The broad ax., 1896-05-23

and other places
not far from the capital is not 50 very
uncommon, but II is seldom observed
en- 90 startling a scale. The conclusion
from the explosion was SO violent tnat
every building In Madrid was shaken
many windows were broken, and rev
light structures were levelled with the
ground. The terror inspired by the
occurrence, particularly among the ig-
norant and superstitious, was all the
greater because the event was, OF
course. unexpected, and II came on
day Of beauty when all nature was
bright and gladstone.
The sky was cloudless, the morning
sun was radiant, the shops had put on
their freshest Monday morning air, and
the streets were Just beginning to be
thronged with shoppers, pedestrians
and traffic when the deafening sound OF
the explosion was heard. Those who
happened to be looking at the sky say
that at the instant of the explosion
there was a vivid glare of binding light
that for the moment outshone the sun,
and then there instantly appeared at
the place where the disturbance orig
mated what looked like a cloud OF
white and blush tint, bordered with
red, which moved east at a tremendous
rate, leaving behind a thin train that
may have been dust particles from the
meteor illumined by the sun.
The largest shell shot from a modern
gun and bursting in midair could not
have produced a sound approaching the
stunning defamation of this explosion.
Many people did not recognize its orig
IN In the air. and thought some terrible
calamity had occurred at the surface.
The enormous energy OF the disturb
ance probably equalled at least that
o. large powder magazine which had
blown up. for the whole city seemed to
be shaken as by an earthquake, and
the agitation Of the atmosphere was
shown by the rapid fall and rise Of the
barometers.
We may imagine with what brill
hancy this aerolite must have shone
In the sunlit sky when we know that
Il was visible over at least three-fourths
of Spain as II shot through the air
above the peninsula with a speed sew
eral times as great as that Of the swift
est war projectile. The mountaineers
among the Pyrenees saw II and won
dered. Even at Frances famous water
ing place. Biarritz, on the edge Of Spain,
the streak of light athwart the sky
was observed. So II was observed from
the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, for
the people on the east coast at Valen-
cha saw It, and in the south II was
noticed as far rs the southern tier Of
provinces. Nearly all Spain was treat
I'd to a pyrotechnic display on that
morning.
Some damage was done also at places
other than Madrid. for the big red-hot
stone partly disintegrated on its way
and incandescent fragments that show
cred down upon the town Of Logrono,
136 miles northeast Of the capital, set
two buildings on fire, and at Borgos,
120 miles north Of Madrid. three frag-
ments from the main body started OF
as meteors on their own account and
fell among the houses. Other pieces
Of the grayish stone that were flung
on near Madrid were picked up while |
still hot.
So we see that this celestial visitor,
after striking out atmosphere, scat
tered fragments along its way. It is
quite probable that the main body |
passed completely over Spain and fell |
into the Mediterranean. It seems likely |
that II crossed the Spanish peninsula |
In less than half a minute, for these |
little objects travel with tremendous
velocity. Probably many of the frag-
ments that broke on from the stone |
travelled along with 1t In parallel |
courses but q few Of them dropped to |
the ground.
The story Of itr flight IL very much
Hike that Of the famous msteorite
whose passage over about half Of our
continent from west to east was OBJ
served In December. 1875. It first be-
came visible In the western part of
the Indian Territory. and Il passed
over al the intervening states until Il
was last observed in the state of
New York. and It trayersed this vast
distance In about two minutes. The
height above the earth at which Il was
frst observed il believed to have been
over sixty miles. and when over can
trsl New York It II thought to have
bean over thirty miles high. Many
explosions were heard along its patti.
and many fragments that were broken
on Travelled along In its train a. nock
Of smaller meteors. and q few Of them
fen to the ground. An Indiana farmer
heard the dull thud" with which one
Of them struck the ground near his
house. and he found the stone In the
morning. and It was declared to be un-
q part Of the meteorite. In
The same way explosions were heard In
various cities as the Spanish visitor
nitfed along. and. a. In the case OF our