Middletown transcript., 1868-10-03
From the Nashville Times, August l3.
DESCENT of q FInming Acrolite.

Yesterday strange and terrible natural
phenomenon occurred in Chcatham county,
about nineteen miles from this city, ON the
line of the Nashville and Northwestern
railroad. About one o'clock, while the
men employed on the plantation of Joshua
Fulgham were going into the field to pluck
fodder, the sun being hid behind clouds at
the time, and "A general gloom pcrvading
the sky, they were much frightened and
confused by the apparent opening of the
clouds, Judging from the description of the
phenomenon, not more than five or six de-
grees north of zenith. They Judged the
cloud to be about three quarters of mile
high. y brilliant whitish red glare over
spread an immense mass of black clouds,
in the centre ofwhich appeared funncl-likc
aperature about four or five feet in diane
ter, the sides Of which presented the ap-
pcarancc of rugged flames darting like f>-
ry tongues, and licking and tapping at
large white hot object passing with incon-
ccivable rapidity down through the apcr-
ture. When it left the mass of clouds it
did not appear to fall III perpendicular
direction, but slopcd at an inclination of
some ten or fifteen degrees from IL plumb
line, and it grew more intensely bright us
it approached the earth. 1t swept down
like Il kright angel of death and destruc-
tion; it struck the earth with u sound like
a 4udden terrific clap of thunder, and SEEM
ed to make the surrounding hills quivcr to
their foundations great numbers of trees
on their rocky sides, fell, and continued
fll fnr rol g,
king noises like the prolonged reverbera-
tions of thunder among rocky cliffs.
The mtn were about four hundred yards
from the place where the fiery missive
from the sky struck, and were afraid to go
and examine the place for several hours
afterwards. They took courage, however,
and being joined by numbers of the people
living in the surrounding neigh borhood
they proceeded to the place, and fo.rS
that it had struck upon fiat ledgr q,
rocks in IA wagon way leading to farm
house on the public road. The fragments
of stone were thrown around for several
rods in all directions; the ledge, which is
said to be three feet thick, without any
seams, was disturbed for distance Of
about fifty feet, split and torn up in frag-
ments E; the soil, which was spread in thin
layers all over it, looked as if it had passed
through a sieve. At the point where the
strange body came in contact with the rock
there appeared to be no sol at all, but "a
very fine white, houry sort of paste, which
was quite hot, and STERN ascending out
of the hole in which it had buried itself
which was too hot to approach
Several gentlemen of philosophical turn
of mind were strongly of the opinion that
it was an aerolite brought into state of
fusion by coming down through the at
mosphere, but had not been completely
burned before touching the earth
There was strong odQr about the
place, such as may be found in blasting
furnaces, and the passage of tho aerolite
was marked by a light yellowish sort of
smoke. Very fine particles of some oxide
continued to fall over the country for sew
eral hours
1t is the intention of the people to or
ganize working party to quarry out what
remains of the body, which is undoubtedly
metal, as soon as the temperature of the
rocks will admit.