The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1931-08-20
RAGE EIGHT
Early Reports Said Fiery Ball
Came to Earth in Ramsey
Park or Lake HOnnOr

The ultimate fate of the meteor
which visited southern Minnesota
Tuesday evening, August A, is still
a matter of conjecture in most local
Ities of the state. However, by
piecing news reports from various
places it seems logical the fiery ball
first entered the atmosphere directly
above the Twin Cities and left it
again or became completely oxidized
a trifle north and east of the zenith
at Redwood Falls.
First reports of the phenomenon
found no less than, a dozen places
where the object was supposed to
have fallen. A number of reports to
the Gazette office were made by peo-
pc who declared it was seen to fall
in Ramsey State Park, Lake Honnor
and various other places in the local
-ity. A close checkup on these rum
zors indicated nobody had actually
seen it fall.
Faded Overhead Here
Curvature of the earth's surface
and the fact the sky appears to us as
an inverted bowl is the probable
reason so many varying reports were
received. To Twin Cities resi-
dents the meteor appeared directly
overhead and seemed to strike earth
ward as it sped toward the West.
Those viewing it at Redwood Falls
had the impression of a rocket
mounting to the skies from the earth.
At other places it's direction varied,
depending upon the viewpoint al
though at places west of here it
seemed to fade from view directly
over Redwood Falls.
Timers of the event generally
agreed the spectacle was viewed
shortly before 8 o'clock and requir-
led no more than two Or three seconds
to cross the state. With sound trav-
cling at 1000 feet per second through
air under normal conditions it re-
asguired between one and two minutes
for the sound of it's explosions to
reach the earth. This would indicate
the visitor to our atmosphere to be
about IL Or 15 miles high as it
travelled through the air. Light
travels almost instantaneously, 1885,
900 miles per second) and this
account for being able to see the
meteor much sooner than we were
able to hear the reports.
Rarely Strike Earth
Failing meteors, commonly called
falling stars" have long been a
source of wonder to human beings.
-Astronomists tell us the space be-
,yond our atmosphere is frequented
by these wandering bodies which go
by unobserved at a terrific rate of
speed. Lack of matter 125 miles
beyond the earth permits them to
travel at such high speeds without
Becoming heated and this condition
results only when they come in con-
tact with the atmosphere. Here the
tremendous friction and presence of
e1xygen causes them to become
heated and oxidize. In rare instances
they strike the earth although they
sare seen nightly as smaller particles
, come in contact with the air.
There is but one case on record
where a person was killed by one of
tfm falling objects and that occurred
In China. However, a fragment fell
In Indiana two years ago striking an
automobile on the highway and mar
xowly missing the driver. This part
ocular piece was travelling with such
force that it tore through the top,
barely missing the drivers head, en-
Tered the hood Of the car and left the
machine through the radiator, weld
ing it with it's intense heat. The
driver of the car thought the load re-
port the sound of gun but his story
was later checked and piece found
an a nearby field. The chances of a
person being hit by one of the flying
objects is something less than one in
2,0O0,0 100000.
Particularly in European countries
the low price of butter in recent
months has stimulated consumption