METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 335 



"I distinctly heard the roaring and bounds as above described and a few seconds after the above report I saw 

 descending from the clouds a large body that struck the earth about 150 yards from where I then stood, and I immedi- 

 ately repaired to the spot and about 2 feet beneath the surface found a stone weighing 42 pounds. A second or two after 

 seeing the first stone I saw another descend and strike the earth about the same distance from where I stood. I also 

 took the last-mentioned stone from the earth about 2 feet beneath the surface. Both the above stones when taken from 

 the earth were quite warm. I also saw a third stone descend." Signed, Samuel M. Noble. 



One observer saw a stone fall within 3 feet of his horse's head. One of the most southerly stones struck a barn, 

 while some people retired within doors for fear of being struck. 



These, with many others of a similar nature, were the data obtained near the region of the fall of stones. It is 

 important to remember that to these near observers no luminosity or fireball was visible. 



In addition to the above facts we have the following from observers at more distant points, as already published by 

 Professors Andrews and Evans. From the data they have collected they consider the area over which the explosion 

 was heard as probably not less than 150 miles in diameter. "At Marietta, Ohio, the sound came from a point north or 

 a little east of north. The direction of the sound varied with the locality. An examination of all the different direc- 

 tions leads to the conclusion that the central point from which the sounds emanated was near the southern part of Noble 

 County, Ohio," its course being "over the eastern end of Washington County, then across the interior of Noble County, 

 than over the southwestern corner of Guernsey and the northeastern corner of Muskingum, with a direction of about 42° 

 west of north." 



Mr. D. Mackley, of Jackson County, states that he was at Berlin, 6 miles east of Jackson, Ohio, when he saw in a 

 northeast direction a ball of fire about 30° above the horizon. It was flying in a northerly direction with great velocity. 

 It appeared as white as melted iron and loft a bright streak of fire behind it, which soon faded into a white vapor. This 

 remained more than a minute when it became crooked and disappeared. 



Mr. Wm. C. Welles, of Parkersburg, Virginia (latitude 39° 10', longitude 81° 24'), about 60 miles south of Cambridge, 

 saw the meteorite as a ball of fire of great brilliancy emerging from behind one cloud and disappearing behind another. 

 Other observers at some distance to the south of the point where the fall occurred saw this meteorite as a luminous body. 

 ********* 



The time of day and the number and intelligence of the observers unite to give considerable interest and value to 

 these observations. While some of them show points of difference, natural to the observation of sudden and startling 

 phenomena, we can yet deduce from them many conclusions with more or less accuracy, thus: 



THE DIRECTION OP THE METEORITE. 



My own observation of two of the stones which fell half a mile apart enables me to give the direction of the meteor 

 with some degree of exactness. The first of these stones struck the ends of the rails of a Virginia (zigzag) fence half 

 way down, just touching the middle rail, breaking off more and more of each rail as it passed to the ground. Connect- 

 ing the points of fracture by a line this line represents a descending curve from southeast to northwest. 



Again, the stone that fell at Law's (the most northerly) struck a large dead tree lying on the side of a hill sloping 

 northwest, passing through it as any projectile would; it then struck a small clump of elders, breaking them off at the 

 root, falling finally at the foot of a hill. A line connecting these points shows the curve already stated. Coupling with 

 this the observations of Mr. Callahan on the direction that one of these stones penetrated the ground with the observed 

 path of their distribution no doubt can remain that the general direction of the fall was from southeast to northwest, 

 striking the ground at an angle of about 60°. 



ALTITUDE OP THE METEORITE. 



This is a point that can be determined but very imperfectly, if at all. It may have been, when first seen, 40 miles 

 above the earth, but when the explosion was heard it must have been nearer and was even still nearer when it sub- 

 divided and was scattered ("exploded," as usually termed) over Guernsey and the edge of Muskingum Counties. 



TEMPERATURE OP THE STONES. 



Several of the largest stones were picked up 10 minutes after their fall and are described as being about as warm 

 as a stone that had lain in the sun in the summer. One fell among dry leaves that covered it after it had penetrated 

 the ground. The leaves, however, showed no evidence of having been heated. No appearance of ignition was dis- 

 covered in places or objects with which the stones came in contact at the time of their fall, so that their temperature 

 must have fallen far short of redness, while it may not have reached that of 200*. 



SIZE AND VELOCITY. 



I have no data upon which to calculate either of these. Professor Evans, however, as just quoted, calculates from 

 the data above given that its size was three-eighths of a mile and velocity 4 miles a second. 



While I may furnish no more reliable computations from the data obtained, I may be excused a short criticism upon 

 the above results to prevent too hasty conclusions being formed. 



As regards the supposed elevation of 40 miles when the first reports were heard I would simply ask the question, Is it 

 possible, with the established views of the conduction of sound by rarefied air, that any conceivable noise produced 

 by a meteorite 40 miles distant from the earth in a medium quite as rare if not rarer than the best air pump can produce, 



