734 METEORIC STONES AND SHOOTING STABS. 



down on the 12th December, 1874, a large red light suddenly appearing in 

 the zenith, and for several seconds seemed to stand motionless, it apparently 

 descending directly in a line to the observer ; then starting off with an un- 

 certain, fluttering motion, it moved slowly towards the horizon in a souther- 

 ly direction, gradually fading in its flight, from a lurid red to a dark purplish 

 hue, and leaving a dense stream of blue smoke behind, which remained for 

 several minutes after the disappearance of the meteorite. An observer, 

 eighty miles east of Louisville, saw it appear almost due west, about 30" 

 above the horizon, and moving rapidly southward, inclined to the horizon, 

 and disappearing about 20° above it, leaving a bright track of smoke, at 

 first very luminous, soon fading as the Sun descended lower, then seemed to 

 be wafted into zigzags by a gentle breeze, curling up in folds and disappear 

 ing. Four or five minutes after, three or four loud detonations were heard 

 in quick succession.* 



Guernsey County, Ohio, Meteorites. — This remarkable fall took place 

 May 1, 1860. At Cambridge, in Guernsey county, Ohio, (lat. 40° 4', long. 

 81° 35'), about twenty minutes before 1 p, m., three or four distinct explo- 

 sions were heard, like firing of heavy cannon, with an interval of a second 

 or two between each report. This was followed by sounds like firing of 

 musketry, ending with a rumbling sound like distant thunder, which lasted 

 for two or three minutes. The meteors were seen to pass and heard by per- 

 sons in Washington, Noble, G-uernsey and Muskingum counties, Ohio, and at 

 Parkersburg, West Yirginia. Houses were shaken at Parkersburg as if by 

 an earthquake, and throughout the path in the above named counties. The 

 direction of the meteorites was from southeast to northwest, striking the 

 ground at an angle of 60°, Prof. Evans calculated its velocity to be about 

 four miles per second. In Washington county, near Noble, it was about 

 forty-three miles high, and nearly forty-one miles over Noble county, 

 a few miles south of Sarahsville. About this point of its patch it exploded, 

 the fragments passing on struck the ground at various places in the south- 

 west part of Guernsey couunty. Soon after falling they were quite warm. 

 Thirty fragments of various sizes from half a pound to one hundred and 

 three pounds were picked up. The stones had a coarse gray appearance, 

 with a black crust, and contains: Nickeliferous iron, 10.7; earthy min- 

 erals, 89.3. The nickeliferous particles contain minute traces of cobalt, 

 copper, phosphorus and sulphur. f 



lowa County, Iowa Meteorite. — Mr. C. W. Irish, of Iowa City, in an inter- 

 esting pamphlet, informs us that this meteor struck our atmosphere at 10:20 

 p. M., February 12, 1875, in N. lat. 40°, W. long. 93°, over the northern 

 part of Missouri ; it moved from South to North, curving eastwardly, and 

 exploded in N. lat. 40° 53', W. long. 91° 40' ; its visible path being 112 miles 

 north and 47 miles east, and was visible about ten seconds. Observers say 

 that its light was very intense, the nucleus round and as bright almost as 

 the Sun. It sparkled and quivered like the twinkling of a star, with now 



* Dr. J. Lawrence Smith, in American .Journal of Science, Sept. 1875 

 t Dr J. Lawrence Smith's Scientific Researches 



