Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-05-22
The Recent Metcorio shower In thia State =
Interesting Details and Peculiar Phe-
nomena. ..t ef.fu-r IL 'f..


The Recent lIotcoric shower In this State
Interesting Details and Peculiar Phc-
nomena. ut 9t.FU-c tfa
Z The Washington National lntelhgeneer
publishes the following letter, dated Hem
drysburg, sent to Professor Henry, of tho
Smithsonian Institution, descriptive Of the
recent meteoric phenomena in this State:
The shower took place between twelve
and one o'clock p. NJ. The day was un4
usually cold for the season of the year, and
the sky about two-thirds overcast with
clouds Simultaneously with the fall of the
stones tremendous explosion occurred In
the atmosphere. To those near by IL re-
semblod a severe clap of thunder in sound
but was accompanied by jarring sensation
which, together with the noise, was felt and
heard at o much greater distance than the
effect of thunder. II was observed and re-
marked as something peculiar by persons
nifty miles off | was at the time about
thirty miles distant, and SO extraordinary
was the detonation and jarring sensation
that | thought it (although an unknown oc-
currence in this region) an earthquake shock;
in fact, such was the general opinion of all
who heard it. To those near where the
stones fell several distinct reports were
heard--accounts vary from six to twelve
they were in rapid succession; perhaps not
L So strange was the sensation that cattle in
the fields ran, startled at it. -Four stones
were seen to fall and have been recovered,
but the probabilities are that many others
fell. Two, which fell within about six
hundred yards of each bther, were seen by a
couple of men who were laboring in field.
Hearing thereports one of the men looked up
and saw large body fall into afield close by,
the other, looking in another direction, saw
another, which fell upon fence. Within
about twenty minutes they approached and
where it had buried itself to the depth Of
about twenty inches in stiff limestone soil
1t was still SO hot that it could scarcely be
held in the hands. From the direction ID
which it entered the earth, its fall appeared
to be vertical. Its weight was fifty-oni
pounds and its shape Irregular II entered
the ground point foremost. aI
The other, which fell upon the fence
weighed forty-two pounds. In its descent i
cut through the rails of the fence and buried
itself in the earth, having a direction apl
parentlyJ from the northeast. About ont
and half miles from where these two stone!
btell, young man blowing in a field heard
strange whizzing sound overhead, and, look
| ing up, saw the clouds in q strange state o
commotion. (The same with regard to tn,
| agitation of the clouds was observed b,
others.1 Thinking that he heard somethin;
fall, upon searching he found a stone weigh
Ling thirty-six pounds, which had fallen upol
and embedded itself in decayed log. 1t wa
supposed that it had in its fall direction
| from the southeast. Near Claysville, abou
six miles distant, two gentlemen walking ou
heard the explosion, and very soon after
wards stone weighing four pounds fell nea
them, striking the ground so obliquely as t
| rcochet. l4lf -H 1r. HnT : ts
The direction of this appeared to be iron
the North. The four stones above mentioned
were all that were seen to fall; another, how
ever, was found which had fallen in tn
| woods aud lodged in the earth among a thicl
cluster of roots surrounding beech tree.
| weighed about thirty pounds, and appeared
to have fallen vertically. ALI of tho stone
were irregular in figure, and had the sam
general appearancei having a blackened
smooth, vitrifed surface. THIS exterior coat
ing was, however, very thin-not over on
| fiftieth of an inch in thickness. Within tn
stones had an ashy color, and contained fin
particles ofsome shining substance, probabl
| native nickel sl.Htf f.N