The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-17

shower of sparks. not a hundred feet from
where he stood, north along Octavia street
He grabbed his baton tighter and felt OF
his pistol pocket as he started in the direc-
ton of the noise, feeling sure that some
body was being killed. at the same time
wondering what kind of a gun and powder
the assassins used. Ii did not take him
very long TO collect his senses and as they
came back he remembered as he expressed
il of seeing something Ike a bomb in fire.
works displays coming down from the
heavens from the northeast. and as 1t reached
il TO within about twelve feet OF the earth
exploded with the report as loud as a can
non. II first / thought somebody was shoot
ing, but when l smelled the sulphur l
thought it was lightning or something like
that" be said.
a. the time Of the explosion il was pitch
dark and right after the report the rain fell
In torrents accompanied by bail for few
minutes.
The spot where the explosion took place
is just few feet south CT the old wind mill
on the Laidley estate, at the corner or Fill
bert and Octavia streets.
Rev. DR.. w. w. Faris, pastor OF the
Franklin-stTeet Presbyterian Cureh, Is re-
siding in the Laidley mansion. lie said he
heard the report aud could very distinctly
smell the sui phur. He knew at once that II
was meteor that had struck the earth. but
did not know until morning, when he saw
one of the wings OF the windmill shattered,
that 1t was so close.
His daughter Leila had a more exciting
| experience. She was sleeping in an upstairs
| room, with windows opening out on the
| yard, and only few feet from the wind
| mill. She was aroused by the report and a
| SCATTERING Of glass. and saw just outside
| the window what she described as a snow
| storm of stars" In the morning she found
| part Of bolt with a nut attached in the
! room, which had in some manner been
| hurled through the glass. 1t must have
/ nit fran a q
clear round hole about two inches in diane
| ter in the glass.
The bolt looked as If IL had been burned
] off, as IL clearly showed signs OF heat, but
how it was thrown after being burned, Is
| puZZIiDg tie scientists of Cow Hollow"
Charles Chategeberg, who lives at 1906
Union street. was out bright and early yes
| teTday morning and searched the yard in the
vicinity of the windmill. His seaich was
rewarded by finding a curious-looking SUBJ
| stance about the size of a goose egg, which
scientists term 'meteoric ron." This he
carried off a memeLto and proposes to
have it placed in glass case.
That little piece of matter, whatever il
may be composed OF, is undoubtedly one OF
the causes Of all the disturbance.
The meteor must have been travelling at
a frightfuI speed. as the wing of the wind
mill is so shattered that piece the size of a
leadpenciI would be hard TO find. 1t is
probable that when the meteor exploded
| pieces were ScdtltItu I'D iii utTtCllOIS.
Policeman Mahoney said 1t exploded
about twelve feet from the ground, couse-
quently il must have struck the windmill
before the explosion. The question is,
what caused the explosion?
The meteoric body found lying on the
ground is intact and shows no signs of being
broken from any other body. The question
was pulling little groups Of people In the
vicinity of the astronomical display all day
yesterday and perhaps will for some time 10
| come.
The months of October, November and
December are usually prolific with meteor
displays. but it is seldom that one is seen So
close to the earth.
a gentleman who lives on Vallejo street,
near Octava, was aroused by the rum bling
of thunder and looked ont of window
| facing north. "As / arose." said he. ssanJ
looked out of the window saw lumInou,
body moving toward the earth. To me il
appeared about the size of the moon as we
see that planet. The body was of a bright
white around the edge, while the center wa.
Of bright golden colcr. Then there was
loud report which sounded like that follow
ing the explosion Of a powder magazine an(
alter that came rnmbling Of thunder
which lasted at least thirty seconds. Tha
rumbling was terrible aud unusually loud
George +. Hill, who had just returned
home from his work and had not yet re-
tired, stated that he heard three distinct ex
plosiOns In rapid succession land the smell
OF sulphur" he added, was something thai
was enough to make sinners think of
future llfe"