Graves’ Meteor. 335 
at different times the phosphoric match bottle, the pocket 
lights, the condensing syringe, flint and steel, &c. am 
aware, howeyer, that the Voltaic lamp is not much used, 
and has been even laid aside, in consequence of the uncer- 
tainty of its operation. But from experience I can say, that 
since I have had the alteration made, I have seldom been 
disappointed in producing flame, -and the apparatus is now 
always in order. The only thing to be attended to is, to 
throw in as occasion requires, some iron filings ; the quan- 
tity of which at a time will be readily known. One cubic 
inch of gas will light the taper at least ten times, if the cock 
is quickly turned. Therefore, from the quantity of gas, we 
may calculate the number of times we may light a candle. 
Arr. XXI. Account of a gelatinous Meteor, by Rurus 
Graves, Esq. formerly Lecturer on Chemistry at Dart- 
mouth College, (communicated by Professor Dewey.) 
Ow the evening of the thirteenth day of August, 1819, 
between the hours of eight and nine o’clock, was seen in 
the atmosphere, at Amherst, Massachusetts, a falling meteor 
or fire ball, of the size, as represented by an intelligent 
Spectator, of a man’s hat, or a large blown bladder, of a 
brilliant white light resembling burnished silver. 
The position of this spectator being in a direct line of 
the street where the luminous ball appeared, and at the 
distance of not more than five hundred yards, with the 
sight bounded by the buildings, there could be no decep- 
tion relative to the direction that it took. Its altitude, at 
its first discovery, was two or three times the height of the 
houses ; it fell slowly in a perpendicular direction, emitting 
great light, till it appeared to strike the earth in front of 
the buildings, and was instantly extinguished, with a heavy 
explosion. At the same instant, as appeared from the re- 
port, and from the ringing of the church bell, an unusually 
white light was seen a few minutes afterwards, by two la- 
dies in a chamber of Mr. Erastus Dewey. While they 
Were sitting with two candles burning in the room, a bright 
uminous circular spot suddenly appeared on the side wall 
of the chamber near the upper floor in front of them, of 
the size of a two feet stand-table leaf This spectrum se- 
