Official Repnrt cf a Fall of Aerolites near Grenade. TOl 



Vras discovered that this was unfounded, the light and noise were 

 ascribed to some extraordinary meteor ; for the state of the at- 

 mosphere and the force of the explosion did not admit of the idea 

 of its being a simple clap of tiiunder. A few days afterwards it 

 was discmered that this phenomenon had been accompanied 

 with a shower of stones two leagues W.N.W. of Grenade, in the 

 commune of Burgave, (department of the Upper Garonne,) and 

 of Camville and Verdun (department of the Tarv and Garonne). 

 Some specimens vvcre sent to the prefect of the Upper Garonne, 

 and this magistrate appointed a commission composed of 

 M. Saget, of the Academy of Sciences ; Marque-Victor, Pro- 

 fessor of Phvsics ; Carney, Professor of Mathematics ; and my- 

 self, iu order to proceed to the spot and collect the details of 

 the phaenomenon. We accordingly gained the following infor- 

 mation : 



C'lrcjimslances observed in the Atmosphere. 



The light which spread over the atmosphere appeared all at 

 once. Altiiough the sun had set for an hour and a half, and the 

 air was dark, the light was so brilliant that the Mayor of Grenade 

 informed us tliat he could read the smallest characters in the 

 streets of the town ; and the Mayor of Camville compared it to 

 the light of the sun ; adding, that the town clock was as visible 

 as at noon day, and that a pin might have been picked up from 

 the streets. 



The exact duration of this light was not remarked. Some 

 persons estimated it at two minutes ; others at one, and others 

 still less ; but the tact is, that the light was continuous, and not 

 instantaneous like that of lightning. 



The skv around being dark, the body which produced this 

 light could not be seen. Scarcely had it disappeared in the 

 place where the aerolites fell, when there were heard in the air 

 three strong detonations similar to the report of large pieces of 

 cannon : they succeeded each other rapidly, and almost without 

 any interval. 



Their noise was such that they were heard at Castres, twenty 

 leagues from the spot where the stones fell. They were distin- 

 gui-.hed from each other in the neighbourhood of this spot 

 alone ; some persons informed us that they were of equal strength; 

 others said that their intensity gradually diminished. 



We attempted in vain to collect information as to the interval 

 which elapsed between the light and the detonations, in order 

 t<j obtain some data as to the distance and height at which they 

 had taken place. 



They were followed by a very loud noise, which some com- 

 pared to that of several heavy carriages rolling at once ujjon the 

 G 3 pavement ; 



