Aerolite of Maryland. 353 
Statement of W. D. Harrison, Esq. 
On the 10th of February, 1825, between the hours of 12 
and 1 o’clock, as nearly as recollected, I heard an eeplosion, 
as I supposed, of a cannon, but som mewhat sharper. | im- 
mediately advanced with a quick step about twenty paces, 
when my attention was arrested by a buzzing noise, resem- 
bling that of a humming bee, which increased toa much 
louder sound, something like a spinning-wheel, or a chimney 
on fire, and seemed directly over my head; and in a short 
time | heard something fall. The time which elapsed from 
my first hearing the explosion, to the falling, might have been 
fifteen seconds. I then went with some of my servants to 
find where it had fallen, but didnot at first succeed ; (though, 
as I afterwards found I had got as near as 30 yards to ihe 
spot,) however, after a short interval the place was found by 
tay cook, who had, (in the presence of a respectable white 
woman.) "dug down to it before I got there, and a stone was 
discovered from twenty-two to twenty-four inches under the 
surface, and which, after being washed, weighed sixteen 
pounds—and which was no doubt the one which I had heard 
fall, as the mud was thrown in different directions from thir- 
teen to sixteen steps. The day was perfectly clear, a little 
snow was then on the earth in some places which had fallen 
ihe night previous. The stone when taken up had a strong 
sulphureous smell, and there were black streaks in the clay 
which appeared marked by the descent of the stone. I have 
conversed with gentlemen in different directions, some of 
them from 18 to 20 miles distant, who heard the noise, (not 
the explosion.) They inform me that it appeared directly 
over their heads. There was no fire-ball seen by me or 
others that I have heard. There was but one report, and 
but one stone fell, to my knowledge, and there was no pecu- 
liar smell in the air. It fell on my plantation, within two 
hundred and fifty yards of my house, and within one hundred 
of the habitation of my negroes. 
I have given this statement to Dr. Carver, at his request, 
and which is as full as I could give at this distant day, from 
having thought but little of it since. Given this 28th day of 
April, eighteen hundred and twenty-five. 
. D. HARRISON, 
Surveyor of the port of Nanjemoy, Ma 
Vou. IX.—No. 2. 45 
