The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-20
PELTING THE EARTH.
A CONSTANT SHOWER OF METEORS
INTO OUR ATMOSPHERE.
Some Of the Larger Ones Which
Reached tho Earth Unconsumed.
Fragment OF IL Comets Tnil-Thc
Intense Cold of Space Felt by Man.

Reached tho Earth UncOnsuned.
Intense Cold of Space Felt by Man.
The atmosphere forms an arlnor
which is almost impenetrable to the
meteors that are constantly pelting
the earth. About 1000 of these wan
derers in space hit our atmosphere ev
cry a hours. Most Of the meteors are
small They come rushing through
space, strike the atmosphere. and the
friction against the molecules Of air
heats them TO white heat and sets
them ablaZe. Sometimes part of one
may reach the earth; but, as q rule.
! they are consumed. and the dust alone.
cosmic dust. drops upon the surface.
One Of the earliest known meteors
! fell in 2O4 B. G. in Phrygia. where for
a long time it was worshiped. 1t was
carried to Rome and was supposed to
be q messenger from the gods. Livy
describes q shower of meteoric stones
The people were greatly alarmed. and
the senators were demoraliZed and de-
clared a nine days festival to propiti-
ate the gods. There is ut Mecca a
meteorite which fell in 600 \. D. and
is still worshiped by the faithful.
In Chinese literature there is men,
ton Of meteors which fell in GA B.
C. The oldest known mcteoritc which
was seen to fall is now on exhibition
at EnsiSheim. Alsace. Germany. In
1892 it came crashing down through
the air with roar that Frustrated the
peasantry with fright. 1t buried it.
self deeply in the earth. 1t weighed
2GU pounds and hangs today in the
parish church.
The Chupaderos meteorite. which
weighed % tons, fell in Chihuahua.
Mexico. The largest meteorite known
is the Peary stone, which weighs ap-
proyimately 100 tons. The stone Of
Canon Diablc weighs at least ten tons
and exploded high in air, the pieces be-
ing found all over the surrounding
country. In Italy several instances are
known of the loss of life from meteor
ties. A peasant was sitting in his
cabin and was killed by an iron mass
that crashed through the roof. The act
was regarded as visitation Of divine
anger
The city Of Milan is perhaps the on
ly one that has been struck by a
meteorite. A. mctcoritc of several
pounds weight fell in the heart Of
that city in the year 1900, on the au-
thority Of Paolo Maria TeZzayo. and
struck O franciscan monk.
lIore remarkable are the falls at sea.
That q ship should be struck would
seem an extraordinary chance. yet a
Swedish ship was so struck. the stWe
killing two Of the crew. On Dec. ].
1896, the ship Walkamming was sail
ing from New York to Bremen when
her officers noticed brilliant mctecr
that appeared to be bearing down on
the vessel from southeast to northwest.
It passed with Il loud roar and hiSSp.,
sound and plunged into the sea ahead
of the ship. That it was q meteor Of
large size was evident, for few min
utcs later the ship was struck by
tidal wave.
Even more remarkable was the eX-
perience of the British ship Cawdor.
which reached San Francisco Nov. 20.
1897. During 4 severe storm a large
and brilliant meteor was observed
rushing down upon the ship. and with
roar and filling the air with fumes Of
sulphur it passed between the masts Of
the ship and fell into the sea not 80
feet from the rail.
One Of the greatest curiosities pos
sesscd by man today is n supposed
fragment Of comet in MaZapil, Mex
leo. The fragment is believed to be q
part Of the tail of Biela's comet. In
1916 something happened in space. A
wreck occurred Biela's comet may
have collidcd with another comet. In
any case, the comet divided and many
living observers remember seeing the
two parts gradually separating.
Some fatality pursued one part of
the comet, and it met its fate in in
finite space. literally went to pieces
and became q wreck upon the shore
less sea Of space. Astronomers predict
ed that il the comet itself did lot ap-
pear in 1872 its wreckage would be-
come visible as shooting stars, and
this prediction was realized apparent
ly, as on Nov. 81, 1872, there burst
from the heavens a cloud of shooting
stars. During the display one piece
dropped upon the earth and was Sc
cured at MaZapil Mexico, and was de-
clarcd to be part Of the great comet.
The average mcteoritc Immediately
after its fall is intensely hot. but 1T
least one, which was handled immcdi-
atcly after falling. still held the i'll
tense cold Of space. \ few men can
say that they have experienced this.
A mctcoritc exploded above Dhurmsa-
In, Kangra and Punjab. India, in 1860,
and section was picked up immcG:-
ately by some natives, who dropped it
with expressions Of pain. The cXplo-
sion had exposed the interior of the
meteor. which had been chilled by the
intense cold Of space and was so cold
that it's effect was like Il burn. This
fragment is now 10 be seen in the Field
museum. OF it Dr.. FarinSton, the
curator said, ''This is perhaps the on
ly instance known where the cod OF
space has become pcrceptible to human
senses" New York Sun.
TrxvnJco,nn CuifOr