142 ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



below) to get a view of the somewhat heart-shaped and double 

 cavity so prominent in plate 14, figure 2. Its length was about 19 

 inches, its breadth about 14, and its depth about 5 inches at deepest 

 part. 



Other cavities (some from their form might be called basins, 

 others caverns) were of various diameter at mouth, 5 to 10 inches, and 

 varied in depth from 4 to 12 inches. In all cases these cavities had 

 their widest expansion or opening toward the apex of the cone, in the 

 line of flight of the meteorite. At the right hand in figure 2, plate 14, 

 are visible two huge furrows or channels. One of these, the smaller, 

 I was able to reach as the meteorite now lies, partly by sight, partly 

 by feeling. Its length was 26 inches, its average breadth 5 inches, 

 with a depth increasing from front backward from 3 to 5 inches. The 

 parallelism of these furrows, as well as the allineation of the holes 

 before mentioned, is an observable fact ; while equally observable is 

 their pointing from every side of the mass toward the apex of the 

 cone. Nothing can be clearer than that this has been produced by 

 the tremendous friction of the densely compressed air through which 

 the meteorite passed on its way to our earth. 



The air, which was compressed in front of the mass to a density 

 comparable to that of some solid substance, has flown back past 

 the apex and the sides of the cone with a friction force almost 

 inconceivable in its intensity. The air crowded in front of a 

 meteorite having a velocity of 60 miles per second has furthermore 

 been shown by physicists to have, by reason of its .compression, a 

 heat of over 5000 degrees Centigrade (9,000^ Fahr.) a heat cal- 

 culated to melt away any surface which it enveloped. It is to the 

 melting, rubbing and chiseling effects of this air compression, with 

 its following air-stream, that we may attribute all the glazing, 

 pitting, hollowing and channeling which we have observed on 

 the front side of the cone and on the flanging base of our 

 great meteorite. That the melting should be more powerful on the 

 upper (forward) part of the cone is easily conceivable. Also it is clear 

 that the boring and channeling power of the air should be most 

 exercised on the basal flanges, on which it more directly impinged. 

 The effects are here colossal, and words would feebly express the 

 emotion induced in seeing the great cone, with its torn, excavated sides. 

 It seems impossible in theory, but the whole is made easily credible 

 in seeing and studying the effect. With it all comes forcibly the 

 thought of how " Reason will lead where Imagination does not dare 

 to follow ". 



