Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-01-05

Il sfi
EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON
The following letter, detailing the par
,iculsrs Of very extraordinary phenome-
non, will be highly interesting 10 all classes
Of our readers--but more especially 10
men OF literature and science.
Com. ado,
Greenfield, Dec. -.
Dear Sir.
On Monday morning last, the 18th
iust. ia the vicinity Of this place, several
bodies Of stone were discovered, which
appeared 20 have descended from the re.
gions above. Several pieces Of this atone
were shswn me by different persons, by
whom the fact was so we'll astes,ed as 10
make itimpossible altogether 10 disbelieve
il. Bot being resolved TO get the best Of
evidence of such al extraordinary occur
epce, which the naiere of the case could
admir-, devoted this day, 10 company
with the rsv. Mr., Holly, 10 vislsns the
different places where the stones had fallen.
Pfssuning it msy sfford you some grail.
! 6ca,ion to. know the result OF, our enqui.
ries, take the liberty of mlnuseiy relating
the facts we have collected.
The first place we visited 10 about 5 IL
miles 10 nor,heas,erly direction from my
house, 10 lot firmly covered with grass,
about Is rods from the house Of ElYah
4Sesly. The breach here made in the
ground wss about 4 feet in, diameter, and
reasly the came depth, 10 a, rather stoping
direction, which was ocsSsioned by the
s;oae striking shelly rock aod g'ancing
The rock on which the stone fell was much
shattered. and the stone itself very much
broken, the largest pieces weighing nos
more than s or pounds; the'quan:uy al.
together about bsshel. A quart or TWO
of these Fragments We gathered here toe
greater part havrrg been previously carried
away by,he inhabitsnis. BY the full and
eianciog Of the stooe, the dirt and sod
were strewed two or three rods round
the breach and several pieces OF sod earr;-
ed before ,he fragments to the lowest depth
60 which they suak ,ia.o the ser,h. ADD
were removed BY nysetf. Mr.. Seely sad
his wife saw that just after day light, ihey
saw vivid aashes ofiight in rapid succes-
sion for.6gr or ak seconds and 10 about
animate afterwards i: wss followed with
. dreadful splosiou resembling somewhat
shres caunon fred ia quick succsssioa end
irg in a cracking rumbling ncise that q.
bou, rem O'Clock the same saornlng. going
iato mis- los Jus, back Of his honss, 70 sec
sf.er his cattle, he discovered fas Breach
ioahe ground above describee,and conceive
iag /, 10 have been eaused by soAaethingsjis
charged from above, "a, he time be heard
the explosion; he called his wife Quito vat
pe ). the facts and 10 the course OF she day
il waasssisi,ed by all the ne'snbo,hood.-
Mr.. Seelv and his wife are sober, discreet,
and Intelligent persons, inp''si,ly 10 be re.
lied on
The cegs place we vert to view was a
bout four miles N. E from the FIRST, 10 Tie
cour, yard If Mr.. William Prince, re.
spectsble aud wealthy farmer. The court
yard is grass plat, smooth as carpet, and
6fraiy ,rodden. Hereswe found a hole.
baut the size 1t post hole, two feet TWO
inches 10 depth, from which had b-en TAX.
en, ca the evening OF the aforesaid Mon
day, s,ope weighing thirty Ave ponads,
the texture sand appearance of which re-
semhl-d exactly the one which frlI at See. |
Iy's. MIR. Prince and bic wife and son.
(mep own)gives,he same accanu, Of the
Hsshes and sxplo.ioa as WAS given above, |
with this further par,icslsr, char they heard /,
about s,Gairutc AFTER tina explosions, the fall
OF the atone, ss the noise of which they |
were much-alasmed, but could ncs dlsco
yer sheeeause. Af:er il. was light. Mr..
Prince wen out 10 feed his hogs. andspas.
sino cyosa his dopr = ard discovrred h,ie