Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-24
BLAZING METEOR
SHOOTS OVER CITY
Houses Tremble in Jersey as
Ball Of Fire
Explodes
GASES WERE STIFLlNG

A huge meteor. which passed over this
city ut q o'clock last night, struck the
earth somewhere within the area
bounded by Asbury Park. Browns Mills
in tho Pines and Beach Haven. n. J..
at 9:05 O'Clock. and exploded with n
roar and shock that shook the earth.
Window pIncS were broken and noy-
ious gases were noticed. Although sc-
counts as to the place where the meteor
fell vary. searching parties are looking
for II today. The coast guard station
at Beach Haven reports the celestial
vlsit% exploIch IL mid air. somewhere
over IN resort. Other persons are Just
as confident the meteor fell into the
renn about twenty-five miles off the
const.
The meteor rescmbled. according 10
those who saw, it. a huge ball Of fire
"as big as y house.
John A. Hill. proprietor Of the Bay
view Inn. Seaside Park, compared the
light Of the meteor to that of n flash.
light. 81 was sitting in the reception
hall Of the hotel he said. when
there came faint glow. then a flash
that was for all the world like the glare
Of fashlight when a photographer
takes a picture in room.
"See the Lightning"
my wife exclaimed. Sec tho light.
ming! !! but ] knew it was not lightning,
for it was a white fash. If you can
imagine such thing. A binding white
fash. that entered the windows a.
though there had been nashlight set
off inside the room. Then. in about ten
seconds more, came the explosion. II
81 knx A.-
terrific blast.
"This hotel just rocked AZ though a
giant had grabbed it and was violently
shaking it to and fro. The pictures
were knocked crooked on the walls.
When We rushed out Of the house there
was an odor Of gas in the air, but we
coull see nothing more. Where the
think fell I have no idea, having been
indoors at the time
Sheriff Brown. of Toms River. dc.
clares the meteor went into the ocean
just of Beach Haven.
Moon With Tail on 1t"
People of West Creek and Tucker.
ton. west Of Beach Haven. across the
bay he said, saw the meteor. and
carefully noted its fall. At first they
feared Beach Haven had been struck
the ocean just off the coast. As far as
can find out the force of the explosion
was heard around for fifty miles. II
looked like the moon with tail on it,"
The meteor was also seen by people
at Atlantic City. First reports had it
that big Government ammunition
dump had exploded. The dctonation
was heard for miles. and telephone lines
to the resort were kept busy for M
hour with inquiries from the mainland.
W. Il. Rose, of Mclrose Park. who
saw the meteor. said today. :. was just
upstairs. about a quarter to q. and was
shutting the window. when ] saw what
looked to me like full moon.
to a brilliant rcd. like balls Of fire.
thought it was going to land in Tren-
ton AZ first. then | saw II was further
off than that. I have seen 1lallcy's
comet and several other metcors. but
never anything approaching this one"
Persons in this city. Asbury Park and
ncighbOring towns who saw the phc-
nomenon say it was the most beautiful |
sight they ever bcheld. beginning with /
soft, mellow glow. the light grew in |
II few seconds to that of fiery football !
hurtling through space emitting sparks .
tho size of apples and leaving Il flaring !
wake.
In Lakehurst many Of the buildings
were shaken as II by an earthquake.
but the gases were not noticed.
No Effect On Weather
Professor John Snyder. in charge OF
the department of astronomy at Cen.
tral High School. said:
1.-THE meteorite that fell in New Jcr-
sey was probably a piece of some short
period comet and was elected from the
comets nucleus by its volcanic forces.
They have absolutely no effect what
soever on the weather and climatic con-
ditions.
the same gases included in it as tn.
comet. for this has been proved by the
sppctroscopr. Metcorites have also
their elements distributed similarly to
our native igneous rocks the atoms be.
ing found where thcy arc formed and
not vOlcanically transformed.
'"Thcre is strong case for tho COM
,tary origin Of meteOritcs, for most mo-
teorites move castwardly like the short
periodic comets. and metrorS in gen.
,ral are known to follow definite orbits,
some of which have been connected
with those Of comets.
Show No ErOsivc Traits
"Thpy never show erosion. the wear.
ng effect of water. so that We must
conclude that the parent body was too
small to have an atmosphere.
'"The recent researches Of Prof Mon.
roe Snyder on copper content OF iron
mcteorites also show that the parent
body WAS Of relatively small mass.
All that is known OF memorites lends TO
the conclusion that they are pieces of
comets crust. volcanically exploded as
the comet shoots toward the sun"
ascrCop At Inc AMcCIco