Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1817-06-24

tsd great lear and conformation. soi uas eonsid.
cred as The Iorernuner ofsome great and caamitous
events.
similar phenomenon occurred at Weston,
IN Connecticut, Dec. IL 1907 and notwithstan.
ding the intervention Of a considerable period of
line, an account Of it rni. be interesting to the
public.
.slust-aftcr the dawn. a luminous meteor or Are
bills apparently half or two thirds as large as
ahc moon, rose from the horizon in the north. end
proceeded with g-eat veiosity, and waving mo-
ton, nearly TO the zpnith il was distinctly visi-
bic through the clouds which partly covered the
SKY. appearing like the sun in mist. and vhen it
passed the ci.ar spots of the sky it Aashed with
vivid light, on the beholiers, sparkied ike fire.
brand CARED against the wind, discovered wa
wing concal train or tail Of paler light and at
length, with three distinct and loud explosions.
Ike those OF cannon, with as many leaps, and
rapId succession Of fainter reports like those Of
nusauetry. and decay Of light somewhat gradual,
disappeared. This meteor was seen from Vermont
TO the City of New-York. and over an extent of
two or three hundred miles from New Jersey TO
salem, in Massachusetts,. Masses Of stone were
projected 'front.', at each Of the three principal ex-
piosions they were scattered over an extent Of
ten miles in length and three or four in breadth.
One mass fell within few yards OF a N an who
was standing at his door; it dashed to pieces
andw warm half an hour after the fall. A stone
OF 30 pounds fell near the place, and bnried
.tseif completely in the ground at the depth oftuo
teet Several Others fell not far distant weighing
from Sc f-2 to 10 pounds. At the last explosion,
mass of stone was projected, which must have
| weighed, at least 200 lbs; it descended with
roaring noise and visible course of light, struck
rock with great conclusion, dashed it, and was
itself da bed 10 pieces tearing hole in the gound
ar ~ - xta n
1-2 wide. In all the instances, there WAS vi z
zing or roaring noise in the air when the stones
| descended, and an evident conclusion when they
| struck the ground. All these important facts
were witnessed by number of people, who never
before had heard of the falling OF stoues from the
| atmospheric
The morning on which the phenomenon occurred
| IN this District, was very clear and calm AT
eight or nine O'Clock. report. resembling that Of
| small artillery piece, was heard in the air. This
was soon succeeded by Others, short periods inter-
venag; then they commenced in rapid succession
accompanied by loud and continued roaring
which lasted some minutes after the explosion
had ceased.
Tue course of the meteor appeared to be north
east. The noise was heard more than hundred
miles IN this direction and to great extent in
width. We do not understand that any stones
were known TO have fallen bat presume this was
| the case, as many persons heard a whizzing noise
| in the air.
LII il said, when stones have fallen in the day time
| the meteor has not always been observed, probably
because its light not sufficiently strong to draw
the attention of persons abroad that part of the
heavens in which il was moving. But even in this
case the kind Of report has been heard as that
which usually follows the explosions of meteors,
and immediately after the stones have fallen with a
whizzng noise to the ground
| We have in history, muliitudes of instances re-.
corded OF stones falling from The atmosphere. Such
events have frequently occurred in different count
| ries in all ages of the world.
| Since writing the above, have read an account
OF meteor observed near Charleston S. g. cores
ponding with the description given of the one al
Weston. 1t j. singular no one took the trouble to
give the public statement of the phenomenon
witnessed on the eighth Of June t8tA--we might
add while upon this subject several persons heard,
sthey termed it rushing noise in the atmosphere
Immediately before the explosions took place. The
relation OF gentleman residing east of Penobscot
river comedies with the particulars we have no
ticed. A lengthy essay on Meteorick stones may
be seen in Henry's Chemistry" vol. 9. page 500
which accidentally fell into the writers bands A
circumstance which originated these observations.
LIP.