The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1860-05-30
THn GREAT MnTEoR1c szc


FSlg and Tnterssting DcfaiLs---A Stone Weigh-
tsg FVty-One Pounds Failing 10 the Earn
AceNats from Eye Witnesses.
The Washington National IntOlligeneer
publishes the following letter sent TO Pro
fsssor HENRY, Of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton, descriptive of the recent meteorlc
phenomena in Ohio:
HEEDRrsBvRG, Ohio, May Q, 1860
Dear Professor You will doubtless see
in the papers an account Of a shower OF
meteoric stones which fell on the lst inst
near the village of Concord. in Musk
ingum county, Ohio. Lest you should
think it hoax, or at least an incorrect
statement, | have taken such pains as
circumstances would permit 10 obtain as
near as possible all the facts and circum-
stances connected with it.
The shower took place between twelve
and one o'clock p. m. The day was unu-
sually cold for the season of the year, and
the sky about two-tkirds overcast with
clouds Simultaneously with the fall OF
the stones a tremendous explosion occur
red in the atmosphere. To those near by
it resembled q severe clap OF thunder IN
sound, but was accompanied by Jarrlng
sensation, which, together with the nose
was felt and heard at much greater DIS
tance than the effect Of thunder. 1t was
observed and remarked as something pc
| culiar by persons fifty miles off. | was at
the time about thirty miles distant and
so extraordinary was the detonation and
| Earring sensation that thought it (altho'
an unknown occurrence in this region an
earthquake shock; in fact such was the
general opinion of all who heard it. To
n ~ vuh Il E..
distinct reports were heard-accounts vary
from six to twelve--they were in rapid
succession, perhaps not over a second Of
time between them. So strange was the
sensation that cattle in the fields ran,
startled at it, Four stones were seen 70
fall, and have been recovered, but the
probabilities are that many othe"s Tell.
Two, which fell within about six hundred
wards Of each other. were seen by cou-
| ple of men who were laboring IN teld.
| Hearing the reports, one OF the men look
/ ed mp and saw a large body fall into q ~ 6
| close by the other, looking in another
Objection, saw another which fell upon a
ence. Within about twenty minutes
they approached and dug out the one
which had fallen in the field, where it had
buried itself to the depth OF about twenty
| inches in a stiff limestone soil. 1t was
was still so hot that it could scarcely be
held in the hands From the direction in
which it entered the earth its fall appear
ed to be vertical Its weight was fifty-one
pounds and its shape irregular, long and
tlattened. 1t entered the ground point
foremost. The other, which fell upon the
fence, weighed forty-two pounds In. its
descent it cut through the rails OF the
fence and buried itself in the earth, hav-
ing a direction apparently from the north
east. About one and half miles from
where these two stones fell, a yoGng man
ploughing in field heard a strange whiz-
zing sound overhead, and, looking up,
saw the clouds in a strange state OF com
motion. THE same with regard to the
igitation of the clouds was observed by
others.) Thinking that he heard some
thing fall, upon searching he found
stone weighing thirty-six pounds, which
had fallen upon and embedded itself in a
decayed log. 1t was supposed that 1t had
n its fall a direction from the southeast.
Near Claysville, about six miles distant,
Two gentlemen walking out heard the ex-
plosion, and very soon afterwards a stone
weighing four pounds fell near them,
striking the ground so obliquely as to ri
cochet. The direction of this appeared
to be from the north. The four stones
aforementioned were all that were seen
20 fall another, however, was found
which had fallen in the woods and lodged
n the earth among thick cluster of
cots surrounding beech tree. ltweigh
ID about thirty pounds, and appeared to
nave fallen vertically. All of the stones
we're irregular in figure and had the same
general appearance, having a blackened,
,mooth, vitrifed surface. This exterior
coating was, however, very thIn-not over
one-tiftieth of an inch in thickness. With
IN the stones had an ashy color, and CON
tained fine particles OF some shining sbb-
stance, probably native nickel.
JOHN C. TIDBALL,
Lieutenant U. States Army
| Professor JosEPH HENRY,
Smithsonian Institute, D. c.