Daily globe., 1883-07-21
A SWORD FROM HEAVEN.
The Curious Yarn That tie Ulster County
People Tell 146oGt Il WeGpOn They Shoe.
New York Evening Post

The Curious Yarn That tie Ulster County
People Tell 46oat q FeGpoH They Shoe.
New York Evening Post.I
Readers may remember dispatch from
Ulster county some time ago announcing
that the usually peaceful village of Accord,
in that part of the state, had been stirred
from centre to circumference by the dis
covery Sin their midst of huge and
curious sword, which was alleged to have
descended in ball of fire from heaven.
This interesting weapon has now been
brought to this city and was examined to-
day by a reporter in the Office of down
town mercantile firm. The members of
the firm were anxious to avoid publicity in
the matter for fear that their place would
be overrun by crowd of curious visitors.
A brief history of the weapon, so far as
known, will properly precede description
of it. At about o'clock on the morning
of the 18th of April, last, DR.. Thomas o.
Heater, of Accord, who is described as
man of excellent standing and unimpeach-
able veracity, was driving home after
visit to patient. AS he was going along
the road by the Rondout river, large ball
of fire descended from the sky and buried
itself in the river neara the roadside,
greatly startling Doctor Heater
and his horse. The animal
was subdued and the physician
reached his house in safety. OF course, he
told the story of the occurrence the next
day, and one of his neighbors, Mr.. D.D.Bell,
who is vouched for as a citizen of high
standing, was so much impressed by it that
he began a search in the place where the
fiery ball had fallen, in the hope of discov-
ering meteoric stone or some other YES
tige of the phenomenon. The search was
continued for some time, and on the 7th
of May young son of Mr.. Bell discovered
under the water of the river at that spot,
which was some four or five feet deep, the
sword which has occasioned so much local
excitement. The hiIt was buried in the
sand to the depth Of about two feet, and the
blade, projecting upward, was bent over
nearly double. It was pulled up by a
boat-hook and was found to be covered
with rust. The weapon was Strengthened
and secured by Mr.. Bell, and has been in
spected, free of charge, by great numbers
of people from the surrounding country.
The sword is made wholly of steel, and is
five feet ten inches in length from hilt to
point. Its weight is seventeen pounds.
The blade, which is double-edged and not
very sharp, is two inches and three-quar-
ters wide in its broadest part, which is in
the middle. The hilt is about eleven in.
ches long, furnishing grip for the
hand of a giant in a fairy tale,
and is equipped with two guards.
one being at right angles to the other. A
few inches below it is an additional guard,
IN the shape of cross-piece. The broad
blade is etched on both sides with some
apparently meaningless figures and char
acters, which may be Ineligible, however,
to the inhabitants of Mars or some other
distant planet. The people of Accord and
Its neighborhood are said to be firmly con-
vinced of the celestial origin of the weapon,
and the reporter was assured that they
wouldn't receive with favor his suggestion
that it had once belonged to the Cardiff
Giant. An offer of 81, 900 is said to have
been refused for it by the owner.