The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-06-13

| Mctcoric.
The letter below explains itself, but its
publication should be prefaced with the
statement that the author, Professor SHAW
is profound scholar, an unobtrusive gen.
tleman, we'll versed in all the phenomena
of earth and sky" Notwithstanding his
present retired position of a Crawford Co..
wis. farmer. Prof. Shaw is recognized
at Washington and in London as a valua,
bic member of the learned societies which
distinguish those two Capitols. We hope
he will occasionally favor us with articles
of equal scientific merit with the one be.
low:
EASTMAN, Crowford Co.,
, Wis, May 2Sth.
Messrs. Editors My attention has been
brought to an article in the TINES of last
week giving description of Mctcoric
Stone, supposed to have fallen on the 18th
instant in the neighborhood of Monona
asking for opinions on such phenomena:
am induced thereby to offer few stric.
lures on the subject. heard the report
up herc-at first, thought it was a CLAP
of thunder, but when the decorating re.
port became doubled was satisfied it was
the explosion of Meteor. see persons
residing there thought the stone fell near
them, but they could not see the actual
spot, because of the brush and trees. II
is very likely the deposit was many miles
away. The falling of such bodies is cx-
tremely deceptious tothe eye, and 1 think
it will be found so in thisinstancc. Some
times the velocity of their fall is SO rapid
that they enter the earth several feet, and
are afterwards found on excavating; there
are instances of being ploughcd up by the
common plough, when they have not gone
far from the earth's surface.
Meteors arc divided into two sorts, OF
classes; the ono arising from vapours and
cxhalations, called impeyfsctly mirea bo-
dies, because they arc easily reduced into
their first nature, or proper element, as, in
to hail, snow or water; and the others arc
termed perfectly mircd, rs meteoric stones,
and such petrifed substances, because they
can not so soon be converted into the first
element from whence they are derived.
The material cause of meteors are hot and
moist vapours, or hot and dry exhalaions
from water and earth. t...r
These bodies appear to be of different
magnitudes, and even of various forms,
though this last circumstance may be the
effect of optical deception. In general they
seem to be globular, continuing visible only
a few seconds, and moving with great We
locity. Their course is on some occasions
in straight line, and on others curvilinc-
ar, rendered more distinct by the tail or
luminous train which they leave behind
them: and before disappearing they are
sometimes separated into several smaller
bodies, accompanied with an explosion re-
sembling thunder, moro or less loud &C
cording to their magnitude or distance. 1t
was long supposed, and has now been
proved by the most incontrovcrtible' cv;-
dence, these explosions are followed by a
shower of solid bodies of stony or me-
talic substance, some of which have APP
peared luminous even in their descentafter
the explosion, and been taken up before
they had time to cool, sn
The fall Of mctcoric stones from the at
mospherc to the earth is much more fire.
qucnt than is generally believed; hardly a
year passes without some instances occur
ring; and if it be considered, that only q
small part of the earth is inhabited, it may
be presumed that numbers fall in the
ocean, or on the uninhabitcd parts of the
land, unseen by man-numerous writers in
all&ges have mentioned instances of stony
bodies having been seen to fall from the
sky-sometimes they have fallen of great
magnitude; one which fell at Eurisheim,
in Alsace, in 1892, and weighed go lbs.
1t was suspended by chain in the church
at that place for three ccnturics-during
the French revolution it was carried off to
Calmar, and many pieces were broken from
it to be kept as curiosities. 81
l am afraid am extending this commu-
nication too long for your convenience, OF
! should like to considerably enlarge on Sc
interesting demonstrating have writ
ten SO as to be understood.
l am yours,
TMos. S. SHAW.