C4as. See Gas, Illuminating. , METH'ANE (from methyl), Mab.sii Gas, 1 Fire-Damp (Ger. Suiiipffjas) , CH^. The simplest ' of the compounds of carbon and hydrogen, usu-
- ally prepared by heating a mixture of sodium
'•■ acetate and soda-lime. It is one of the gase-
- ous products of the decay of vegetable niat-
- ter lespeciallj' cellulose) under water, and it is
j therefore a constituent of the gases bubbling up 1 in the stagnant water of marshes: it is also one
of the gases evolved in petroleum wells. It oc-
• curs in considerable quantities in some coal I mines, where it has often caused disastrous ex-
- plosions. It is a colorless and odorless gas burn-
I ing with a non-luminous flame. It is formed in ■ the destructive distillation of organic matter. • sneh as wood, coal, etc., and is, therefore, one of ' the principal constituents of ordinary illuminat- i ing gas, which contains 30-40 per cciit. of meth- I ane. A very large number of organic compounds I can be derived from methane. And since the I gradual building up of these compounds from the I elements is a matter of great importance in or-
- panic chemistry, the synthesis of methane it-
,self. as the first step in innumerable processes I employed in producing organic compounds. formed a valuable contribution to chemical seience. The synthesis of methane was first ef- fected by Berthelot, who showed that the gas is produced when a mixture of carbon disulphide and water-vapor is passed over red-hot copper. The reaction taking place is represented by the following chemical equation : CSj + 2H,0 + 6Cu = CH, + 2CU2S + 2CuO. Carbon di- Water Copper Methane Cuprous Cupric sulphide sulphide oxide In this manner any quantity of methane can be obtained by using nothing but elementary sub- stances as starting material; for carbon disul- phide and water can be prepared by the direct union of their elements. METHANE SERIES. See Hydrocarbons. METHODISM. The name given to the reli- gious movement in England led by -John Wesley, appropriated by the numerous churches which have sprung from that movement, and by others which, though not bearing the name, are both historically and spiritually in the Methodist suc- cession. Wesley himself was impatient of all sectarian names, and called the people whom he enrolled in classes for religious culture sim- ply the United Societies, and proudly appealed to" the fact that to join the Societies there was- no dogmatic or ecclesiastical test, all Christians, from Anglicans to Quakers being alike welcome. His definition of a Methodist (abridged) was ag follows : "A Slethodist is one wdio has the love of God shed abroad in his heart b.y the Holy Ghost given unto him ; one who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. He rejoices evermore, prays without ceasing, and in everything gives thanks. His heart is full of love to all mankind, and is puri- fied from envy, malice, wrath, and every unkind atTection. His one desire, and the one design of his life, is not to do his own will, but the will of Him that sent him. He keeps all God's com- mandments, from the least to the greatest. He follows not the customs of the world; for vice does not lose its nature through its becoming fashionable. He fares not sumptuously every day. He cannot lay up treasure upon the earth; nor can he adorn himself with gold or costly ap- parel. He cannot join in any diversion that has the least tendency to vice. He cannot speak evil of his neighbor any more than he can tell a lie. He cannot utter unkind or evil words. No cor- rupt communication ever comes out of his mouth. He does good unto all men ; unto neighbors, strangers, friends, and enemies. These are the principles and practices of our sect. These are the marks of a true Methodist. By these alone do ^Methodists desire to be distinguished from other men." Wesley's catholicity was so broad that it was indiflferent to him whether the books he reprinted for his people were by Roman Catho- lics or Unitarians. It was his hope that hi.^ movement :ould be the nucleus of a reunited Christendom, and it was with sorrow he saw forces which he could not control carrying his people into permanent separation both from An- glicanism and Dissent. The title ^Methodist was not .a word of his own choosing — it was given by Oxford students because of the strict life of Charles Wesley and his band in the univeTsity — - and he detested it as soon as it became an eccle- siastical watchword. Polity. The polity of early Methodisnn was
