Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1910-05-04
Big BRILLIANT
METEOR SEEN
Hon. 0. N. Grue'S Barn Has Mar
= row Escape From Being
Fired by a Fragment.

A large meteor of most unusual
brilliancy passed over the county
last Monday night shortly after ten
o'clock. 1t left trail cf light
which remained in the heavens for
more than fifteen minutes after the
meteor passed. Those who saw the
meteor describe it as an immense
ball of fire that travelled at a very
rapid speed. 1t. did not seem to
travel in. straight line and the
head seemed to shake visihly.
While some who saw it seem to
think that 1t was quite low down,
the fact that rushing sound was
heard seems to indicate that it was
at considerable height when it
passed over here. 1t may have
come to the ground somewhere in
a northeasterly direction but so
far no report that such fall was OBJ
served has come to the Tribune.
A telephone message from Sena-
tor Grue's farm was received by
the Tribune yesterday in which it
was stated that meteor had struck
close to the barn and had started a
J fire in the loose straw which for
/ tunately was too thin to permit the
spread of the flames.
A party was at once made up of
local people interested and were ia
ken out by Mr.. o. R. Berkness in
his automobile. The party found
the remains of what no doubt was
small fragment of the large me-
teor seen the night before. Small
heaps of ashes of small granulated
consistency were scattered over an
area of five or six feet square. A
number of small pieces of more
solid substance had been picked up
by Senator Grue and are now at
the Tribune office. They have a
very strong sulphurous smell. The
space where this fragment or sedi-
ment covered the ground was
burned off. When MIR. Grue first
discovered the spot he became angry
to think that someone had been
careless enough to start a fire so
near the barn. but on closer investi-
cation he found that it was due
from a heavenly visitor. The
sheep IN the yard had run over the
spot and rather spoiled the deposit
for close investigation. 1t was
evident however that there was
enough fire and superheated ma
terial so that if it had fallen few
feet farther east, Senator Grue's
fine barn would have burned with
out leaving a trace to indicate what
had set the fire.
Arthur Brewer, who lives about
seven miles southwest from WILL
mar was out having a buggy-ride,
returning from a trip to the city
with lady friend. When about a
half of mile from home he saw a
peculiar light in the skies ahead of
him. In moment the great me-
teor swept thru the heavens over
him. He whipped up his horse and
on arriving at the house called out
the folks who had already retired
and they came and still saw the
trail of light across the heavens.
Young Brewer told the story to
the Tribune over the telephone.
"You want to know about the
comet we saw. Well, l was COM
ing home from trip north, when
all at once I saw the comet coming.
| whipped up the horses, and in
about ten or fifteen minutes came
home and called to the folks to
come out and see Haltey's comet.
The track in the skies was then
still visible.
1.-The ball of fire looked to be
about the size Of a bushel basket,
and it was quite unsteady in its
motion. 1t seemed to pass over
only about three or four hundred
feet above us.
"No, l heard no sound, but
could see smoke left along the light
trail of the comet
The impending visit of Haley:
comet is quite generally associated
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