The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-15
METEOR ROARS
TO THE EARTH
Strikes Ground Somewhere Be-
tween TooeIe and Bingham.
STARTlES THE POpULACE
BRIGHT LIGHT AND LOUD NOISE
AWAKENS SLUMBERERS.
GLOWING with a brilliancy equal to

7 that of the sun, and accompanied
by the noise of rumbling thunder.
a gigantic meteor passed over the city
yesterday morning and struck the earth
somewhere near Tooele, causing the
ground TO tremble as if shaken by an
earthquake, for miles around. Houses
trembled and glass windows ratified
throughout the city. The same demon
STATIONS were observed in Bingham,
Lehi and Tooele, and doubtless the
tremor was felt in many other towns
in this section of the state. People
were awakened from their sleep by the
rumbling noise and the severe trem-
bling of the ground made many think
that a gigantic earthquake held the
state in its grip.
The phenomenon was observed here
about 4:30 o'clock yesterday morning
At that time people who were up and
others who slept lightly heard rum
bling noise that sounded like distant
thunder. The noise gradually in
creased in pitch and volume until 1t
came 10 an end in a crash that sounded
as If tons of dynamite had exploded
IN some near vicinity. An instant later
the buildings began to tremble violent
~. GLASS windows ratified as If they
were going to break. Perhaps five sec
onds elapsed and another rumbling
noise was heard. Again there was a
terrific crash and the earth trembled
violently.
The tremors were plainly felt in the
city, and many people were awakened
by the noise and trembling. At first it
was thought that an unusually heavy
blast had been fired somewhere near
the city, but when the second crash
came, followed by the violent trem-
bling, it was evident that some force
was at work other than dynamite.
Observed in Tooele.
The phenomenon was perhaps OBJ
served better by some of the residents
of Tooele. party of young people
returning from a dance at Stockton.
report that as they were nearing
Tooele. the heavens were suddenly
lighted with a brilliancy equal TO mid
day. When they glanced towards the
sky to see the cause of the bewildering
light they observed flying through the
sky at terrific speed, a huge ball of
fire that looked larger than a barrel.
AS it flew through the air 1t left be-
hind trail Of fire that seemed to
stretch for leagues into the heavens.
The CO sntry for miles around shone
with tne light of day. The snow-coV-
cred mountains sparl1Ied IN the. glow
like huge stalagmites reaching Up to-
wards the star-studded heavens. The
ball Of fire pursued it's flaming course
directly towards the earth and the OBJ
servers watched it until il seemed al
most close enough TO scorch the sage
brush. AS the meteor flew the air re-
sounded with the rumble. The sound
grew louder and louder as the fiery WIS.,
itor neared the earth's surface.
Suddenly there was a crash that rent
the air. Then the earth shook. Houses
shook and the sleeping pOpulace of
n
No one would have been surprised to
see the earth open a yawning mouth
and swallow up the city.
After the crash all was darkness
again save the streak of fading fire
that marked the path of the meteor.
Like streak of suspended sparks this
band of light glowed, gradually fading
from a bright red to the blue-gray of
the early morning Sky.
Struck in the Mountains.
Apparently the great fire ball struck
tn the mountains somewhere not many
miles from Tooele. presumably making
a deep hole. The phenomenon was
plainly seen by residents of Lehi. who
were awakened by the noise and the
trembling of the earth.
At Bingham the meteor caused some
strange electrical disturbances. The in
habitants were all awakened by the
roaring noise and the crash, which
shook every building in the town. In
a few seconds half the population had
their heads out of windows looking for
the cause Of the strange disturbance
The air gIowed with an intense light
that made reading out of doors an
easy matter. An electrical disturbance
was set up that caused the telephone
bells to ring violently. and all the
electric lights in the town performed
what is known as a dip" that is,
went down to only glow. then bright
ened ND again. Some of the inhabi-
4ants figured from the time that
eIapsed between the flash and the re-
mort that the meteor fell within a dis
lance of FIVE miles of Bingham.
Cause of Phenomenon.
In the winter months the earth is
in the meteoric section of its orbit,
being in perihelion, or nearest the
euu A swarm of meteors revolves
aboitt the sun and meteOric demOnstra-
fions are common occurrences in the
winter season. These meteors are the
burned-out residue of comets that
have long ceased to be visible. These
ashes of the comets are blocks OF stone
varying in weigh from a few pounds
"a ions and composed principally of
iron and nickel. AS they fly about the
SIM they are cold and dead but when
tI,e,y come into contact with the at
,oosDhere travelling at the rate of
thousands OF miles per minute, the
friction heats them to incandescence,
producing the glow that is seen while
they are in the atmosphere So hot do
fhev become that streak of 1ncan-
descent dust is left behind the meteor
as a. flies through the atmosphere.
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