The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-01-17
FALL OF A METEOR.
Left Three Giant Inter1ocked
Cloud Rings in the Air.

Some interesting information concern
ing the recent fall of a big meteor is
furnished by r. l.. Fisk, who returned
on SATURDAY. from two months trip
into the game districts Of the Blackfoot
and Flathead. Speaking Of the occur
renee. Mr.. Fisk had this to saw:
1--WE were bound into the Flatnead
country in search of game. The party
consisted Of George Miller, Postmaster
at Lincoln, my brother and myself We
broke camp above Ovando on Friday
morning, September 7th, and took what
is known as the Falls Trail up the
south fork of Montour Creek. The trail
is an awful one for pack horses even,
and progress is very slow. Just be-
fore o'clock in the afternoon we halted
at some old elk wallows directly on the
water shed. Here we unpacked, built
fire and started to cook supper.
about twenty minutes past six the
ground underfoot shook and vibrated,
and we heard distinctly three reports,
the first sounding more like the crash OF
thousands of tons from one of the num-
erous peaks surrounding us than any
thing else and the other to the ringing
echoes sent back from the steep noun
|
trembling Of the earth, and stood " It'll
pointed ears and dilated nostrils. utter
ing startled snorts. My brother re-
marked somewhat facetiously:
Get down on your marrow bones, you
fellows, the mountains are turning
over
1--WE stood awaiting the next act, dis
cussing the probable origin of the
strange noise. Happening to glance sky
ward, straight north of our camp, we
beheld peculiar shaped cloud, whitish
gray in color and resembling three in
terlocked rings. With our field glasses
we could make this out ever so clearly.
I'VE suddenly tumbled to the fac.
that we had witnessed, or rather felt
the results attending meteor's fall. Mr..
Miller looked at his watch and an
nounced the time at 6:23. From our
camp it appeared to us that the meteor
had fallen on the range we were then On
We didn't know anyone else had wit
messed it's fall until we got back into
civilization about a week ago. and all
Of us counted on giving the interesting
occurrence to the press. The smoke
cloud was discernable as long as day
light lasted.
THE next day, just after we struck
Salmon Trout Creek, a tributary Of the
North Fork Of the Big Blackfoot we en-
countered a bunch Of Flathead Indians
They were Louie Ashley half breed,
Kootenai, steDson of the old Flat
head chief. Arlee. and another brave
whose Indian name meant coyote, or
some Of the wild beasts Of the region,
have forgotten what. They had their
squaws and children with them. All
were excited. and Ashley remarked:
Indian much scared. Think that
world coming to end. Get away from
here
"They were unanimous in the opinion
that the meteor, for we told them that
was what it was, had fallen on the range
or watershed between the North Fork,
Willow Creek, tributary of the South
Fork of Flathead and Montour Creek,
and believe such was the cage.
1T is easy to account for the story
that it struck near Hay Stack Butte in
this county. A circle drawn with a
circumference of fifteen miles, with its
central point ON Willow Creek, will CO.
yer the headwaters of a dozen different
streams flowing in as many different
directions 1t is but eight miles from
Willow Creek over into the headwaters
Of Sun River.
IF the formation Of the country
counts for anything in deciding just
where it fell it was somewhere in the
range have referred to. Iron predomi-
mates, with considerable slate and lime
and other baser rock. I honestly believe
If any one wants to discover that me-
teor that the place 70 look for it is in the
big range situated as stated. l do not
believe that the meteor as whole
landed anywhere. The first report was
very clear, as If the meteor had ex-
ploded in midair and then rained Its
broken fragments on all sides We es-
timated the smoke cloud to be about
fifty miles above the range, and compass
placed 1t directly north. From the vi
brations of the ground we concluded
that some Of the fragments struck with
in few miles of our camp.
Several days later we met two white
men named Mcknight and Belts, both
we'll known at Ovando. who were cutting
hay in a big meadow on Willow Creek,
expecting to winter stock on shares,
though they had not solved the problem
as to how they were to get the stock in
there, and both said they had wit
messed the strange scene OF the FRI
day before, and that 1t appeared south
west of their cabin.
Mr.. Miller and r.. G. Fish both con-
firmed the above. The Indians named
when at home can be found at the sta
ton of Arlee, on the Northern Pachac,
west Of Missoula.-Helena Herald.
The "Hot Touch" in Tennessee.
Every man-that is nearly every man
has been touched" and, therefore,
the explanation of a touch" which is
given herewith, is for the benefit OF