Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-05-13
.SOUTHS|DE VIRGINIA
DENIES IT IS HOST
TO ERRAT|C VISITOR
Residents Know Nothing
of "Detonation That
Shook the Town.
CREWE is UNINFORMED
OF CRASH NEAR THERE
Can Find No One Who Has
Seen Shooting STAR Ex-
ccpt in Flight.
NAY HAVE HIT IN MOUNTAINS
Radio Mcn Here Report That There
Wa. No Unusual Atmospheric
Electricity.
CREWE is UNINFORMED
OF CRASH NEAR THERE
WAY HAVE HIT IN MOUNTAINS
hhdf" Mcn Here Report That There
Wa. No Unusual atmospheric
Electricity.

Somewhere in the Old Dominion
or perhaps it's in North Carolina, or
yet maybe it's the Gulf of Mexico
there rcposes today a celestial yisi-
tor whose advent bids fair to eclipse
the arrival OF Lady Nancy Astor in
the estimation OF Virginians- This
errant visitor Is a so-called meteor
which shot through the skies errat;-
caily on Thursday night, but whose
whereabouts may prove as battling
as the Identity Of Billy Patterson's
assailant.
There is no question that shoot
Ing star OF great brilliancc whizzed
over Richmond. and IL Newton Is
right II must have hit the earth wish.
quite thud. The same "meteor''
was seen in Norfolk, Raleigh and
other points. but to SouthsIda vir-
ginin goes the thrill OF hearing il
land with a "detonation that shook
the town." quoting reports from
Lawrcnceville, Lacrosse, Alberta,
Crewe. blackstone. Burkevilla Ame-
liza, etc, etc.
" struck Ncnr Crcwe."
From Norfolk comes the most
definite information OF the landing
spot. which historians may record
as rival To plymouth Rock or cane
Henry. y mau living in Lawrence
VILE notified Norfolk friends that III,
meteor struck twelve miles northwest
of Blackstone and six miles from
Crewc. According TO the informant,
the meteor weighed twenty tons
more or less--and it left a hole 500
MI,
mass of molten metal hit In the
midst Of an oak grove and strange
to relate several trees were buried
within" yet there was little dam
age to the grove outside the i'm
mediate vicinity of the hole"
In spite OF exact landing place be-
ing fixed. the people Of Crcwc and
Blackstone and Burkeville are ,-un-
aware or the honor of being host to
so rars caller. Wire trouble last
night made II d.Aicuit to trail the
meteor through Southside Virginia.
but while telephone communication
was bad. railroad teleGraphers along
the lines of the Southern. Seahoard
Air Line and Norfolk and Western,
including Crewe. Blackstone. Burke
Vile and Lacrosse. reported that
they had not been able to find any
person who had seen the meteor en-
ccpt In its flight. Stations on the
Norfolk and Western and FAR West
as Concord Depot. reported seeing
the shooting star. hut Lynchburg. ten
miles from the last named point, de-
clarcd that IL was unable TO verify
from any source where the bolids
struck.
Was sporting Biuc Light.
When the meteor went over Rich
mond at n rate which exceeded all
speed limits known to the police. Its
tail was brightly illuminated. but
instead of n red light, 1t was re-
- to be a blue giving the I'm
preston Of "a jitney going backward.
as one spectator declared. Tho
muller was evidently wide open, as
the noise Is said to have greatly
alarmed residents of Southsiho Yir=
ginia. One spectator declares the
meteor looked like hal! the diameter
of the full moon" while another de-
clared II was as large as "a boys
sport cap'--size OF hoy not specified.
No reports OF the landing o: the
meteor were received at railroad Of
fees all OF which have agents az
points throughout Southside Virginia.
The southern Bell Telephone Com
pany. American Telephone and Tcie-
graph Company and the Western
union Telegraph Company likewise
had no information from any OF their
employees scattered throughout Viz
ginia. officials reported last night.
The United states Weather bureau
has Also had no report (
on the phenomenon
Meteors are reputed 10 travel at
the rate OF forty.f -four miles Il second.
III. as some say. the skies were
lighted for twenty rec9Ddseas the
cleaning star winged It's way sarth2
ward. 1t necessarily Travelled some 4
Continued on Page 2. Col, So
loatLft
j.. & w. Sunday Excursions begin s.