The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-31 00:00:00

AEROLITHS.

In a curious paper published by M. Haidinger,
Director General of the Geological Survey of Aus-
tria, we find Le following curious calculations con-
cerning meteorites, or stones falling from the
casmical regions upon our globe. Admitting that
the weight of these bodies; falling annually upon the
earth is 450,0001b5., or 450 millions of lbs. in 1,000
years, Baron Reichenbach has started the question
whether in the course of centuries our globe might
not undergo such modifications in weight as mate-
rially to affect its connexion with the solar system
Now, as our earth weighs about 131 quadrillions
of pounds, the formation of a meteoric agglomera-
tion equal to our planet would require about 3,000
trillions of years ; hence any change like that con-
templated by Baron Reichenbach would occur
within a space of time far beyond our imagination
to conceive. But M. Haidinger turns his attention
to another question, asking whether, if our globe in
the course of one solar revolution receives an in-
crease of matter equal to 450,0001b5., this increase
might not have been kimilar in weight, in describing
any orbit of equal length P Mr. Greg has proved
that meteoric falls are less :regnant at the time of
perihelion than at the time of aphelion ; but it must
also be recollected that the sun itself moves with
considerable velocity through the stellar space.
Taking these data into account, M. Haidinger calcu-
lates that the weight of meteoric matter existing
and moving about in every direction within the
space limited by the earth's and sun's motions during
one year is equal to 450,0001b5, multiplied by one
billion 218,460 millions, or about half a trillion of
pounds. The weight of the earth is to 450,0001b5.
of meteorites as 24 millions are to unity ; but a far
greater proportion of solid matter distributed into
small bodies would be obtained, were the great
number of shooting-stars and fire-balls taken into
account, which appear in our atmosphere, and many
of which do not apparently deposit solid matter.
According to Professor T. H. Newton, of Yale
College, U.S., not less than ten millions of meteors
of this description enter our atmosphere every day.
This would make 3,650 millions of shooting-stars
and fire-balls per annum,— G

AN UNNiTURAL

An inquest was held on Friday last, at the Double
Lock Inv, Exeter, before Mr. R. R. Crosse, county
coroner, on the body of a young woman named
Piper, about 19 years of age, who drowned herself
in the Exeter canal on the 19th inst., through the
brutal conduct of her father. The evidence showed
that the father had always behaved with great
cruelty, eild turned her out of doors for no reason,
and had threatened her life. The deceased's
mother corroborated this. My husband has
always treated her very cruelly. When I told him
what had happened to my daughter, and that I
had seen her mantle and bonnet, he said, "I am
d--d glad of it, and if it is she who is drowned
I'd stay up all night to make her coffin. Now
I shall be happy." It appeared that the
deceased had subscribed to an insurance company,
by which her representatives became entitled to re-
ceive a 1 ls. on her death. It was thought, how-
ever, that there was no evidence to show that the
father had deliberately driven his daughter to com-
mit suicide with the view of getting this money.
A policeman said that when the body was found
the father, Samuel E. Piper, was present, and he
did not seem the least concerned. In witness's
absence he tried to take the earrings out of his
daughter's ears. A juryman said that he heard the
father a second time propose to take the earrings
out of his daughter's ears ; in fact, it was almost
the first words he uttered when the body was dis-
covered. He (the juror) replied that if he attempted
to do so he would kick him into the canal, where
his daughter had just come from. The coroner
said he should not have wondered if he had done so,
for he could easily imagine that the feelings of any
Englishman would not have been kindly at such an
exhibition of heartless conduct on the part of a
parent. The coroner then summed up the evidence,
and in the course of his remarks he said that of all
the melancholycases which had come before him this
was the most distressing. If it were true that the
father had driven his daughter out of her mind he
did not know how they should meet the case. He could
only wish that their verdict would reach him, but he
was afraid it could not. All they had to inquire into
was how this girl came into the water. A jaror.---Al-
though herfather did not actually thrown her into the
water he was the means of it. The eoroner—There
can be no doubt of that. Another juror asked
whether they could not record such a verdict as
would mark the feelings the jury entertained of the
case, so that some further steps should be taken
against the father. The coroner replied that as
there was a reporter present he thought the best
thing they could do was to leave it to that gentle-
man to report the case fully, so that the facts
might come before the proper authorities, who
would or ought to take the necessary steps to
prevent this man from acting in a similar man-
ner towards other persons. The jury returned
a verdict of " Found drowned," which met with
the approval of the coroner. The public officer
then made an application for the policy of insur-
ance, se that the parish, which had been put to the
expense of providing the coffin, might be able to
draw the money from the company. The coroner
at present refused to sign any certificate. Several
of the jurors expressed their opinion that the
mother of the deceased had not stated all the truth,
and they thought it looked very strange that she
had been in the habit of paying the Id. per week
into the company for her daughter. One juror
said he believed something more would arise out of
this inquest, and the coroner replied that he was
therefore very glad they had returned the verdict
recorded by them.

THIS DAY'S MARKETS.

HAY MARKETS.

SMITHFIELD,—Meadow hay, £2 5s to £5 clover, £3 lOs
to £5 12s 6d ; and straw, £1 lOs to £1 lBs Od per load.
Both hay and straw in slow request at Into rates.
CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, £2 5s to .£.5 Os; clover
do., £3 lOs to £5 15s; and straw, £1 100 to £1 18s per load.
A slow trade.

WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, £2 5s to £5 Os; clove,
£3 lOs to £5 15s Od ; and straw, £1 8s to £1 16s per load.
Trade dull.

COAL N
(Prfoes of Coal per Ton a

:ARK ET.
the dose of the market

s. d.
Bate's West Hartley 15 3
Carway and Duffeyn
Malting 24 0
Do. Anthracite 21 6
Wylam ..16 6
Davison's West Hart-
ley ....16 9
Burnhope Gas 14 0
Tanfield Moor 13 6
Tanfield Moor Butes 13 6
Holywell 16 6
Walker Primrose 13 3

Walls End.
Hartlepool.... l7 9
Hetton .. lB 3
Hough Fall 17 0
Whitworth 14 6
K elloe .. l7 6
Caradoc
Trimdon Hartlepool ..17 6
Thorpe l7 3
Haswell lB 3
Shincliffe l6 6
Thornley
Trimdon Th0m1ey....16 0
South Hart1ep001......16 9
, 61; sold, 15.