The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-06
AwANDERER PROM SPACE.
A Huge Meteorie stone Alleged to
Have Fallen in Mississippi.
From The St, Louis Globe Democrat.

n
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
Brandon, Miss, July 2S.-J X. Mattox,
a well-kuown citizen of Simpson county,
VINO owns an extensive farm at Camp
bells creek, about Is miles southeast Of
this place. came in town this morning and
told of a remarkable occurrence of huge
meteoric stone, which fell near his house
on the night of July 2l. Mr. Mattox says
about 10 O'Clock at night he went into his
barnyard, as he had been accustomed TO
do before retiring, to see that everything
was right about his premises. The night
was somewhat cloudy, but not especially
dark. He had visited his stables and
baruyard and was on the point of re
turning to his house when he heard a pc
culiar kissing sound near, and at the
same instant a luminous glow fell all
around him, as if the moon had suddenly
emerged from the clouds. He looked up
and was almost paralYzed at the sight of
a brilliant ball of fire descending through
the air with the speed of lightning, and
having a comet-like tail extending far up
into the heavens.
The descent was only visible for sec
ond, but in that brief space he SAYS he
suffered an eternity of unspeakable ter
ror. The ball struck the earth with a
dull report 300 yards from where he was
could recover the use of his limbs. Then
running to the house, he aroused the fam
lily and several day labOrers about the
place, telling them a comet had struck
the earth and they had only few min
Utes to live. In a short while the whole
plantation was up, and men and children
were heard crying and supplicating
heaven for mercy. Seeing that nothing
further happened, and being practical
a. hiG alarm C1ybcida6 M
MattoX prevailed on two or three men to
accompany him TO the spot. They could
not get closer than thirty yards on ac-
count of the heat and noxious fumes of
sulphur and gas which the stone emitted
1t gave out a ruddy glow, which illumi-
mated the atmosphere for some distance
around, by The light of which they could
see the grass and twigs all about it in a
circle fifty feet or more in diameter,
burned and singed to ashes. The stone
sizzled and steamed and shot out Jets of
steam or vapor from a thousand pores.
MIR. Mattox and several neighbors Wis
tied it the next day, when he was able
to get a closer view. BY daylight it
showed up dull dingy black, and was
full of pores, which still shot out Jets of
YapOr of an offensive smell, which almost
stified one. The stone is evidently en-
bedded in the ground for some distance,
and shows only about a foot above the
surface Mr. Mattox estimates it to be
about the size of a hogshead, and says
when he left this morning 1t was still
throwing out a strong heat and it would
require some days to cool off sufficiently
to permit its being dug out. As Mattox
is well known in this community there IS
no doubt whatever of the truth of his
statement. The stone will be exhibited
at Jackson park as soon as it can be han
died Mr.. Mattox hopes to realize a
handsome sum for it from some of the
great societies interested in meteoric col
lectiOns. 1t is certainly the largest wan
derer from the realms of space which
ever found its way to earth.