326" ACCOUNT AND DESCRIPTION 



About 30 or 40 seconds after, three loud and distinct reports 

 like those of a four-pounder near at hand, were heard. They 

 succeeded each other with as much rapidity as was consistent 

 with distinctness, and, all together, did not occupy three 

 seconds. Then followed a rapid succession of reports less 

 loud, and running into each other so as to produce a continued 

 rumbling, like that of a cannon-ball rolling over a floor, some- 

 times louder, and at other times fainter : some compared it to 

 the noise of a waggon, running rapidly down a long and 

 stony hill; or, to a volley of musquetry, protracted into what 

 is called in military language, a running fire. This noise con- 

 tinued about as long as the body was in rising, and died away 

 apparently in the direction from which the meteor came. 

 The accounts of others corresponded substantially with this. 

 Time was differently estimated by different people. Some 

 augmented the number of loud reports, and terror and imagi- 

 nation seem, in various instances, to have magnified every cir- 

 cumstance of the phenomenon. 



The only observation which seemed of any importance be- 

 yond this statement, was derived from Mr. Ehhu Staples, who 

 said, that when the meteor disappeared, there were apparently 

 three successive efforts or leaps of the fire-ball, which grew more 

 dim at every throe, and disappeared with the last. 



The meteor was seen East of the Connecticut, and West of 

 Hudson river, as far South as New-York, and as far North as 

 the county of Berkshire Massachusetts; and the explosion was 

 heard, and a tremulous motion of the earth perceived, between 

 40 and 50 miles North of Weston, and in other directions. 

 We do not however pretend to give this as the extent of the 

 appearance of the meteor ; all that we affirm is, that we have 

 not heard any thing beyond this statement. 



From the various accounts which we have received of the 

 appearance of this body at different places, we are inclined to 

 believe, the time between the disappearance and report as 

 estimated by judge Wheeler to be too little, and that a minute is 

 the least time which could have intervened. Taking this, 

 therefore, for the time, and the apparent diameter of the body 

 as only half that of the full moon, its real diameter could not 

 be less than 300 i'eet. 



