JSTotice of several Meteors, 315 



tionfi of a more powerful nature, and having the same use, 

 as, for instance, the roche 'a feu of the French, usually 

 called fire-stone ; a composition which is either used in 

 lumps and put into shells with powder, or made into car- 

 casses, or fire balls. We do not know of any imitation of 

 the original Greek fire having been used in modern war- 

 fare, but have no hesitation in believing, that naptha pre- 

 pared as already stated would in many cases prove advan- 

 tageous. It seems to be well calculated for close naval 

 combat, if the object be to destroy the sails and rigging of 

 an enemy's ship. The rapidity and extent of its combus- 

 tion, added to the circumstance of its peculiar properties, 

 that of resisting the action of water in particular, contribute 

 altogether to this opinion. 

 West-Point, Dec. llth, 1822. 



Art. XII.— meteors.* 



The appearance of the Meteor, which in March 1822, 

 passed over some of the northern states, brought to our 

 recollection, some statements of similar events, which have 

 been a good while on our files. Perhaps we cannot offer 

 an adequate apology to those who were so obliging as to 

 communicate them, why they have not been published ear- 

 lier. By the delay, they will have gained at least this ad- 

 vantage, that their importance will be increased, by being 

 presented in connexion with the more recent, and perhaps 

 more interesting phenomenon of the same class. — Editor, 



Meteor in Ohio. 



Extract of a letter jroin Dr. Henry Manning, to the Editor, 

 dated Youngstown Ohio, -^ug. 9, 1819. 



A large meteor made its appearance on the evening of 

 July 24th. I had a clear view of it at the time it exploded 



* This article was prepared for the June No. of this Journal 1822, but has 

 beea unavoidably postponed to this time. April 1823. 



