Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-01-22
EXTRAORDINARY PHEsoNESoN.

non, will be. highly interesting to all clas.
ses of our readers-but more especially
to men oflitcrature and science.
[Cam. AdU.]
Greenfield, Dec. 10. II
Dear Sir, H.
TN MONDAY morning last, the l4th
inst. in thu, vicinity Of this place, several
bodies of stone were discovered, which
appeared to have decended from the re-
gions above. Several pieces of,his stone
were shewn me by d,0sren, persons, by
whom the fact was so well atessted as to
make j. impossible altogether to disbe-
iieye IL. hut being resolved to set the
best Of evidence of such an extraordinary
occurrence, which the nature OF the case
could admit, l devoted this dav, in CON-
pany with the rev. Mr.. Holly, in visiting
the different places where the stones had
fallen. Presuming il may afford yoS
some qualification to know the result Of
our enquiries, l take the liberty Of min
u,ely relating the facts we have collect.
: ed.
The first place ve visited is about 8 Ia
miles in = northeasterly direction from
my house, in a lot firmly covered With
grass, about IS rods from the house OF
Ekjah Seely. The breach here made in
the ground was about feet in diameter,
and nearly the same depth, in a rather
sloPing direction, which was oceasioned
by the stone striking shelly rock & CLAN.
cling. The rock on which the stone fell
vas Ulueh shattsTed,and the stene itself
very much broken, the largest pieces
weighing not % than 6 OF 8 pounds ;
the Quantity altogether about a bushel. A
quart cr tSo Of these fragments we ga
thcred here ; the greater part having been
previously carried away BY the inhabi
tAnts. BY the fall and glancing Of the
stone, the dirt and sod were strewed two
or three rods round the breach and sever.
al pieces Of sod carried before the frag.
ments to the loves, depth to which they
sunk into the earth, aud were-Eemoved
b mAself. Mr.. Sselv and his wife say
that just afserday light, they saw vivid
flashes Vi Light in rapid succession for
hive or six seconds ;aud in about = minute
afterwards it was followed with dread
tni Notwithstanding semewhatthree
cannon hredi in quick SUCCESSION ending
in cracking rumbting noise thar about
ten O'Clock the same morning, going into
this lot just bach Of his house, to see after
his cattle, he discovered the breach in
the ground above desc lied, and conceiv.
ing 1t to have been caused by something
discharged from above, at the dPe he
heard ihe explosion, he called his wife
out tohwitness the facts ; and in the course
OF the day it was visited bv all the neigh.
borhood.-Mr. Seely and his wife are
sober, discreet, and I Intelligent persons,
implicitly TO be relied on.
The next place We went to view was a.
bout four NILES N. E.,from the FIRST, in the
court yard OF MI. William Prince, a re-
spectacle and wealthy farmer. The court
yard isa grass plat, smooth as a carpet,
aud firmly trodden. Here we found a
hole, about the size of a post hole, two
teet t~" inches in depth, from which had
been taken, on the evening Of the afore-
said Monday, astone weighing thirty Eve
pounds, the texture and appearance of
which resembled exactly the one which
tell at Seely's. Mr.. Prince and his wife
sndsons (Hea grown give the same ac-
count OF the flashes and explosion as was
- given above. with this further particular,
that they heard abouta minute after the
s1pses %, the fall Of the poe s the
noise OF which they were much alarmed d,
but could not discover the cause. After
u was Tight, Mr.. Prince weutout to
iced bis hogs, aud passing crossLis door
and discovered a hole> in the rsass plat,
only twenty seven feet from ais house
and enquired Of his family if they knew
who had made it-fh. ground appear.
ed fresh broken, and no dirt thrown out.
He locked into It, but could see nothing,
and no<fGrther discovery was made unsiI
evening, when his sons returned f,om .