The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-10-21

Tie people Of Southwestern Penn.


Tie people Of Southwestern Penn
sylvanIa were startled on the 18th
OF September. by the occurrence of
very unusual phenomenon; an
immense aerolite had descended
upon them. At first the impression
prevailed that the district had been
visited by an earthquake, or that a
terrible explosion Of natural gas had
taken place, while others decided
that a pretty large set Of boilers had
burst, or that a gigantic blast had
thrown down large mass of rocks
from some neighboring quarry.
Loud detonations were heard
throughout that entire section, the
explosions apparently following a
straight line across the country, and
causing not little CONSERVATION
among the people
The meteor seems to have passed
from the northeast to the southwest,
and the noise of its passage, which
was variously described as resemb-
ling the rafting of heavy artillery
over a solid bed or as a mighty peal
of thunder, was heard over q large
area of country in the neighborhood
of Pittsburgh and to the south. A
number of witnesses describe it as
an immense mass Of fire, fully as
large as the largest barns-and
Pennsylvania barns it will be re-
membered are noted for their size.
A powerful flame of deep red color,
which tapered off into darker tail.
seemed attached to the mass. This,
however, is stated to have disap-
peared as the metere came nearer.
and the color of the mass changed
to blush white, Shich was main
tanned as long as it remained in
sight.
A mail-carrier on horseback and a
man who was plowing at the time
both describe their animals as being
so terrified that they remained per-
fectly motionless, and could not be
persuaded to stir for several minutes
after the fiery visitor had disappear
ed. IL finally struck the earth on
the farm of Mr.. Buckland, in Jeffer-
son township, Washington County,
near the West Virginia line. The
stone broke into three pieces, and
became partly buried. The color Is
gray, with streaks of red running
over it; possibly from the forma-
ton Of sesquioxide Of iron The
form is irregular, and the dimensions
if correctly reported, are without
precedent. 1t Is stated to be from
thirty to fifty feet in diameter, but
we doubt very much that the state
ment can be verified. The Gibbs
meteorite, in the Yale College eabi-
net at New Haven, is noted for its
size, but it weighs only ,635 pounds,
and has a length of 3 feet 1 inches, a
breadth of 2 feet 4 inches, a height
of / foot 4 inches. 1t came from the
Red River.
A still more noted one is the Tue
son meteorite, from Sonora, Mexico.
which is now in the Smithsonian
Institution. 1t is ring-shaped, and
iorty-nlne inches in its greatest
diameter The most remarkable
MASSES of which we have any knowl-
edge have been found in South
America. One discovered in the
district of Chaco-Gualamba was es-
timated 10 weigh sixteen tons.
These weights and volumes would,
however, be quite dwarfed by a
comparison for thsoe reported for
the Pennsylvania meteOrite. But
there is probably still a little TO
nance attached to these accounts,
and the true dimensions will not be
reached until later.
An odd superstition clings to me-
tCors, and many who witnessed this
remarkable one were inspired with
the dread belief that it brought
with it a spirit OF pestiIence and
famine; but ifthese people would
only call to remembrance the wide
prevalence of meteoric visitors they
would conclude that the most per
sistent spirit which their magma
tion would attach to them must be
quite exhausted by this time. DR..
Kleiber, of 81. Petersburg, has cal
culated that 1850 pounds OF metoric
dust fall to the earth every hour.
which would make fifty-nine tons
day or more than u 800 tons in a
year, while Professor Proctor thinks
even this estimate is too small. Yet
uery little damage is done by the
fall of these "aIr stones" for the
most part of them fall upon unoc-
cupied ground or into the sea. Relic
hunters are reported to be already
at work and carrying off the meteor
ite by pieeemeal. This seems to
indicate either that the mass was
very much shattered by its fall or
that it has a large predominanee OF
stony matter which would enable
fragments to be broken off, for the
most accomplished vandsl would
find difficulty in securing a souvenir
from a piece OF meteoric iron. SCI
esiifc american.