334 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, VOL. XIII. 



My attention was first directed to this occurrence by a short notice of it in a newspaper as being an earthquake 

 that had occurred in eastern Ohio, accompanied with a shower of stones. Suspecting the true nature of the phenome- 

 non, I immediately visited the spot where it was said to have occurred, and collected the statements of those per- 

 sons who had witnessed the fall. It was ascertained that on Tvfesday, May 1, 1860, remarkable phenomena transpired 

 in the heavens, and the following are the accounts given by different observers, men of intelligence and observation. 



Mr. McClenahan states that at Cambridge, in Guernsey County, Ohio (latitude 40° A', longitude 81° 35'), about 

 20 minutes before 1 o'clock p. m., three or four distinct explosions were heard, like the firing of heavy cannon, 

 with an interval of a second or two between each report. This was followed by sounds like the firing of musketry in 

 quick succession, which ended with a rumbling noise like distant thunder, except that it continued with about the 

 same degree of intensity till it ceased. It continued two or three minutes, and seemed to come from the southwest, 

 at an elevation above the horizon of 30° to 40°, terminating in the southeast at about the same elevation. In the dis- 

 trict where the meteorites fell the explosions were heard immediately overhead. 



The first reports were so heavy as to produce a tremulous motion, like heavy thunder, causing the glass in win- 

 dows to rattle. The sound was so singular that it caused some excitement and alarm, many supposing it an earth- 

 quake. At Barnesville, 20 miles east of Cambridge, the cry of fire was made, as the rumbling sound was thought to 

 be the roaring of fire. . 



The day was cool and the sky covered at the time with light clouds. No thunder or lightning had been noticed 

 that day, nor could anything unusual be seen in the appearance of the clouds. Immediately on hearing the report 

 this observer looked in the direction it came, and noticed the clouds closely, but could not see anything unusual. 



The next morning it was reported in Cambridge that aerolites had fallen on a farm in the vicinity of New Con- 

 cord (8 miles west, a little south of Cambridge). Inquiries were immediately instituted, and Messrs. Noble and Hines 

 state that they were near the house of a Mr. Amspoker at the time of the first explosion, which seemed directly over their 

 heads. They looked up and saw two objects apparently come through the clouds, producing a twirling of the vapor 

 of the cloud at the point where they came through, then descending with great velocity and a whizzing sound to the 

 earth, one striking about 300 yards to the southwest of them, and the other about 100 yards north. 



They immediately went to the spot where the first fell, and found it buried 2 feet in the ground. They dug it 

 out and found it quite warm and of a sulphurous smell. The other struck a fence corner, and breaking the ends of 

 some of the rails penetrated into the earth 16 or 18 inches, passing through a heap of dry leaves. The first weighed 

 52 pounds. The other was broken up, but must have weighed about 40 pounds. Another of 41 pounds weight, not 

 seen to fall, was discovered at the bottom of a hole 2 feet deep, where it had fallen on stiff turf, and was seen at the 

 bottom of the hole, having carried the sod before it. It must have come from the southeast at an angle of 60° with 

 the horizon. Many were discovered to have fallen southeast of Cambridge, but of smaller dimensions than those already 

 referred to. At the time of the occurrence, nearly all were at dinner or in or about their houses. The stones obtained 

 were mostly found near houses, where they were seen to fall, as the sound of their striking the ground attracted 

 attention. 



Another well-informed observer, Doctor McConnell, of New Concord (a small town 8 miles east of Cambridge), fur- 

 nishes the following particulars: "On Tuesday, the 1st of May, at 28 minutes past 12 o'clock, the people of that vicinity 

 were almost panic-stricken by a strange and terrible report in the heavens which shook the houses for many miles distant. 

 The first report was immediately overhead and after an interval of a few seconds was followed by similar reports with 

 such increasing rapidity that after the number of 22 was counted they were no longer distinct, but became con- 

 tinuous and died away like the roaring of distant thunder, the co^vrse of the reports being from the meridian to the 

 southeast. In one instance three men working in a field, their self-possession being measurably restored from the shock 

 of the more terrible report above, had their attention attracted by a buzzing noise overhead and soon observed a large 

 body descending strike the earth at a distance of about 100 yards. Repairing thither they found a newly made hole in 

 the ground from which they extracted an irregular quadrangular stone weighing 51 pounds. This stone had buried 

 itself 2 feet beneath the surface and when obtained was quite warm." 



To this we add the following statement: "We, the undersigned, do hereby certify that at about half past 12 

 o'clock on Tuesday, May 1, 1860, a most terrible report was heard immediately overhead filling the neighborhood with 

 awe. After an interval of a few seconds a series of successive reports, the most wonderful and unearthly ever before 

 heard by us, took place, taking a direction from meridian to southeast, where the sounds died away like the roaring of 

 distant thunder, jarring the houses for many miles distant." Signed by A. G. Gault, James McDonald, Nancy Mills, 

 Ichabod Grumman, Samuel Harper, Rev. James C. Murch, Mrs. M. Speer, Angie McKinney. 



The above is from those who heard the noises but did not see the fall; the following are a few statements of the 

 many I collected from those who witnessed the fall of the stones. I extract from their depositions made at the time: 



"I heard the reports and roaring as above described and a few seconds afterwards I saw a large body or substance 

 descend and strike the earth four or five hundred yards from where I then stood; and then I, in company with Andrew 

 Lister, repaired to the spot, and about 18 inches beneath the surface found a stone weighing 50 pounds." Signed, 

 Samuel Reblu. 



"Heard the reports and roaring as above described; and the said Mrs. Fillis further says that a few seconds after- 

 wards she heard a descending buzzing noise as of a body falling to the ground. And Miss Cherry also says that she was 

 standing near Mrs Fillis, heard the same and saw some substance descend and btrike the earth some hundred yards 

 distant, and that Mrs. Fillis repaired to the spot and there found a stone 18 inches beneath the surface weighing 23 

 pounds." Signed by Agnes Fillis and Mary J. Cherry. 



