Evening star., 1898-12-24
UNHORSED BY A METEOR.
Midnight Adventure fn Kentucky
With a BedeviIed Fire Ball.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal.
A huge meteor passed over the western
portion of Garrard county about u o'clock
Wednesday night, alarming nearly every
one who saw it. 1t came out of the south
ern heavens rushing northward at high
speed. and exploded among the cliffs of the
Kentucky river with a noise like the dis
charge of a cannon. 1t was apparently
about the size of the full moon. Its path
was wild and erratic and unusually close to
the earth. 1t seemed literally to bore its
way through the air, moving in a spiral,
twisting fashion, alternately dipping toward
the earth and rising from it, and all the
while emitting sparks and sinister kissing
sounds as it sped furiously onward. For a
minute all that region was brilliantly illu-
minated.
Several persons in Bryantsville seeing
sudden bright glare in their rooms, out
to ascertain the cause of it. but were puz-
ed still further at finding no explanation,
as the light had quickly disappeared Hem
ry Burdett of that village, who was fox
hunting in "Poly's Bend" and who saw
the meteor coming toward him. dashed his
horse into gallop to get out of its way.
But he unfortunately headed in the wrong
direction. A moment had scarcely elapsed
before 1t passed with a swish and roar,
short distance above his head, causing his
horse to plunge SO violently that he was
thrown headlong from the saddle. He
capped serious injury by failing into thick
patch of broomsedge. Before he had re-
gained his feet and while still temporarily
blind from the intense light an explosion
reverberated like thunder among the neigh
boring cliffs.
Burdett says he distinctly felt the heat
OF the fire ball as ii passed over his head.
He also heard IL sizzle. He didn't recover
his horse until some time next day. Only
an instant before Burdett's mishap, but at
a point some six miles further south, sparks
ha1 ffraif fad halpa Srf. NxyF-fl
the crest of Hackleys Hill, and 1t was
quickly reduced to ashes.
Millard Rout and Dick Moore. residents
of harrisburg, who were on their way home
from 'possum hunt saw the phenomenon
and were considerably frightened by 1t.
They describe IT as sort Of gyrating, glob-
ular missile of intense brilliancy, which
rushed uncertainty across the country In a
northerly direction, leaving behind a vivid
sinuous train. They heard a distant de-
tonation. Among others in that vicinity
who saw it was an old colored man, who
galloped excitedly down the Lexington pike
on mule, shouting at the top of his voice
that the judgment day had come. These
cries aroused Pat O'Connor from deep sleep,
causing him hurriedly to thrust his head
out Of window and scan earth and sky
for some moments with apprehensive looks.
Seeing nothing, he concluded that the negro
was either drunk or demented. THE howl
In black ape" he exclaimed. pulling down
the window and again retiring. who liver
heard OF judgment day coming In the mid
die of the night"
Reports indicate that the meteor first be-
came visible somewhere near the Tennes-
see line, as 1t was seen by persons as far
south as Jellico and Corbin. near which
place 1t passed at a much higher altitude
than was aftarward shown at any point In
Its erratic course. The path Of such a phs-
nomenon is rarely so near to the surface
of the earth as this one seems to have been
nor IL 1t often 20 erratic. 1t Is probable
that one or more meteoric rocks were lib
Grated at the time of the explosion. but
none has yet been found. although several
parties have been searching for them In a
certain locality near the river on the north.
srn border OF the county.