The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-19

The Belgian steamer Galihc. plying bc
tween New Ycak 5ad Brazil, was recently
struck by 5 falling star and n~llraoulcnsly
escaped destruction There arc not many
people who hnoy what an aerolite Is ex
ceps by report. Scientists viii tell yoa
that an aeroiite is q stony or metallic Body
Of meteorio steno, which, falling from the
skies, is i4nkeedcd iii tho ground. It may
weigh from 200 to 1000 pounds. and the
frightfn1 velocity ef the fafl invests ii
with peculiarly destructive powers.
So if that a~erolite had struck tho Cali
loo il a vital spot thore would have been
trouble. Albers Hassins, first oflcsrcf the
steamer, is The only person aiia to give 4
coherent Geeelint OF what happened.
"We laft Rio On tho morning of Oct. q,
and on the 1fsh touched at Bahia" says
Mr.. Haslsins to a New York World re-
porter, Strong head winds had prevailed,
and toward tho dawn of tho 20sk had in
creased in velocity. The sky had changed
from black to yellnw, and then to that
copper color that tells Of the approach Of 0
thunderstorm. I guessed that We were in
for rough weather, but little did I dream
Of what actually would happen.
SIT was q little after 4 O'Clock iii the
morning. Captain Fisher, who had been
on tho preceding watch, had gone to his.
bunk ard | was on the bridge. Every ms
a v the lookout tho man at the wheel
and myself was in bed and fast asleep.
when the wind suddenly Dropped and tire
rain began to fall. Wo wero about 10
miles south OF Barbados, and il was 4 80
o'clock.
"Ihe rain came down in a perfect tor
rent, the kind Of storm that only q sailor
can unferstana-ona that is never scen
sayo in these attitudes. don't think |
ever saw a raia to eqrul it.
'tThcn presently ann me thunder to
liyen up matters. There we're three or
four heavy cracks aud then one long sus-
tanned reverbeTatiag esash that lasted,
should say, fer faofe than q minute. i
was just as if q whole division OF heavy
a~rsilicry was firing from a great height.
perhaps my nerves were shaken. ]
don't know. What ! do know is that there
followed two or three sharp flashes Of
lightning, then another peal of Nhunder
Then a crack appeared IN tho slzy-a crack
that seemed to run zigzag along the SUI
face Of the heavens. And then, as I live te
tell it, the whole great BRASS of rcd cloud
split literally in half-ciean in half-paft
ed, and out OF the sky, right down upol
ne, came b glants solid mass Of rock or ircq
or earth, I don't know which.
SIN the very moment that I JUMBO
aside, as il TO get cut Of its way, / hear
the deafening report as the mass struca
1t seemed to bit us on the port bow; buhs
of course, most Of ii vent into the sea or
we should have been annihilated. A great
wall of water shot up in the air rs feet,
toppled, tumbled and smashed over our
decks. Then there came a binding fash
of lightning that seemed TO lift ire of my
feet, ard the next moment l was lying
face downward on the bridge, dazed, stun
ned and stupid.
ssIn the next moment there was q wild
screaming, and up on the decks tumbied
the crew and tho passengers, half dressed,
same undressed, and all making a rush
foE tho boats. The crew were beginning
to unlash the boats; tho passengers were
crowding on them Ike sheep. Some had
fallen on their knees and begun to pray.
Down below we could hear the Yelling Of
rue Jtai1ans II tie sreerage, vGl.y ea
tain cid nther officers, reviewers In hand,
wero trying 10 bring the crew back TO
their senses ard make the pusseDgqra ro
alize that tho ship was safs.
Tho crew were tbs first to get back
iieir wits. Quieting the Italians was the
worst job. We had to drive them back by
force into their bunks ard hold thoDa
there. Their tho saloCn passengers, seeing
that the beat was riding along all right,
went 10 Their ~cabina, all except two, who
did nct go to- bed again that night.
THE qpptain had seen the thing. but