Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-18
-1-l -
AERoLITE Es.
ron TIE NATIONAL IsrzLIroEScEn.

ron THE NATIONAL INTHLLIGENCER.
There have been proposed three hypoheses upon the
origin of aerolites The first is that they are thrown
from volcanoes existing upon the moon the second is
that they with rebas and shooting stars, are small
planetary bodies moving in comic sections round the
sum- in accordance with the laws of universal gravita
on which approach the earth in their PATH attract
ed by her mass aud atmosphere becoming la
mnous at its limits The third is that they are pro-
duced from the ashes elected from burning mountains
and from matter swept by tornadoes into the regions Of
the magnecpolar influences the which ashes and matter
there undergoing species Of magnetic analysis, there
formed and attracted back the earth the iron
and non-ferrugnous stones such we find. content
myself at present with merely asserting of the two rst
that nothing of fact and scarcely any thing from analogy
can be brought in support Of them and Of the third
that though plausible and quite consistent in some
respects yet built upon too basis to stand
venturing to add hypothesis the fourth: Vaporzaon is
effect Of every disturbance among the atoms of mat
ter among those Of all the water upon the globe heated
by fire warmed in the among those that make up
the whole vegetable and animal kingdoms in life and dur
ing decay among those of all the earhs and metals oxy
dating de-oxydating fusing by heat or burning by
electricity.
Then the earth is it were, vast laboratory for
the production Of vapor particle after particle uprising
continually from every point upon its surface This
vapor is dused into space each minute portion of the
space being crucble in which its constituents are
gathered into form-here point for rain-drop here
nucleus for meteerolite, here germ for insect
The distances to which the different elements compss
ing the vapor would ascend before being sufficiently
densed TO return to the earth by the force Of gravity
would depend partly upon temperature partly upon their
aintes for another and upon the facilities for
bringing these anes into action, partly upon the COM
paratve weight of their particles Other things being
equal the ner therefore the lighter particles would rise
farhes The the atoms Of substance the greater
in the proportion is the specific gravity of that sub
stance in the mass because, the atoms mi
nute they find way into greater number Of points
Of space within the limits occupied by the As
illustration, let balls be filed compactly
possible into vessel of certain dimensions, there is still
for quite number of bullets; and after many
of these packed in be, there yet space suf
fcient contain fine shot to considerable amount
Also in evidence of the idea the weight Of atom of
water is that of about and oneninh atoms of alco
hol, and that of about and one-seventh atoms Of
ether while atom of its vaper weighs but little
than third much Of the vapor Of alcohol and
quite fourth much of the vapor of ether
Then it is the vapor of the denser bodies the metals
which ascends highest the height not limited any
than is that which the watery vapor arises Some
times probably it reaches to the distance only of few
thousand feet before is condensed into cloud at which
time it would be quite natural to look for the falling of
the nferrugnous stones sometimes to the dis
tance of many miles, when the appearance Of the finer
iron-masses might be expected
As might be supposed the motions Of meteorclouds
regulated by laws similar to those which govern the
ons of clouds giving issue to showers of rain and hail
Like these they pass less horizontally and, like
these having different directions according to circum
stances, the cloud sometimes changing its
course nearly about.
Also as might be looked for the constituents Of the
fallen found, upon analysis to be such to
favor the idea Of their having had their origin upon the
surface Of the earth in the vicinity where they have
fallen. G. w. EVELETH.