240 REPORT — 1875. 



most closely allied to the aerolites of Bachmut, Island of Oesel, St. Denis 

 Westrem, Buschof, Dolgaja Wolja, and those of other localities mentioned in 

 Daubree's paper. 



1874, August 1st, 11 P.M. — Hexham, Northumberland*. 



In the ' English Mechanic ' is a letter from a person signing himself " Ralph 

 Lowdon," of Gateshead, stating that at the above time and place " a massive 

 ball of intense light," accompanied by other pear-shaped balls of fire, was seen 

 to drop towards the earth. The aerolite, which is alleged to have fallen in an 

 orchard on the bank of the North Tyne, at no great distance from Hexham, 

 is stated to have been found the foUowiug day at 9 a.m. at a depth of 14 inches 

 in the soil, still quite warm, and to have weighed 301 g lbs. Letters directed 

 to the above are returned by the Post-ofRce authorities, while a courteous 

 reply which I received from the Rev. H. C. Barker, of Hexham, states that 

 the editor of ' The English Mechanic ' must have been misinformed. The 

 reverend gentleman writes : — " To make assurance doubly sure, I have made 

 inquiry in several quarters, and cannot find even the slightest foundation for 

 the statement." 



1875, February 12th, 10.30 p.m. (Chicago time). — Iowa Co., State of lowaf. 



A very large and brilliant fireball passed over Iowa City at the above date, 

 in a direction slightly N. of W. ; the apparent size of the meteor was about 

 half that of the fuU moon, and it was accompanied by a broad train of light 

 of a slightly green hue. Three separate explosions of the fireball were noticed 

 while it was still in view, and about two or three minutes after it disappeared 

 three reports, resembling the discharge of the blast of a qiiarry, were heard. 



The phenomenon attracted general attention throughout several counties in 

 the central part of the State of Iowa ; and although the visible path of the 

 meteor does not appear to have exceeded 50 to 60 miles, the occurrence 

 attracted attention and was heard over an area measuring about 125 miles 

 from E. to W., and half that distance from N. to S. An observer at Brooklyn 

 was aroused from his bed by the report ; and another, who was riding in a 

 sleigh near West Liberty, 40 miles E._of the spot where the stones fell, states 

 that objects were rendered about as visible as if it were day, the explosions 

 being loud, and followed by a rumbling sound that lasted some 60 or 90 

 seconds. According to the ' Grinell Herald,' the interval, as observed at that 

 town, between the light of the meteor being seen and the report being heard 

 M'as three minutes. The ' Des Moines Register ' states that between Red Rock 

 and Newton some of the meteorites passed so near the earth's surface that 

 they chpped off branches from the trees. 



Prof. N. R. Leonard, of the Iowa State University, states that the meteo- 

 rites weighed altogether about 250 lbs., whereof 141 lbs. came into his pos- 

 session ; Prof. Hinriehs makes the total weight about 300 lbs. The largest 

 mass, which was broken in falling, weighed 43^ lbs., the chief fragments, 

 found together, being 20 lbs. and 16 lbs. in weight. 



According to a description, of a very sensational character, which is given 

 in the ' Dubuque Times,' one of the meteorites was found in a field about 

 three miles S. of the village of West Liberty, having penetrated, so it is stated, 

 to a depth of fifteen feet into the ground. 



* Tlie English Mechanic, August 21st, 1874. 



t A. W. Wright, ' Amer. Journ. Sc' ix. p. 459, and x. p. 44. Cuttings from American 

 newspapers and other communications to the Committee received from Mr. B. V. Marsh. 



