Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-05-23
METEoRIC STONES.

formation Of the stones themselves, which is
always nearly the same. On analysis they are
found to be composed, with slight variations
of vitri6ed earth, iron, magnesis and nickel,
with q small amount of sulphur. Ashes are
sometimes found in them, and iron, in pure,
bright spicule. The surface is covered with a
metallic coating, like varnish, which extends
even over parts freshly broken.
The Philosophical Transactions (English1
and records of the French Academy, contains
authenticated accounts Of many such falls of
stones. In 1875 a stone fell in Yorkshire Eng
land, weighing ffty-six pounds. 1t was pre-
ceded by report like the discharge of guns,
and by two distinct conclusions of the earth.
II buried itself twentDone inches in the
ground. and was found hot and smoking.
In 1853 three masses of stones fell with a
noise like thunder, in three separate and dis
tsnt provinces of France-Msine, Artois, and
Cotentin-snd were found while hot They
were sent to the Academy and were all alike.
covered with ferruginOus coat, and contain
ing iron and sulphur.
In 1876 a terrific fire ball came from the di-
Tection of the Turkish provinces, bordering
high on the Adriatic, crossed the Adriatic,
swept over Italy beyond Leghorn, and burst
with a long report, its fragments falling into
the sea with Kissing noise, like the q1ench-
ing of red hot iron. The height Of this meteor
was computed at thirty eight italian miles
In 1868 dark, threatening cloud was OBJ
served in the province Of Main, Germany,
from which came thunder but no lightning A
whizzing noise was then heard and an OPAQUE
body shot out from the cloud, descended in a
curved line, and fell in field. 1t was found
10 be a stone, burning hot, similar in formation
20 other meteoric stones, and weighing seven
pounds and a half. 1t was covered with a
black crust, and, on analysis, was found to con-
tain, in one hundred parts, fifty and half
Of vitrihcable earth, thirty live of iron, and
eight and half Of sulphur.
In 1874 tremendous cloud appeared over
Tuscany, coming down from the north, and
sending out sparks and smoke with violent ex-
plOsions like discharges of muske etry, and cast
ing down to the ground hot stones The light
ming that came from the clouds was remark ably
red, and shone like the fame of a cannon
rather than common discharges of electricity
The cloud lay very high, and remained for a
long time. Professor Solands examined near
twenty stones which fell from it. The heaviest
weighed five and half pounds Their surfac, q
were irregular, and covered with black glaze
One had crystal point like diamond, and
another contained particles of gold and silver
we'll as iron.
In 1853 tive stones fell in Germany-one in
EIchstedt county and the other in Bohemia
The first Of these was six inches in diameter
and was seen in its fall and picked up quite
hot. The Able Stutz Of Vienna, who gave an
account of these stones, further states that
two others fell in Croatia, Hungary near
Agram, on the 26th of May, 1851 A fiery
ball was seen toward the east, which burst into
two parts, with report exceeding that of
cann6 and then fell from the sky ''in the form
and appearance Of two chains entangled in
one another" and attended with a loud noise.
One of these parts fell i'm arabic field where
il made a great fssure or cleft, an ell wide
and ''singed the earth on the sides" The
other piece fell in a meadow and weighed six-
teen pounds. Their fall was attended with a
shock like an earthquake.
CRrdsn, IL his DE EGTIetGte RefHDl relates
that in 1910 he witnessed the fall of one hum
dred and twenty stones from the sky; that
among them one weighed one hundred and
twenty pounds and another sixty He de-
scribes them as mostly Of an iron color, very
hard, and smelling OF birthstone.
In the Philosophical Transactions for 1902
there is an account of a phenomenon of this
character which occurred in India in 1898
About eight o'clock in the evening a very lu-
Ininous meteor was observed passing through
the heavens by persons at Benares and in that
region. 1t was in the form Of a ball of fire,
was accompanied with loud noise resembling
thunder, and shot forth a number of stones
which fell about fourteen miles from the city,
near Krakhut. Eight were found in a space
of about hundred yards They were Gov
of varnish or bitumen, and had fractures over
which this substance had run. Internally
they consisted of small spherical bodies of a
slate color, interspersed with bright metallic
points. The sky was cloudless at the time of
this fall, had been so for many days, and re-
mained entirely serene for several days after
The most magnificent meteor of the last GEN.
tury, and perhaps of modern times, was wit.
messed on the 18th Of August 1888 1t was
visible at Edinburgh, London, Brussels Paris
and Rome. CavsllO observed il from the ter
race Of Windsor Castle, and furnished an sc-
count of it to the Royal Society. narrow,
ragged cloud lay of at the northwest and a
IL n al q
ary body, apparently about half the size of the
moon, which was flashing out streams like an
aurora bOrealis. Its color was a faint blue
Soon il began TO increase in brightness and to
move Its course was easterly at an altitude
of about % deg above the horizon and il was
visible half minute Its light was predigious
After starting II soon acquired tail, then
split into several parts, each with a tail and
all moving in the same direction and finally
disappeared. About ten minutes after q rum
bling noise was heard, like thunder at great
distance, which was supposed to be the report
of its explosion. The diameter Of this meteor
was calculated by the philosopher at 1,07o
yards; its height above the earth at ffty-six
and half miles; and the length Of its track ut
$50 miles; but observations made on the CONT
nent rendered il nearly certain that its path
extended to 1000 miles, which it trsversed in
the space Of half a minute.
The.various theories by which philosophers
have attempted TO account for these phenom-
ena are none of them free from objections
Anciently it was supposed that these stones
were projected from volcanoes in the sun or
moon The mederns, with more propriety,
have thought they may have been east out
from the internal fires Of our own earth. Stones
are thrown to the height of many miles from
the craters Of volcanoes, and ashes from vesu-
yius, at times, have been blown by the winds
almost all over Europe. HALEY supposed that
a meteor was merely train OF infsmmable va
por, which, taking fire at one end, burned to
the other, like g train Of gunpowder, giving
the appearance Of motion. Others, and among
them professor Of Yale College, have sug
gestsd that they were solid bodies revolving
round the earth like the moon, till, by some
accident, losing their course; they fall TO the
EARTH. Cayallo adopts part Of this last theory,
and Odds, that the orbit Of these bodies may
be spiral, and continually contracting, in con-
sequence of the superior attraction Of the
earth, till, on coming in contact with our at
mosphere, the friction heats them, melting the
surface and supplying the black crust. while
the unequal expansion Of the parts Of the body
causes them to explode, as stones often do in a
r. Ill - - al II . fha