The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-29
FACTS AHOUr MErKORS.
Nramsrnns Pieces OF "Ea!Hug stars' Are III
Museums.
(Now York Sum


me'eors that arc constantly pelting
the earth. Most Of the meteors are
small They como rushing through
space, strike the atmosphere and the
friction against the molecules Of air
heats them tu white heat, and sets
them ahlaZe. Sometimes part Of one
may Teach the earth; hnt AS a rule
lbey are consumed and the dust alone,
cosmlc dust, drops upon the surface.
One OF the earliest known met,orS fell
in 2o4 Is, G.. in Phrygia where for
long tim" II was worshippea. Ii WAS
carried to Rome sDd was supposed to
he messenger from the gods. Livv
describes q shower Of r1eteoric stones.
The people were greatly alarme and
the senators were 3emoralizei and
declared 8 nine days festival TO
proplistethe gods, There is at Mecca
a meteovite which fell in coo 4. y.
and is still worshiPped by the taithtul
In Chinese literature there Is mention
Of meteors which fell io GA &. c. TIE
oldest known mateorite Winch WAS
saen TO fall Is aow On exhibition at
Ensisheim. Alsace, Germany. IL
1872 II came crashing down through
the air with roar that ProStratsd the
peasantry with fright Ii buried itself
deeply in the earth. II weighed POO
pounds and hangs today in the parish
church.
The ChuPaderos ,De,aorite. which
weighed p ions, fell in Chitusahug,
Mexico The largest neteo.ite known
is the Peary stone which weighs
apj mately one hundTel tons. The
stone of Canon Diable weighs at least
ten tons and exploded high in the air.
the pieces being found all over the
surrounding country. II Italy several
instances ara known OF the loss Of life
from meteorites. \ peasant was
sitting in his cabin and was killed b.
an iron mass that crashed through
the roof: the act was regarded as
visitation Of divine a0g,r. The city
OF Milan Is perhaps the only one that
has been struck By the meteorite. A
meieorite OF several pounds weight
fell IN the heart OF that city in the
year lCt}J, Oh the authority Of Pao!o
Maria Tezzryo, and struck Francis
can monk
More remarkable are the falls al
sea That 4 ship would be struck
wcild seem al extraordinary chance.
yet Swedish ship was 80 struck, the
stone killing two Of the crew. On
December l, 1856, the ship Walkom-
ming was sailing from New YORK to
Bremen when her officers noticed 4
brilliant meteor that appeared 10 be
bearing doIn On the vessel FROM
southeast to northwest. 1t passed
with loud rosr and Kissing sound
and plunged into the gea ahead Of
the ship. That it was a meteor Of
large sig Was evident, for few
minutes later the ship vas struck By
tidal ware. ZTea more remarkable
was tbs experience Of the British ship
Cawdor, which reached San Francisco
Nov. %, 1897. During serere
storm q large and brilliant meteor was
observed rnahing down upon the ship.
and with roar and filling the air
with fumes Of sulphur It pasged be-
tween the na&sts Of the ship I'd fell
into the ses no4 Gfty fest from the
rail.
One Of the greatGst cuyjosities
possessed by nan to-day is auppoae1
fragment M z eoInst ia IaZapjj, b1e1i'
co. The fragment il bejjeyed u be 4
part 1T the tail ot Biela'g conet> Ia
1SB souaetbjng haprenod 10 spac1 +;
a wreck oacased BjeIa'g eomet nJay
hare eolgided with anDthef comet in
any easa the eonet aiyjded and r0any
living obseTTgg ye;nenbe5 seejDg
the two parts grsdga,jy Gepafatjng
Sodne fatality p1seoed one part of
the oosaes and il iaet its faN in inf.
nita spane, literally went Il, pseoes
s1ad fasssae = gfeek npoa tfse sf,o1e,
leas sses 81 epses. Assrotsotoers pre~
dsssed tEss IL the emit jtaeIf did
4.