Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-06-14

A FIVE HuNDRsD-PoUND METEOR
The Jackson (Minn.) Republic OF tho
18th has the following:
Last Saturday afternoon things in The
air were lively and exciting. Thunder,
lightning, hail and rain are common
and necessary in any well regulated and
healthy community; whirlwinds, water
spouts, and even diminutive cyclones
are quite common and comparatively
innocent aerial diversions but when it
come TO shooting tive-hundred-ponnd
red hot balls of iron or like metallic
kind promiscuously through the air,
then il par,akes the nature of grandeur
and sublimity, and, if one happens Ia
be in range, it approaches mighty near
what might be termed danger Such
was actually the missile that went
ricocheting through space that alter
noon, and whose track was plainly risi-
ble throughout this section of country.
and the explosion OF which made win.
dows rattle and the people tremblc.
A few of the unsuspecting undertook
to palm the long, red, smoky skyward
substance off rs a peculiar cloud, and
the explosion as peculiar thunder; but
most conceded that il was n meteor.
On Monday all doubt in this direction
ceased when Mr. Ridley, Of Estherville,
brought to the Republic Office piece
OF the meteor ITSELF and which ne saw
taken from the identical spot where it
fell. 1t had opened the earth for
space of ten feet across, Just over the
line in the town of Emme., Iowa. One
piece weighing two and one-half pounds
had been dug out when he left. lt
threw sods for about fifteen rods, and
other evidences went 10 show that lt.
tie perseverance would exhume tho
strange aerial visitor that had so sud
denly sought scpulture in the beautiful
valley of the Des Moipes. On We'd
nesday Mr.. S. Il. Weir came to our of
flee, and who first discovered the terra.
frma destination of the new conner.
and informed us that after digging
fifteen feet they reached the fiye-huu-
dred ponnd wonder which had been
driven that distance into the ground,
and ten feet OF which was in solid blue
clay. The parties succeeded in raising
il by means OF levers and chains, and il
weighed four hundred and thirty one
pounds, another piece thirty-two pounds
and, with other pieces that were found,
made the whole meteor safely five hun
IL Isa nNsn aa raj
ragged, and its exact composition is q
matter of speculation. In size it is two
feet in length, and fourteen by twenty
one inches; hence the snblimiiy in con
templating the body, Its course, its mo
mentum, as well as IFS destination. Iis
starting point is matter not easily fig
urcd, its exact orbit not positively
knowu; but its destination is rot n mat
ter of speculation,for within twelve rods
of the schoolbousc near John BARRIERS,
about mile east OF the residence Of our
good friend Charles Jarvis, that burn
ing, bursting, cannon-resouDding, light.
ming speed missile came in contact with
the earth.
Mr.. w. Z. Pingrey was in our Office
yesterday and Informed US that another
piece that weighed about one hundred
and fifty pounds was afterwards found
on A. A. Pingrey's farm, about two
miles from the other, and which was
buried five feet in the solid clay.
The track of this meteor was observ-
ed for miles around aud the explosion
heard in many places.