An Atcourd of a Shower of Meteoric Stones, 243 



It 18 well known to mineralogists and chemists that no such 

 stones have been found among the productions of this globe. 

 These considerations^ together with the facts that are im- 

 mediately to be mentioned, raust> in connection with the 

 testimony, place the credibility of the facts asserted to have 

 recently occurred in Weston, beyond all controversy. 



The falling of stones from the clouds is an event which 

 has frequently happened in Europe, in Asia, and in South 

 America^ The accoutits of such phsenomena were, fcJr a 

 long time, rejected by philosophers, as the offspring of igno- 

 rance and superstition. Several facts of this kind, how- 

 ever, within a few years, have been proved by evidence so 

 unexceptionable, as to overcome the most obstinate incre- 

 dulity. It is now admitted not only that such phaenomena 

 have existed in modern times, but that the accounts of si- 

 milar events in former ages are in a high degree probable. 

 As this is the first time that stones are known to have fallen 

 in this part of America, it may not be uninteresting to those 

 who have paid little attention to this subject, or who still 

 hesitate to admit that such things have happened, to see a 

 statement of several similar events in other countries, and 

 some of the eviderrce by which they are supported. 



In 1492, on the 7th of November, at Eniisheim in Up- 

 per Alsace, a stone fell from the atmosphere which weighed 

 260 pounds. Contemporary writers agree in stating, that 

 on this day, between 1 1 and 12 o*clock in the morning, a 

 loud explosion was heard at Ensishcim, and that this stone 

 was soon after seen to fall in a field at no great distance 

 from the town. This stone, till within a few years, was 

 preserved in the parish of Ensisheim. 



In 1762, two stones fell at Verona, one of which weighecf 

 200 and the other 300 pounds. Three or four hundred 

 persons were witnesses of the event. 



In 1790, on the 24th of July, a shower of stones fell near 

 Agenin, Gulenne. About nine or ten o'clock at night a 

 meteor was seen moving through the atmosphere with very 

 great velocity. A loud explosion was soon heard, which 

 •was followed after a short interval by a shower of stone* 

 over a considerable-extent of country. 



' Q 2 la 



