1 1-4 Progress of Science respecting Igneous Meteors in 1823. 



cannon fired in a still evening, at the distance of three or four 

 miles. A gentleman who was in the township of Gustavus, 

 precisely twenty miles north from Dr. Manning's situation, 

 saw the light, and thought the sound succeeded in something 

 more than a minute. The distance from Youngstown to the 

 south shore of Lake Erie, Dr. M. states, is rather more than 

 forty miles, " and much of the country south of the lake is 

 still a wilderness, making it uncertain whether any discoveries 

 will be made if meteoric stones have fallen *." 



The only data for computation afforded by this account are 

 the times which elapsed between the explosion and the report 

 at the two stations ; and from these we may infer that this 

 meteor was much lower at the period of its explosion than 

 many others have been ; its elevation, probably, not exceeding 

 a mile. The proximity of the lake renders it probable 

 that the results of the explosion, if massive, were lost in its 

 waters. 



The meteor seen in Chester county, Pennsylvania, on the 

 21st of November 1819, is described by the Editor of the 

 American Watchman; and by Mr. S. Turney, of some place 

 in the above county about 60 miles nearly south of Easton 

 on the Delaware ; from a ' comparison of whose accounts its 

 characters and phaenomena appear to have-been as follows : 

 It was a " fire-ball," appearing to be a compact mass of fire, 

 in which is said to have been combined all the redness of Mars 

 and thes ofter light of the moon ; the entire phenomenon being 

 sublime beyond description. At what hour it appeared is not 

 stated, but doubtless in the evening, for the first-mentioned 

 observer says, " While standing in the open air, we were sur- 

 prised by a sudden flood of light sufficient to enable us to 

 read the smallest print :" Mr. Turney also states its light to 

 have been very vivid. The former describes it as having been 

 about half the size of the full moon, when first observed ; and 

 Mr. T. found that many competent persons declared that it 

 was of about one third of the apparent magnitude of that lu- 

 minary. A well defined conical tail extended from it, to the 

 length of 4° or 5° ; but no sparks were observed. When 

 first seen by the Editor (at Chester?), it was 50° or 60° above the 

 horizon ; and when first observed by Mr. Turney, at the alti- 

 tude of about 45° in the north-east : at the former place it 

 passed in an east-north-east direction, a little to the south of 

 the zenith ; and it was estimated to have been about two se- 

 conds in progression before it was observed, whence it is in- 

 ferred that it first appeared at about 30° above the eastern 



* American Journal of Science, vol. vi. p. 315. 



horizon 





