42 MERRILL AND STOKES 



The main mass of the stone (see PI. I, figs, i, 2 and 3) weigh- 

 ing 62 y2 pounds, came into the possession of the National 

 Museum, with an additional fragment weighing about lyi 

 pounds. This, with a 4-pound fragment, sold to other parties, 

 and many small pieces stated as var3ang from the size of a pea 

 to that of a hickory nut, carried away by school children and 

 others, would readily bring the total weight to the figure men- 

 tioned. 



According to Mr. Walter Price, as quoted by H. L. Ward ^ 

 the stone came from the northwest and passed within about forty 

 feet of where he was working, striking the ground about ten 

 rods beyond, in sand, and burying itself to the depth of about a 

 foot and a half. The attention of the observers, it is stated, 

 was first attracted b}^ a cannon-like report, followed by a rum- 

 bling sound lasting about five minutes (?), which was followed, 

 as the stone came nearer, by a hissing sound, compared to that 

 of an engine blowing off steam. ^ When first seen in the air the 

 stone had the appearance of a black ball about the size of a 

 man's fist. As it passed the observer, it is stated, "there 

 seemed to be a blue streak behind it, about six feet long, which 

 tapered back to a sharp point." The stone was dug up about 

 five minutes after striking and is stated to have been too hot for 

 handling, necessitating removal with a shovel. "The sand 

 was hot for about two feet round where it struck." Messrs. H. 

 Ster» iS: Compan}-, of Allegan, from whom the National 

 Museum obtained the main mass of the stone, furnished cor- 

 roborative evidence. They state that the sand about the hole 

 made by the meteor was quite warm an hour after the fall, and 

 that the stone itself was still warm when placed in their shop 

 window, some two and a half hours later. 



The general appearance of the stone is well shown in Plate 

 I, figs. I, 2 and 3. From a study of the mass it would ap- 

 pear that at the time of entering our atmosphere, and for most 

 of its course, the point A (uppermost in fig. i) was in advance, 



'Am. Jour. Sci., December, 1899. 



2 It is well to note that there is no evidence to show that the report was ac- 

 companied by a breaking up of the stone. But the one mass was seen to fall, 

 and though this is somewhat angular in outline nothing indicates a fracturing 

 after entering the earth's atmosphere and before striking the ground. 



