St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-06-14
snisttllanp.
THE GREAT METE0RIC SHOWER.

The Washington National Intelligent
Ger publishes the following letter sent
to Professor Henry, of the Smithsoni-
an Institution, descriptive of the re.
cent mctcoyic phenomena in Ohio:
HENDEYspuRG, Ohio, May Q, 1850.
DEAR PRoFESsoR:-YOu will doubt
less see in the papers an account Of
shower of mCtcOric stones which fell
on the lst ult, near the village of
Concord, in Muskingum county, Ohio
Lest You should think it hoax, or at
most an incorrect statement, | have
taken such pains as circumstances
would permit to 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. NJ. The
day was unusually cold for the season
of the year, and the sky about two
thirds overcast with clouds. Stimuli
tancously with the fall Of the stones
tremendous explosion occurred in
the atmosphere. To those near by it
rcsemblcd severe clap of thunder in
sound, but was accompanied by a
Iiarring sensation, which, together
with the noise, was felt and heard at
q much greater distance than the
effect of thunder. 1t was observed
and remarked as something peculiar
by persons fifty miles off. | was at
the time about thirty miles distant,
and so extraordinary was the detona-
ton and .iarring sensation that |
thought it (although an unknown oc-
cnrrcncc 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 dis
tinct reports were hcard-accounts
vary from six to twelve. They were
in rapid succession perhaps not over
u second of time between them. So
strange was the sensation that cattle
in the fields ran, startled at it, Foul
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 other, were seen by a
couple Of men who were laboring i'll q
field. Hearing the reports, one Of tho
men looked up and saw a large body
fall into a field close by ; the othe,
looking in another direction, sav
another which fell upon fence
Within about twenty minutes the,
approached and dug out the one whicI
had fallen in the field, where it haC
buried itself to the depth of abOu
twenty inches in stiff limestone soil
e 1t was still SO hot that it could scarce
t ly be held in the hands. From the di
+ rcction in which it entered the earth
L its fall appeared to be vertical. ltS
y weight was fifty one pounds, and Its
e shape irregular, long, and ilattcned
# Ii entered the ground point foremost
1 The other which fell upon the fence
; weighed forty-two pounds. In it,
t descent it cut through the rails of tn,
5 fence, and buried itself in the earth
+ having a direction, apparently from
= the northeast. About one and a hal
| miles from where these two stones fell
a young man ploughing in a iicl'
heard strange whizzing sound oven
5 head, and looking up, saw the clouds
t in a strange state Of commotion. 9TH
5 same with regard to the agitation o
the clouds was observed 10y others.
: Thinking that he heard something
: fall, upon searching he found stone
weighing thirty-six pounds, which hae
} fallen upon and imbeddcd itself in ;
q dccaycd log 1t was supposed that i
! had in its fall, a direction from the
southeast. Near C|aysville, about 81,
= miles distant, two gentlemen walking
: heard the explosion, and very soon al
I forwards stone weighing fourpound
fell near them, striking the groun'