Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-08
A INDUSTRIOUS METEOR.
That Which Fell Near Belfast Said to
Be the Largest.

From the London Chronicle.
Meteoric stones are by no means UNI
familiar things in the history Of astronom-
ical and physical science. They form a
source Of information regarding the con-
stitution Of other worlds than ours, and
their chemical analysis affords basis for
the belief that community Of composition
characterizes all the members of the solar
system Described in Nature by Mr..
L. Fletcher, F. A. S., we have the account
of a meteoric stone which fell at Crosshti1.
Crumlin, situated about ten miles west OF
Belfast on September 10, at 1890 am,
Irish time. 1t would seem that the Crum-
lin meteorite exceeds in size any stone
which has fallen from the sky in Britain
for eighty nine years. 1t Is also larger
than any stone which has fallen in England
since 1795. lapse Of twenty-one years
also represents the time since any meteor
tie has descended the soil OF Britain,
and in ireland itself no such visitant has
been recorder for thirty-seven years. A
Mr.. Waller. on whose farm the meteorite
fell says that the stone was hot when 1t
landed, and felt hot for at least an hour
thereafter The fall occurred about 1890
am. 1t was accompanied by noise com
pared to the bursting Of a boiler. A cloud
of dust showed where the stone had en-
tered the ground, and by aid of spade
the meteorite was extracted from depth
OF foot and half. sulphurous odor
was perceived in the near vicinity of the
stone, and the noise made by the detona-
ton, 1t Is asserted, was heard at Lurgan,
Antrim Lisburn and Legoniel. The great
est distance was that Of Lurgan. which Is
situated thirteen miles from Crosshill.
These fragments from the sky which
reach our earth represent only remnant
Of the many such visitants that career
through the heavens especially at certain
periods of the year. Every one knows the
Shooting stars" they are called. They
shoot athwart the heavens, glowing with
light engendered by the heat which results
from the friction caused by their rapid
passage through the air. Most OF them are
burned out long before they have chance
of reaching the earth's surface. When the
mass Of meteoric lasts out the friction.
so to speak, it reaches the earth. We have
many specimens Of such stones in our mu-
seums Some of them are of large size.
The Crumlin stone weighs 0 pounds 81
ounces It measures IL inches In length by
61s inches in width. and 31k inches in Thick
ness. 1t is covered with what Mr.. Fletcher
calls the characteristic crust that forms
on such bodies during their passage through
the air. The likeness Of chemical compo-
sition Of meteorites with our own worldly
substances is close, but 1t is noted that In
the Irish stone there exists troilite pro-
tosulphide>of IRON which Is not included in
the products of our planet. Astronomical
science postulates the evolution OF all
planets from a common origin and the COM
position OF meteorites support this view.
II the SUMS heat is the product OF blazing
hydrogen gas-the gas, used to initiate bal
looms, and forming one OF the two gases
whereof water Is comprehend II other
common chemical elements Qron included)
are found to form part Of the celestial orbs,
the idea that all the planets have been de-
veloped from q common basis must certain
iy receive at least respectful consideration.