136 



METEORITE. 



Meteorite, ceived until two clays afterwards. A few seconds af- 

 " V~ terwards a smaller stone tell, 40 paces in front of the 

 house." 



The quantity of meteorites that fell on this occasion 

 probably much exceeded the small number collected ; 

 for the ground was partly in grass, and partly plough- 

 ed up ; and the event took place when most of the in- 

 habitants were in bed. The description of these stones 

 so nearly accords with that of several others already spe- 

 cified, that it would be superfluous to note their aspect 

 and properties. 



Enicbcn. April 15, 1812. A stone, of the size of a child's head, 

 fell at Erxleben ; and a specimen of it is in the posses- 

 sion of Professor Haussmann, of Brunswick. Gill>. An. 

 T. 40. and 41. 



Chanton- Augusts, 1812. Several stones, one of which weigh- 

 ty. ed 65lb., fell at Chantonnay, eight leagues north-west 



from Fontenay, in the department of La Vendee. Their 

 structure is nearly analogous to that of the Barbotan 

 specimens ; but they contain such a large proportion 

 of iron in the metallic state, that they are susceptible 

 of a brilliant polish, and of bearing the graving tool. 



March 14. 1813. A very remarkable phenomenon 

 Gerace. occurred at the town of Gerace, in Calabria, and is 

 described by Professor Sementini of Naples. The wind 

 was westerly, and heavy clouds were approaching the 

 land, over the sea. About two o'clock, P. M. the wind 

 fell, and the sky became quite dark. The clouds then 

 assumed a red and threatening appearance ; thunder 

 followed ; and there fell red rain and snow, mingled 

 with red dust. The alarmed inhabitants, conceiving 

 that the end of the world was at hand, flocked to the 

 churches. The red dust was very fine, became black 

 when exposed to a red heat, and effervesced, when 

 treated with 'acids. Its constituents were silica, car- 

 bonate of lime, alumine, iron, and chrome. What ren- 

 ders this precipitation the more remarkable is, that its 

 ingredients are nearly the same with those of one of the 

 varieties of meteorites ; and hence they probably have a 

 similar origin. According to Chladni and others, stones 

 were observed to accompany the dust ; and, if so, the 

 intimate connection of the two appearances can no longer 

 be reasonably questioned. Sementini's analysis of the 

 red powder gave, 



Silex 



Alumine, . 



Lime, ... 



Iron, 



Chrome, . . 



Carbon, . . 



Should the defect afterwards be found to consist of 

 nickel and magnesia, we might then witn safety main- 

 tain their identity. 



On the present occasion, the coloured rain and snow 

 seem to have fallen over a great extent of country ; for 

 red rain fell in the two Calabrias, and on the opposite 

 side of Abruzzo, the wind being at east and south-east. 

 Snow and hail, of a yellow-red colour, fell over all 

 Tuscany, with a north wind. Red snow fell at Tol- 

 mezzo, and in the Carnian Alps, the wind being at 

 north-east ; and, finally, snow of a brownish-yellow, 

 fell at Bologna, the wind being south-west. 



September 10, 1813. Samuel Maxwell, Esq. a gen- 

 tleman of the highest respectability, and an ocular wit- 

 ness of the scene which he describes, communicates, in 

 substance, the ensuing particulars to William Higgins, 

 Esq, of the Dublin Society 



Friday morning being very calm and serene, and the Meteorite. 

 sky being clear, about nine o'clock, a cloud appeared **" "V"*' 

 in the east, from which proceeded eleven distinct re- 

 ports, somewhat resembling the discharge of heavy ar- 

 tillery. These were immediately followed by a con- 

 siderable noise, not unlike the beating of a large drum, 

 which was succeeded by an uproar, resembling the con- 

 tinuous discharge of musketry in line. The sky above 

 the place whence this noise seemed to issue, became 

 dark and agitated, emitted a hissing noise, and pro- 

 jected with great violence, different masses of matter, 

 which shaped their course, with great velocity, in a ho- 

 rizontal direction towards the west. One of them, which 

 was observed to descend, fell to the earth, and sunk 

 into it more than a foot and a half, on the lands of 

 Scagh, in the neighbourhood of Pobuck's Well, in the 

 county of Limerick. Being immediately dug out, it Lin-.eridi. 

 felt hot, and had a sulphureous smell, with the whole 

 of its surface uniformly smooth and black, the entire 

 mass weighing 1 7 lb. Six or seven more, but smaller 

 and fractured, alighted at the same time with great 

 force, in different places between the lands of Scagh 

 and the village of Adare. Another very large mass 

 passed with great rapidity, and a considerable noise, at 

 no great distance from Mr. Maxwell, came to the ground 

 on the lands of Brasky, and penetrated through a very 

 hard and dry earth, to the depth of two feet. This last 

 was not taken up for two days, when it was found to 

 weigh about 65 lb. and to be fractured in many places. 

 Another weighing above 24 lb. and very heavy for its 

 bulk, but exhibiting no symptoms of fracture, fell on 

 the lands of Faha. 



" There was no flash of lightning at the time of, or 

 immediately before or after the explosion ; the day con- 

 tinued very calm and serene ; was rather close and sul- 

 try, and without wind or rain. It is about three miles 

 in a direct line from the lands of Brasky, where the 

 very large stone descended to the place where the small 

 one fell in Adare, and all the others fell intermediately ; 

 but they appeared to descend horizontally, and as if 

 discharged from a bomb, and scattered in the air." 



February 3, 1814. Stones fell in Bachmut, in Russia. Bachmut, 

 Gilb. An, T. 50. Giese, who analysed a specimen, re- 

 ports, 



Silica, . . 

 Alumine, 

 Magnesia, . 

 Iron, . . . 

 Nickel, . . 

 Manganese, 

 Sulphur, 

 Chrome, . . 



44 

 3 

 18 

 21 

 2.50 

 1 



.50 

 .50 



90.50 



September 5, 1814. In the 92d volume of the 

 Aniialcs de Chimie, M.de Saint- A mans relates the fol- 

 lowing circumstance of what he terms, not improperly, 

 uranolites, near Agen. 



A few minutes before mid-day, the wind being 

 northerly, and the sky perfectly serene, a violent detona- 

 tion was heard in the communes of Montpezat, Temple, 

 Castelmoron, and Montelar, situated in the first, se- 

 cond, and fourth arrondissemens of the department of 

 the Lot and Garonne. This unusual detonation was 

 immediately followed by three or four others, at an in- 

 terval of half a second, successively; and finally, by a 

 rolling noise, at first resembling a discharge of mus- 

 ketry, afterwards the rumbling of carriages; and, 

 lastly, that of a large building falling down. These 



