The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-09-15
She 29estern Democrat, Charlotte, 21G.
A Flaming Body comes down at Midday.
from the Nashville Times of Aug. 18th.

II
from the Nashville Times of Aug 1ath.l
Yesterday strange and terrible natural phe-
nomenon occurred in Cheatham county, Tenn,
| about nineteen miles from the 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 field to pluck fodder, the sun being hid
behind clouds at the time, and general gloom
pervading the sky, they were much frightened
and confused by the apparent opening OF the
clouds, judging from the description of the phe-
nomenon. not more than five or six degrees north
of the zenith They Judged the cloud to be
about three quarters of a mile high. The strange
sight attracted their notice. A brilliant whitish
red glare oyerspread an immense mass of black
clouds, on the centre of which appeared fun
nellike aperture about four or five feet in diam
eter, the sides of which presented disappearance
Of ragged flames darting like fiery tongues, and
licking and tapping at large white hot object
passing with inconceivable rapidity down through
the aperture. When It left the mass of clouds
it did not appear to fall in perpendicular direc-
tion but soped at an inclination of some ten or
fifteen degrees from plumb line, and grew
more intensely bright as it approached the earth.
1t swept down like bright angel of death and
destruction; it struck the earth with a sound like
sudden terrific clap Of thunder, and seemed to
make the surrounding hills CULVER to their foun-
datons; great numbers of trees on their rocky
sides fell, and continued falling for several
minutes afterwards, making noises like the pro-
longed reverberatons Of the thunder among
rocky cliffs.
The men were about four hundred yards from
the place where the fiery mlsslve 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 found
that it had struck upon fat ledge of rocks in a
public road. The fragments Of stone were
thrown around for several rods in all dl-
rections; the ledge, which is said to be three
feet thick without any seams was disturbed for
a distance Of about fifty feet split and torn up
in fragments; the soil which was spread in thin
layers all over it, looked as if it had passed
through sieve At that point where the strange
body came in contact with the rock, there APP
pcared to be no soil at ALL bat very fine, white
floury sort Of paste, which was quite hot, and 9
steam assembled out of the hole in which it had
buried itself which was too hot to approach.
Several gentlemen Of philosophical turn o.
mind were strongly Of the opinion that it was
an aerolite brought into state Of fusion by
coming down through the atmosphere, out mac
not bccen completely burned before touching the
earth.
There was strong oder about the place, sucl
as may be found in blasting furnaces, and tho
passage of the aerote was marked by ligh
yellowish sort of smoke. Very fine PARTICLES o
some oxide continued to fall all over the country
for several hours.
1t is the intention Of the people to organize ;
working party to quarry out what remains OF thu
body, which is undoubtedly metal, as soon as tn
temperature of the rocks will admit.