Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-06-21
Az Astounding PnENoMENoN.-The Os.

AN ASTOUNDING PHENoMENoN.-The Us
wego IN. " Palladium of last Thursday con-
tains the following =
"On Wednesday yesterday morning, the
inhabitants of the towns of Boylsion and Red
field, In this county, were startled by the oc-
currence of most remarkable phenomenon
the descent from the heavens of an immense
meteoric mass. The body struck the earth
between the hours of three and four a. NJ,
with a crash that was truly terrific, and the
shock was sensibly felt and people aroused
from their sleep at distance OF five miles from
the scene. The body fell upon the farm of
Horace Sanger, situated ON the line of Boylston
and Redfeld, striking in meadow and par
TALLY on the highway. 1t is estimated by our
informant to cover halt an acre OF lanu. Inc
earth was torn up in n terrible manner, ana
large fragments were thrown distance OF two
thirds of mile. The mass is very irregular
in shape, and rises at some points to sixty and
eighty feet in height, and is supposed to be
imbedded in the earth as many feet The sur
face generally has the appearance OF iron ore
The excitement occasioned by the event among
the inhabitants was intense, and the crash is
said to have been terrific beyond description.
Many supposed that the final winding up of
terrestrial affairs had duly arrived"
The next day, the same paper published a
communication from Lewis Putnam, a resident
of the neighborhood where the phenomenon
occurred. Mr.. Putnam says
The facts in regard to the time and cireum-
stances preceding the fall of the aerolite l have
from Mr. James Hadley, an intelligent and re-
sponsible citizen Of the town Of Redfeld, who
resides about one mile from the scene, and the
rest is from personal observation.
Mr.. Hddtey'S Statement-"l was awakened
at three O'Clock on Wednesday morning, by
the room in which l slept being filed with
light, and immediately heard rushing noise
like the coming of a great wind. This did not
last above few minutes after l was awake,
when an explosion followed of which L can
give no description-it was terrific. The
whole house shook as if hundred cannon
had been fired under the windows; quite a
number of panes of glass were broken out of
the windows, and the plastering OF the room
was in came tumbling about me. The light,
which was so brilliant that could plainly see
every object in the room, was at once eXtn-
guished. The window of my room is on the
opposite side ofthe house from the place where
the meteor fell, SO that l can only judge of its
direction. The light seemed to come from
somebody moving very rapidly and from
south to north, and seemed to increase rapidly
during the brief space that preceded the ex-
plosion."
The aerolite struck the earth in some timber
land belonging to Mr.. Sanger, in thinly in
habted portion of the town. We believe Mr.
Hadley's is the nearest dwelling. 1t seems to
have been an almost spherical body of as near
as we can judge from the fragments remaing
about seventy-iye feet in diameter Its course
was from southwest to northeast and descended
at an angle of not more than thirty degrees
from the horizon, which is proved by its track
through the heavy hemlock trees before it
touched the earth.
The trees are cut trough as cannon ball
would cut through hedge, leaving a clear
track. The velocity must have been immense.
The earth is torn up for several rods, and the
huge trees are splintered and piled up like
BRUSH. One large hemlock, at least four feet in
diameter, near whose roots the meteor struck,
was thrown bodily for eighty yards, crushing
the surrounding trees like pipe stems. Frag-
ments Of a hinge sandstone boulder which lay
in its course, under the surface, were thrown
in all directions, and one weighing half a ton
was found i'll the road three-torths of mile
away"
Is the editor of the Oswego paper a wit, a
dscoverer, a knave or fool We will not
decide this natural question, but the last news
from this phenomenon came to us by telegraph.
1t is as follows
OswEGo, N. Y, June 20.-The accounts
which are extensively published in the papers
relative to the falling of an immense meteoric
body in the eastern part Of this county are en-
entirely destitute of foundation.