The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-06-21
The Recent NIeteoric Shower.

The recent Rleteoric shower in Ohio is at
tracing much attention among scientific
men. 1t is important that the facts, as far
as they are now known, relative to that re-
lnarkable phenomenon, should be laid before
scientific men everywhere. Or the first day
OF May, 1860, at 1916, lold explosion was
heard at Marietta so loud as to cause
houses to shake. and to arrest the attention
of all. Many supposed it to be the explosion
of a steamer, which had half an Lour before
passed up the Muskingam, and several gen.
tlemen set out at once to learn whether or
not their suspicious were well-founded. AT a
distance of eighteen miles above Marietta,
they learned that the boat had passed up all
safe, and that the report had been heard
from place apparently further up the river.
Prof. Andrews of Marietta College, from
whom, in a lecture delivered last evening
before the Academy of Art and Sciences, in
this city, we heard these statements, deter
mined then to pursue the investigation into
this strange phenomenon. At New Con-
cord, twelve niles from GAINESVILLE, he learned
the following facts: ......
At the hour above mentioned, the people
of that place were startled by tremendous
explosion in cloud that hung over that
place. This was followed in about ten Sec
onds by another report, and in three seconds
by third; then followed running dis
charge of reports, Ike the firing of platoon
of musketry, and twenty three distinct re-
ports were heard. A fash or streak Of
light appeared to dart from one cloud to an
other, which loated above the town. At
the instant Of the final explosion, people saw
a shower Of black speclls, which they COM
pared to flock of blackbirds, fly from the
clouds, and descend with fearful velocity to
the earth. The place where they alighted
was at once visited, and many specimens Of
what they now learned TO be meteoric stones
were found, yet warm to the touch The
largest specimen and the one which | sap,
was taken from farm Of Mr. Patterson.
1t was on exhibition last night at the
Academy and Prof Andrews had it before
him when he was lecturing. 1t weighs 103
pounds. 1t fell just at the foot of live oak
tree, and imbed,led itself in dense earth to
the depth Of three feet. In its passage it
cut off an oak root fye inches in diameter,
and came to rest beside another, against
which.it was so wedged that caused deep
abrasion oft, (the root.)
The stone itself is exceedingly dense, of
| pentagonal shape, and appears to have been
at one time in state Of fusion. Two its
sides are partially rounded, as if worn. In
them are marks such rs one might make
with his fingers in a mass of putty. They
are such as are sometimes. seen on rocks
into which fossil shells have imbedded their
convex surfaces. The stone has not vet
been analyzed. Mr.. Patterson is taking it
| East, to some Of the cabinets in some Of our
institutions of learning there. This is but
one, however, ola large number Of specimens
which have been picked up over a space of
some ten miles in length by three in breadth,
although it is the largest. About roo pounds
in all have been procured. believe there
is no better authenticated meteoric shower
on record