The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-03-25
Atmospheric Phenomena In New.
~ Jersey, siF. I'1s


An esteemed correspondent of the
Smithsonian Institution writes as fol.
lows:
TucKERToN, N. j., March 0, 1879.
DEAR SIN :-0n Wednesday, the 9th
instant, shout half.past eleven o'clock,
A. NJ, an explosive noise was heard in
this vicinity, accompanied with a jarring
motion Of either the air or earth, sufficient
10 be plainly felt In tho houses. The day
was very cold, the sky was clear, or only
brushed here and there with dash Of
thin clouds, and the wind was blowing q
strong breeze from a point q little north
of west. The general impression made
upon the minds OF those who heard the
conclusion ut first was that the chimneys
had blown off their houses and were
rumbling on the roots. Everybody had
an impression OF the kind mentioned, or
else that some heavy article had fallen
in the house, and almost universally the
people ran out OF doors TO see what had
happened, when, seeing their neighbors
out also, II was soon under
stood that the noise was general,
and not confined to their own domiCils.
Some persons claimed that they felt per-
ceptibly an undulatory motion of the
earth and OF their houses; others describe
only the jarring motion similar to that
oCcasioned by the discharge Of heavy
piece of artillery near at hand. Those
who heard the explosion of the great
Daylight Meteor" of November 10, 1850,
say this noise was unlike. that, being Of
shorter duration, appearing nearer at
hand, and of q more violently explosive
character. No flash Of light preceded or
accompanied the explosion, so far as 1
can learn. The noise was not heard or
the jarring felt outside Of o radius of six
or seven miles from this place, that l can
hear of. At West Creek, three miles
northeast, it seems to have been heard
and felt with about the same degree of
violence as here. Elsewhere, so far as
heard from, the effect was less violent,
until seven or eight miles distant We have
no account Of it.
No account Of it has been received
from Long Beach, six miles distant to the
southwestward ofthis place, against which
the Atlantic Ocean beats; nor do we know
whether any unusual motion was oh.
served in the sea.
There Is great doubt with US whether
this was the shock Of an earthquakeo or
meteor falling close in our vicinity,
Nothing in the neighborhood like build
ings or factories, to explode, which would
begin to make, so much jarring noise. It's
cause must bc looked for in the field ol
nature. Can you helpus to solutionY
Yours, with great respect,
Professor Joseph Henry, Smithsonian Inst.
tute, Washington, D. C.
P.S.-MoNDAY, March II, 1S72.-A
low, rumbling noise like distant thuuder
was heard about an hour Tor something
over after the explosive noise. This l
distinctly heard myself, sitting in my
house. The first great noise l did not
hear, being absent about four miles from
home, driving along the frozen road in
my G rriage. Yesterday morning, Sun.
day, 10th, at 10 O'clock, and at twenty
past 10, similar explosive sounds
were heard, not so loud and great as the
noise on Wednesday. l heard one Of
these sounds, VIZ: the one happening
twenty minutes after 10, and as the sky
was overcast with clouds, and it was
raining moderately at the time, sup.
posed it was thunder in the northwest,
from what / supposed would be clear
ing up shower; but Others maintain,
quite Intelligent people also, that the
sounds heard on Sunday morning were
similar TO the sounds heard on Wednes-
day, but not so loud. The sound was
moi exactly like thunder, but resembled
the discharge OF u cannon, say mile
distant, beng sudden and explosive. .''p
The first great noise is described as
loud US II cannon was discharged within
II few hundred yards. The duration Of
the first noise on Wednesday was, as near
as can gather, about two seconds long,
perhaps more; the low rumble which /
heard with others, about two seconds; the
explosions on Sunday morning, somewhat
shnrter-one second, or one and a half.
These things surprise us here. The sea
is too far for artillery from passing ships
to be heard so plainly. II the sounds on
Sunday morning were thunder, it is
strange that two discharges of electricity
so very similar in sound should take place
within twenty minutes Of each other, and
no moro be heard. There is no cannon
IN our neighborhool that VIC are aware
Of; the only piece anywhere about being
spiked. FE r4-fE
What can these things beP
ID "a Yours. with respect sgg