Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-12-28
Ell hits EARTH
ASTRONOMER DISCUSSES
u MICHIGAN 'ExPLOSlON
ear OF Being Hit Affords Many n
strange Thrill When Compile
hending Possibilities.
GARRETT r. sERvIss.

n NJ great meteoritc which according
yer the eastern edge OF Lake Michi.;an
.n9 plunged into the water some fifteen
ivi fs so %Ys Of GrnnG Haven onThaaksa
- y. struck the wnter, while the atiGos-
merle shock caused by it's. explosion
vas simply. an. uncommon example OF
class OF bodies In tho solar sSstom
shich would constitute distinct dan
ger 20 human life and property IL their
ncounters with the earth wore more
Even when We know that The chance
y any person being hit by,a meteorfte
an Practically ein sasyy,n enc to indnity noboIy
f'y a mysterious bomb flung from inter
planetary space. The most hsisniiicant
nin@ n. , IN the world would deserve e
truck. in that way.
~ | know Of only ono. apparently, trust
icing by meteorite, and that is SIM
,ly the bald statement in the Encycip-
adla Ia, Britsnnifn that a 40, Mhnow ina,a
esented by fragments in museum col.
ases OF similar accidents coming down
rom earlier times, but all OF them lack
g.etinitencss.
a FInre in the Sky.
= like HASH or Of :sunIight"s: f 1hhtsn ap-
NJ through the heavens; the explosion
eunds. and by, apparent shaHins Of
he Garth lreally due to atmospheric
x c.resb.a and I'D, al the other phemomena
re in strict accord with previous rec. rec.
The squirt OF flame" described by tine
ishthouse attendant at Grand Haven
nus she n; mste Ss plunged into the lake
animation cast by the glowing mass
lpon the water and steam thrown up
TO which OF The TWO ot clnss Sst iron
|neleorltcs or the stony meteoritcs-
mis- specimen belongs can only be told
he recovered from, the lake bottom or
ne adjoining shore. II would be worth
pig prize to any scientific museum TO
)ilewpoint or mere curiosity, what could
re more interesting than a great stone
tnown Beyond pe OF dearS pure b Iron ~
(:ome plunging and roaring out of the
ky. enwrapped with fire born from
r!ction with the soft air?
Origin OF Meteorite..
The mystery OF the origin OF Inctco-
ties abidcs; and is rather decpened
han otherwise by their separation into
ne Two varieties already described.
blow up" at some time in the past,
~ cubic miles. the pieces fniiing into
I)rbits about the sun. and. owing to the
|,erturbing attractions OF tho remaining
md larger planets, occasionally being
trawn into paths interEecting the
,arth? III so. where and what was this
unfortunate planet before the dreadful
catastrophe? Was IT, pcrchancc. an
Inhabited world?
Perhaps an Asteroid.
Evidently II niuet have been outside
lie carth's orbit. perhaps among the
asteroids.' a theory which has been
condemned and revived two or three
ines holds that the asteroids them
selves are fragments OF AN exploded
which reach the earth might be the
smaller pieces, the shrapnc.. resulting
from the supposed explosion. There
ire theoretical and mathematical diff
icnities in the way Of this hypothesis.
|out. on the other hand. there are very
|;uggestive realities which obstina :cly
argue in Its favor.
|heavy and dense. The iron specimens
are solid masses, and the stony ones
are propor:ionally compactcu. They
obtain occluded gases. which imply that
|they have been subjected to both great
heat and pressure. Their mineral CON
have been formed except under the
conditions existing in a body incom-
larger than the largest me-
reorite.
And these minerals while bearing an
likeness TO those OF the
earth. and including no element UNI
known on the earth. nevertheless eN-
Expected to develop on planet diner
Ing in physical conditions from our
ciobe. although composed OF the same
kinds of matter.