The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-21 00:00:00

METEORITES.

If meteorites possess no interest from a utilitarian point
of view, there are few things which possess more when
regarded from any other. According to M. Stanislas
Meunier, a great step has been made towards a
positive knowledge of the source from whence
they. issue. Various hypotheses have been put for-
ward at different times on this subject; some have sug-
gested that they were formed by a combination of atoms of
iron, nickel, and the other substances found in meteoric
iron, which they supposed to be floating in the atmosphere;
others have conjectured that they were thrown out of
volcanoes in the moon, and some have maintained the
hypothesis that they were erupted from the earth itself
Without entering upon a discussion of either of these.
theories, it may be stated that M. Meunier says that on
examining the mass of meteoric iron found at Deesa, in
Chili, he found it topossess anunexpected resemblancewith
a block found at Caine (Maritime Alps) and another which
fell at Setif, in Algeria, on the 9th of June, 1867. The
Deesa meteorite is a compound of these two stones; it
contains an iron identical with that contained in the
Caille meteorite, injected in a state of igneous fusion
into a stone identical in substance with that of Setif
The Deesa stone is, therefore, an erupted block, and is the
first of the kind that has been discovered. Moreover,
It is clearly shewn that the iron of the Caille meteorite
ind the stone of that of Setif have a similar strati-
fication, consequently they are supposed to have formed
part of the same unknown globe, . and this is the
first time such a connection has been materially demon-
strated. He observes that the meteorites which now fall
on the earth are not of the same mineralogical nature as
those which formerly fell on this globe. Originally
they were masses of iron (a very large block may be
seen in the British Museum, which was found on the
plateau of Quito), but only three such masses are known
to have fallen within the last 113 years, whereas there
have been on an average three falls of meteoric stones
yearly. The greater part of the numerous pieces of ircn
leposited in collections have fallen at unknown epochs ;
the meteoric stones are of comparatively recent date.
Perhaps it might with more correctness be said that the

meteoric stones which fall now are of a new kind,
;or none of a carboniferous nature are known to
have reached the earth previous to 1803, whereas
there are four known instances since that time.
From these combined facts he concludes, that
the meteorites are the ruins of one or several celestial
oodles of geologically recent date which move d round the
earth, or possibly round the moon, which having
gradually lost their internal heat—long before the moon,
owing to their lesser volumes—have, in the coldness of
space, crumbled apart gradually, portions being left in
various parts of the orbit in which they formally moved,
thereby forming a kind of ring of fragments, or rather
a series of rings, according to the densities of the
different masses ; that the masses nearest the centre IA the
disintegrated planet, containing the largest proportion of
iron, came first within the range of the attraction cf the
earth, and that these have been followed by meteoritcp
composed partly of metals and partly of stone, such as
low occasionally reach us. Ile anticipated that these
way hereafter be followed by stones containing less and
less metal. The conclusions he arrives at are that the fate
of this planet exhibits what will eventually be the doom of
the moon, the globe we inhabit, and all the other planetary
Indies of the system, of which the sun alone retains the
original type.

THE NEW BANKRUPTCY ACT.—This act will take
effect on the Ist January. Cases are pouring intc
Easinghall-street, and will continue to the end of the
year, so that the old business will extend over another
year. The new court will be ready at the commeneemeni
of the year.

Mn. BRIGHT AND THE WARWICK FARMER.-
The Birmingham papers publish the following letter ;
" To Mr. J. Bright, President of the Board of Trade.—Sii
—I have within the last few days seen published in
several newspapers, r7l27Ch itself included, my farm return
to Somerset House. I believe it was a mistake on my part
to believe they would not be made public. Also, at having
taken the slightest notice of what you were reported tc
have said in the House of Commons, and elsewhere, respect-
ing farmers and their affairs. Shall be heedless of such
instructions for the future.—THomes MANN, Farmer
Radway, Warwick. Dec. 17, 1869."

DEATH OF THE LEADGATE MURDERER.—The
unfortunate man, Joseph Whitfield, who was tried at the
Durham Assizes last week, before Mr. Justice Lush,for the
murder of his little daughter Ann Whitfield, aged 7
years, and who was acquitted on the ground of insanity
expired in Durham Gaol on Friday night last. Deceased
.t will be remembered, had laboured for some time back
under a severe attack of miners' asthma and consumption
and on being brought into court on Wednesclaylast, he was
almost carried by the two warders in attendance on him,
His trial lasted nearly an hour, during which stimulant,
were freely administered to him, and Mr, Shaw, the gaol
surgeon, kept his position near the prisoner's box in
attendance, and on the judge ordering him to be detained
during her Majesty's pleasure, the man had again to be
almost carried out of court. His bodily strength seems
to have failed him fast after he was again incarcerated,
and he succumbed to his maladies on Friday night. The
unfortunate man leaves a widow and two children—a boy
and a girl.

THE NEW TonPEno.--The new torpedo (says the
Daily News) must be a formidable monster, if all reports
be true. It has been invented by an English engineer
Mr. Whitehead, living at Fiume, on the Adriatic. The
first idea of it was suggested by Captain Luppis, of the
Austrian navy, who proposed to make a torpedo which
should float on the surface of the water, and move forward
by force of steam—the fore part filled with explo-
sive matter, the after part containing the motive
power. Mr. Whitehead modified this design, and
produced a. torpedo in the shape of a large fish, float-
ing at any determined depth under the surface of the
water, the fore part filled with explosive matter, but
the motive power in the after part provided by com-
pressed air instead of steam. This vessel is like
a sword-fish, with not only a snout in front,
but with snouts projecting from the sides and rising
ap vertically. Charged with dynamite or nitro.
glycerine, the torpedo can make a hole in the hull of the
strongest iron-built vessel ; and can bo made to run for-
ward to its destination, under the water, either in a straight
or in a curved line. The mechanical construction of the
monster is kept a profound secret, this being considered
safer than the security of a patent; but if the reports can
be trusted we shall soon hey, of knew developuiente jatie
tintegii2LNY#LYlViarci: