Year: 1859

From the OswegO Palladium. June i6l


On Wednesday yesterday morning the in
nabItants of the towns of Boylston and Red
heid, In tins county, were startled by the Oc-
eurrence OF most remarkable phenomenon
the descent from the heavens of an immense
meteoric mass. The body struck the earth be-
tween the hours of three and four a. m, with
crash that was truly terrific, and the shock
was sensibly felt and people aroused from their
sleep at distance of five miles from the scene
The body fell upon the farm of Horace Sanger,
situated on the line Of BOylstOn and Redfeld
striking in a meadow and partially on the
highway. IL Is estimated by our informant to
cover half an acre of land. The earth was
torn up in terrible manner, and large frag-
ments were thrown distance of two-thirds Of
mile. The mass is very irregular in shape.
and rises at some points TO sixty and eighty
ieet IN helght, and is supposed to be imbedded
In the earth as many feet. The surface gen.
orally has the appearance of iron ore The
excitement occasiOned by the event among the
inhabitants was intense, and the crash is said
to have been terrific beyond description. Many
supposed that the final winding up of terrcs-
trial affairs had truly arrived.


correspondence of Oswego Palladium. juno Il I


The Meteoric Phenomenon.


BOYLSTOS, Thursday, June I6.-On the re-
ceipt OF your despatch at Pulaski started at
once for BoylstOn, TO inspect in person the
scene OF the startling phenomenon of Wednes-
day.


The facts in regard to the time and circum-
stances preceding the fall of the arolite have
from Mr.. James Hadley, an intelligent and re-
sponsible citizen of the town of Redieid, who
resides about one mile from the scene, and the
rest Is from personal observation.


MR.. HADLEY's STATEMENT.


was awakened at about three o'clock on
Wednesday morning, by the room in which L
nj hQI e IlaI Iyrafh ,r.6N
heard rushing sound like the coming of a
great wind. This did not last above a few
seconds after was awake, when an explosion
followed of which | can give no description-it
was terrific. The whole house shook as if a
hundred cannon had been fired under the win
dows; quite number of pancS of glass were
broken out Of the windows, aud the plaStering
of the room L was in came tumbling about me-
The light, which was SO brilliant that | could
plainly see every object in the room, was at
once extinguished. The window of my room is
on the opposite side of the house from the place
where the meteor fell, So that L can only Judge
Of its direction The light seemed to come from
some body moving very rapidly and from south
to north. and seemed to increase rapidly during
the brief space that preceded the explosion.


The aerOlite struck the earth in some timber
land belonging to Mr. Sanger. in thinly in
habited portion of the town. We believe Mr
Hadleys is the nearest dwelling 1t seems to
h"NO oCOh an diLHOsC pucIlcdl OF. dS near
as we can judge from the fragments remaining
about 10 feet in diameter. Ils course was from
southwest to northeast, and descended at al
angle of not more than ~ degrees from the
horizon, which is proved by its track through
the heavy hemlOck trees before il touched the
earth.


The trees are cut through rs n cannon ball
would cut through a hedge, leaving a clear
track, The velocity must have been immense
The earth is torn up for several rods and the
huge trees are splintered and piled up like
brush. One large hemlOck, at least four feet
III diameter, near whose roots the meteor struck
was thrown bodily for eighty yards, crushing
the surrounding trees like pipe-stem. Frag
ments Of IA huge sandstone boulder which lay
in its course, under the surface were thrown
in all directions, and one weighing half ton
was found in the road three-fourths of mile
away.