The morning call., 1893-11-19
QUERY COLUMN.
MeteOrS That Have Fallen
on the Earth.
NAVAL ACADEMY CADETS.
"LittIe Church Around the Corner''
and How 1t Got Its Name.
Other Information.

tQueries reaching this Office before Friday
evening will be answered the Sunday following
Only questions that are of general interest will
be replied to. Do not inclose stamps expecting
personal reply.l
METEoRs-R. A. S.. City. meteoric
stone. which is described by Pliny as being
as large as wagon. fell near EgOspotami,
in Asia Minor, in 467 b. G. About A. d.
1900 stone weighing 400 pounds fell in
Mexico and is now in the Smithsonian
Institution at Washington. The largest
meteoric masses on record were heard of
first by Captain Ross. the Arctic explorer,
through some Esquimaux. These lay on
the west coast of Greenland, and were SUBJ
seauently found by the Swedish exploring
party of 1870. One OF them, now In the
Royal Museum of Stockh ohm, weighs over
$4,000 pounds, and it is the largest speci-
men known. Two remarkable meteoriies
have fallen in Iowa within the past twenty
years. February II, 1875 an exceedingly
brilliant meteor, in the form of an elonga-
ted horseshoe, was seen throughout q
region of at least 400 miles in length and
$50 in breadth. lying in Missouri and Iowa.
1t is described as without tail, but
having flowing jacket of fame. Deto-
nations were heard so violent as to shake
the earth and to jar the windows like
the shock Of an earthquake" as it fell
about 1880 P. NJ. few miles east Of Ma
rengo. Iowa. The ground for the space
of some seven miles in length by two to
four miles In breadth was strewn with
fragments Of this meteor. varying in weight
from few ounces to seventy-fOur
pounds. On May 10. 1879. large and
extraordinarily luminous meteor exploded
with terrific noise. followed at slight in
tervals with less violent deton atoms, and
struck the earth in the edge of ravine
near Esthervile. Emmett County, Iowa,
penetrating to depth of fourteen feet.
Within two miles other fragments were
found. one of which weighed ITO pounds
and another thirty-two pounds. The prin-
cipal mass weighed 431 pounds. All the
pounds. The one of 10 pounds is now in
the cabinet of the State University of
Minnesota. The composition Of this aero.
lite Is peculiar In many respects; but, as
10 nearly all aerolites, there is consider
able proportion of iron and nickel. 1t is
generally held that meteors at one time OIL
another formed integral parts OF comet.
The meteor enters the earth's atmosphere
from without with velocity relative to
the earth that is comparable with the
earth's velocity In its orbit. which is nine
teen miles per second. By the resistan cs
1t meets in penetrating the air, the light
and the other phenomena of the luminous
train are produced. Many small meteorites
are undoubtedly consumed by this fire,
caused by friction, before they reach the
earth's surface.
NAVAL CADETs-O. J. c. Castroville I.
There are allowed at the United States
Naval Academy at Annapolis one cadet
for each member or delegate Of the United
States House of Representatives. one for
the District of Columbia and ten at large.
The appointment of cadets at large and
for the District of Columbia are made by
the President. Candidates must be actual
residents of the district from which they
are nominated. The course Of naval