The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-11
A FIREBALL FROM THE SKY.
An AeTOlite plungCS Into The Marsh
South OF Isle Of Hope.

River Rocked by the Explosion Of
the Fiery visitor-The ShockFelt in
the City-The Country Lighted Up
as by an Electric Light.
A gigantic aerolite passed over the
city last night and plunged into the
marshes somewhere south ofIsle Of Hope
Its fight was like that Of a Parrott gun
shell. A tremendous explosion followed
its decent and Isle of Hope was shaken as
If by an earthquake. The shock was dis
tinctly felt in this city.
The aerolite came from the northwest
and was seen at 40 O'Clock Its descent
was accompanied by a rumblng noise like
that of heavy balls being rolled over
floor and was followed by an explosion
like that Of steamboat boiler The
rumbling noise and explosion lasted about
three seconds.
A PLANNING BALL.
Isle of Hope was startled almost out Of
its wits The meteor or aerolte was
like an immense electric light, and lit up
the country over which it passed as
bright as day.
iADhApAA
in Savannah and resembled a cannon
shot at distance Of several miles. The
unusual sound attracted attention in all
quarters and inquiries We're made in
every direction. 1t was soon
reported that an aerolite had
fallen in Skidaway marsh, near
Isle of Hope and telephone message to
the MORNING NEWS confirmed the rumor
The last car had already come in to the
city and it was impossible to get any sat
isfactory account by telephone. A spe-
cial car was secured from the Coast Line
railway and left the Bolton street depot
at lib o'clock with Motorman T. c.
Crawford and MORNING NEWS reporter.
The car arrived at Isle of Hope in forty
minutes.
FLIGHT OF THE FIERY MASS.
Proprietor Willett of the Isle of Hope
restaurant, was around at his house near
the depot, and Mr. Chas, A. Cole, one of
the foremen Of the Atlantic Contracting
Company, both Of whom saw the meteor,
and gave a full account of its passage.
According to their account the residents
of Isle of Hope were enjoying the cool
breezes for which their suburb is famous.
About 40 o'clock they were startled by a
bright light in the sky as if an i'm
mense electric light had just been
turned on. The light grew brighter every
moment, and those who looked in the
right direction saw an object about the
size of q cannon ball coming out of the
woods over the bluff from the northwest.
1t passed in a southeasterly direction and
seemed to move slowly, not being much
above the tops Of the trees apparently.
1t had the appearance of a big electric
light and lit up the country as bright as
day There was a train of light extend
ing behind it for several feet like the tail
of a comet.
The mass passed over Skidaway river,
and when some distance on the other
side, about half mile it seemed, the
light suddenly went out while the meteor
was in mid air
About a minute and half after the
disappearance of the light there was a
sound as of a tremendous explosion,
which shook the village like an earth
quake. II was like an explosion Of dyna-
mite on the firing a ten-inch columbiad,
but seemed to come from a distance of
several miles. The people of Thuuderbolt,
as well as of Isle of Hope were startled
by the strange phenomenon.
THE NEGROES PANIC STRICKEN.
Some of the negroes were badly scared
and declared that judgment day was at
hand.
Mr.. Cole and Mr. E. H. Gaynor were
experimenting the loading of a barge
with brush on the river front when the
light first appeared. They looked up
and saw the meteor coming over the
bluff, 1t passed directly over their heads
and they had a good view Of
it. 1t seemed, Mr.. Cole said,
to be about the size of
a mans head. 1t gave a very bright
white light, and had a stream of light
behind it for several feet. 1t was not
very high in the air, appearing to barely
clear the tops of the trees, and was NOV
ing slowly. They watched it pass across
the river in the direction of Sl1idaway
island, until, when about half mile dis
tant, apparently, the light suddenly ex-
pired. The passing of the meteor occu-
pied several seconds, and an interval of
fully half a minute elapsed before the ex-
plosion was heard
There was no fash of light Immediately
before or after the explosion. Either the
meteor had buried itself in the mud or
had entirely burned itself out before ex-
ploding, which would appear unlikely
Mr.. Cole is Of the opinion that the ex-
plosion took place several miles distant,
but it would not seem that the shock
could have been so distinctly felt at Isle
of Hope if such had been the case.
BARGE ROCKED AT IT'S MoORINGs.
The barge in the river was very per
ceptibly affected by the shock and rocked
to and fro as if there had been an up
heaval beneath it,
Some Of the negroes declared that it
was gun fred from the revenue cutter
that made the noise, but the Boutwell,
carries no guns of sufficient caliber to
cause such a general shock 1t
was suggested by some that it was
barely possible that a boiler on some
river steamboat had exploded and
caused the loud noise and the shock 1t
was concluded, however, that the coinci-
dnnce Of the explosion of a steamboat