732 METEORIC STONES AND SHOOTING STABS. 



appeared to be somewhat less than that of the Sun. At New Haven it 

 appeared about 12° high or thirty-six miles; in New York, 35° ; at Alex- 

 andria, D. C, 40° ; disappearing near Tuckertown, N. J., at 10° elevation. 

 Its visible path was estimated to be 15° to 25°, and velocity eighteen to 

 thirty-six miles per second, being visible two seconds at Alexandria. Its 

 disappearance was attended with a sudden flash of light, leaving a smoky 

 column, which soon vanished. A minute aftei- the flash, a series of terrific 

 explosions was heard, which were corayjared to the discharge of a one thou- 

 sand pound cannon ; this continuing tor about two minutes. 



Meteor of July 20, 1860 — This was visible for at least a thousand miles 

 in length from JST. N. W. to S. S. E. by seven or eight hundred in width ; or 

 from Lake Michigan to the Gulf stream and from Maine to Virginia. Ob- 

 servations at New Plaven determined its path S. 28° W. with a maximum 

 altitude of 53° and time of flight 10 to 20 seconds. At Meadville, Pa., its 

 altitude was 39° 30' from the northern horizon, disappearing at an altitude 

 3° 30'. From the various observations it was determined that the vertical 

 plane in w^hich the meteor moved cuts the earth's surface in a line crossing 

 the northern part ot Lake Michigan, passing through Buffalo, Elmira and 

 Sing Sing, N. Y. Greenwich, Conn., and across Long Island into the At- 

 lantic. Its nearest aj)proach to the earth, 41 n iles, was a little south of 

 Rhode Island, 44 miles over Hudson river, 51 at Elmira, 62 at Buffalo, 85 

 over Lake Huron, 120 over Lake Michigan. 



It was first seen as a single body, gradually increasing in brilliancy, 

 throwing off occasional sparks and flashes of light. Reaching Elmira an 

 explosion occurred, the meteor separating into two principal portions f,nd 

 other subordinate fragments, but continuing on their course in a line behind 

 each other, but continuing to scatter luminous sparks, until reaching a 

 point south of Nantucket when a second explosion occurred, the principal 

 fragments passing on. 



The entire velocity was estimated to be from 8 to 15 miles per second. 

 Probably 12 to 13 miles would be nearly correct. And allowing tor the 

 earth's motion in its orbit would give 26 to 27 miles per second as the actual 

 velocity of the meteor in space. The apparent diameter of the luminous 

 mass was nearly that of the moon, and its actual diameter from one fifth to 

 one third of a mile, f 



Meteor of August 2, 1860. — Prof Newton in American Journal of May, 

 1862, gives an interesting account of the appearance of a meteoric fire ball 

 which first became visible over N. E. Georgia near N. lat, 33° 50' W. long. 

 82° 40', at about 82 miles elevation above the earth's surface; passing N. 

 35° W. for 240 miles, when it exploded at an altitude of 28 miles over the 

 southern boundary of Kentucky, nearly over N. lat. 36° 40', ^Y. long. 85° 

 05'. It was seen from Pittsburgh to New Orleans and from Charleston to 

 St. Louis, an area of 900 miles extent. It was seen in West Virginia, at 

 Marietta, O., Cincinnati O., Bloomington, Ind., St. Louis, Mo., Bowling 

 Green, Ky., Nashville, Tenn., Montgomery, Ala., Holly Springs, Miss., 



