The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-08-06
Meteor Fall
Witnessed in
Sank Centre
Ball of Fire Seen Dropping
From the Heavens Tues
day Evening
HIT NEAR ROCHESTER
Shower of Meteors Will Hit
Earth Next Tuesday Scien-
lists Claim

Tuesday evening about 7:15 May
or Sigurd Holme and couple of
other gentlemen standing in front
of the Palmer House, corner Third
and Main, saw ball of fire drop
from the heavens, travelling at a
rapid rate of speed. They thought
it must have landed a corpora
lively short distance from the city.
A story in Wednesday evenings
Minneapolis Journal from Rochest-
er, Mimi, tells of a meteor which
fell in a farmers field about eight
miles from that city. The Journal
states that spectacle was witnessed
by thousands in Minneapolis. It
was reported visible at DesMoines,
Iowa, and elsewhere. 1t is very
probable that the ball of fire
glimpsed by Mayor Holme and his
companions was the meteor falling
at Rochester. The Journal story
follows:
Flaming it's way through the
twilight toward the southwest,
what apparently was meteor or
meteorite ploughed the atmosphere
in the vicinity of the Twin Cities
last night and was reported to have
struck the earth eight miles west
of Rochester. Thousands of spec
tators in the lower half Of the state
were treated to grandstand view
Of fireworks Of the universe.
Efforts to locate the spot where
the object, which appeared as a
brilliant ball of fire trailing green
and white flames in q long arc,
struck the earth proved futile to-
day.
Farmers and motorists in the vi
cinity of Rochester who witnessed
the spectacle said the meteor ap-
parently struck in the vicinity Of
the Howard Watts farm. Mr.. and
Mrs. Edward ]. Kelly, Rochester,,
who reported seeing it strike, said
it created q humming sound and
noise like an autmobile collision as
1t struck.
TN Minneapolis, the spectacle
was witnessed by thousands. It ap-
peared first high above the horizon
at sunset, curving toward earth
with brilliant light, leaving in the
sky trail of green and white
flame and plume of smoke pune
tuated at intervals with large puffs.
Anxious householders reported the
flaming ball passed close over their
gardens and trees.
"The spectacle was reported from
nearly every town in southern Min
nesota, while residents Of Des-
Moines clearly saw the fire cleav-
ing the heavens to the north.
Sounds as of an explosion were re-
ported from Hector, Sleepy Eye and
Redwood Falls, while other reports
said the phenomenon was witness
ed as far south as Omaha.
New Ulm, st. Cloud, Fairmont,
Winona, Elbow Lake and Albert
Lea also reported witnessing the
meteor.
1.-THE falling meteor was observed
here by members Of the Royal Can
adian Air Force squadron approach
ing Minneapolis from the west,
Squadron Leader H. w. Hewson
stated the ball of fire appeared very
close.
I'VE were just approaching Min
neapolis from the west when this
ball Of fire shot down the south
western sky" he said. II thought
at first it was some other pilot fir
ing light to welcome us but the
flare was too big for that.
'It had long tail Of green
flames and looked much like the
naming onions that were shot up
in France in an attempt to set fire
to enemy ships, except that the
tail was above instead of below
the ball of fire."
"Dr. w. H. Emmons, head of the
geology department of the Univers-
ity of Minnesota, said it was en-
tirely probable the object was a
meteor which disintegrated before
reaching the earth. Such falls are
common, he stated, although not
always as visible or spectacular"