Graham guardian., 1899-10-20
FELL FROM THE SKY.
Meteorites Astonish African Villa
gers and Are Sent to London.
Fine Collection of Celestial visit
ants In the British Mu.
scum 80 Explosions OF
Msteorttes.

The fine representative collection OF
meteorites in the department OF min
erals in the British museum has just
been enriched by four stones which
were seen to fall on the morning OF
January 25 last In native villages on
the eastern slopes of Mount Zomba.
| British Central Africa. Two OF them,
completely encrusted and weighing II
ounces and II ounces respectively. are
presented to the trustees by MIR. Alfred
Sharpe, C. B.. her majesty's commits
sioner and consul general; part, weigh
ing 20 ounces, OF third stone by Mr..
j. L. Cunningham, secretary to the
protectorate, and part, weighing 10
ounces, OF fourth stone by Mr.. j. Me
Clounie, acting collector of revenues.
1t was about eight o'clock on the
morning of the 25th of January that
there was heard at Zomba crash like
thunder, the reverberations lasting for
a few minutes afterward. The detona-
ton was heard lat Chiromo, situated
about 20 miles south of Zomba, and at
Fort Johnston and beyond, distance
Of about 70 miles in the opposite direc-
| ton. Zomba was thus roughly the
center Of the district over which the
actual explosion OF the meteorite took
place. About nine a. m. news reached
the residency that several stones had
fallen in native villages on the eastern
slopes OF Zomba mountain, which is sit
uatsd Immediately behind the Zomba
settlement, and rises to height OF
5000 feet above the sea. the settlement
being at 1000 feet.
Ten fragments in all were found,
the largest weighing five pounds l2K
ounces. At one OF the villages the peo-
pie were found squatting rourd the
stone In circle discussing the mir
acle," as they called it. No one had
touched or approached the stone, and il
was still lying where it fell, when the
officials sent to investigate the matter
arrived. The story of it's fall was given
as follows:
"a woman was pounding corn under
a tree within about ten yards Of her hut
when the stone fell. The whole village
heard the detonation Immediately after
/ ward, and gathered to where the won
an was standing to view the stone.
They were afraid of it, thinking it en-
chanted, and they sat at q distance
round II, each giving a version of its
probable origin and meaning"
1t fell on hard ground, but, as there
were no rocks about, no difficulty was
experienced in digging it up complete.
At Blantyre little before eight on
| the same morning star of exceptional
brilliancy was seen to pass across the
sky in the direction of Lake Shirwa
(roughly, west to cast), leaving trail
or tail behind it, Immediately followed
by an explosion like crash of thunder.
Mr.. McClounie states that the report
was heard with the precision of can
non boom, while Mr.. Sharpe, who, at
the time of the explosion, was on tor
ofZomba mountain, heard one very loud
report; then for some two minutes a
long rumbling or buzzing noise, grad
ually getting fainter and fainter.
Explosions of meteorites are general
ly followed by sounds which have been
yariously likened to the Tapping of the
wings OF wild geese, the believing of
oxen, Turkish music, the roaring OF
fire in chimney, the noise of ca
riage on the pavement, and the tearing
of calico. Mr.. Fletcher, the keeper OF
the department of minerals, in his "In-
PRODUCTION to the Study of Meteorites,"
states that these sounds are probably
due to the whirling of the fragments
through the air in the neighborhood OF
the observers.
AS far as at present known, the area
over which the Zomba stones fell repre-.
sents about nine miles long by about
three wide, but, inasmuch as the frag.
ments collected are only those which
were seen to fall close to people or
houses. it appears probable that large
number OF stones may have reached the
earth.-London Times.