The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-07-04
METEOR BLAST
SHAKES PARTS
OF z STATES!
S. w. Washin aton,
Willamette Valley
Feel Tremor From
Explosion Overhead

LAPioohou OVSIuSao
PORTLAND. Ore..-Astro-
nomers believed today that a
meteor, exploding as
IL streaked across the early
morning sky. caused the con-
cussion felt by hundreds Of
residents in northern Oregon
and southern Washington
Sunday.
so many persons were aroused
by the loud rumble that police,
radio stations and newspapers were
flooded with more anxious tele-
phone callers than al any Tina
since orson welies made his Ia
nous Men From Mars" broad.
cast Sat. y. c, Snow. Of Oregon
state police. said his house aas
Jared 80 that he wss almost
thrown out Of bed,
Professor J, Hugh rnlett. head
OF the University OF Oregon ss,ro.
nomy department. said he had no
doubt but that the conclusion wss
caused by an exploding meteor. an
unusual phenomenon Weather
observers at the airport here said
the shock occurred between 7s3
and T.5< a. IN.
DRUGGIST SEES IT
Although Il WAS believed tho
meteor or fragments Of Il may
have struck The ground. possibly
somewhere In Southwest Washing
ton. Il was not recorded on any
seismograph Instruments. Astro-
nomers nj MI. Wilson observatory
agreed with Prustt that an explod-
ing meteor was the most plausible
explanation for the phenomenon
Ford Hand. druggist at Eugene.
100 miles south of Portland. said
he saw the meteor as u sped across
the sky and disappeared over this
horizon TO the north. II Was ex.
tremely brilliant" he said. about
the sixe Of a half moon"
OZONE sMELLED
Pnnett estimated the meteor was
within 30 milcs ~ earth when il
passed over Eugene. he said. how
ever, that II might be weeks or
months before u could be found
because II may have struck SONS
Isolated spot The only physical
damage appeared 10 bs IN the
broken windows. in Portland.
sgt. SNOW said he could detect
the tickling smell ~ ozone "a n
Dol, 81 lightning had struck nearby.
Several persons reported seeing
trails of smoke in the shy just
after the sbpeh4
Towns as far north "a Chehaiis.
Wash. felt ths shock. II vas sharp
at Vancouver. Wash.
VANCOUVER sHAkES
The area where the phenomenon
wss noticed seemed confined 10
the apparent course OF the daylight
meteor. in almost . straight hns
north from Eugene 10 Chehsiis
Professor Pfustt sssd the last
ds yiight mstsor. = rare Occurrences.
seen IN the northwest WAS on the
morning Of Sept 5. 1910. which.
by strange coineidsnes. MAS slso .
sunday.
Mrs ". Howard Hsadtf. ~
Gladssons. q Portland suburb. gave
vivid description Of The motors
fhgh, as seen from bss yard.
The thing vss bail n fire
about one third ihs slzs of me
moon ana had slss tail. shs
said. II Sss sncireisd sitb a
bright rose oOlorsd halo. !, moved
IN what appea. 81 10 be : north.
eriy direction
HEARD iT WHINE
The thing vas accompanied ~
winning noise. which eossld ee
ilksBs1 ~ thai II an sirplaDs IN
poNer dive
@sokidenly. Nith small puff II
smoks. IL disappeared. apparently
exploding u sss very hlgh IN
the any,
Following the frat puff u
smoke there was a second large
oBs Of blslsn white hue about the
axe Of small cloud. Then fingers
Of smoke ssemed 70 extend from
II ssrtbword. as though PARTICLES
were failing
1T seemed axe more than =
minute before the rumble can't.
fret one loud one and then several
lesser ones"
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