METEORIC STONES AND SHOOTING STABS. 737 



MISSOURI METEORITES. 



It was my good fortune to see one meteor in broad day light, of a clear 

 day, at 9 a. m., September 30, 1865, about half way between Pleasant Hill 

 and Harrisonville, Cass county, Missouri. It appeared in the northwest at 

 an elevation of 30° above the horizon, moving rapidly southwest at about 

 10° angle with the vertical, emitted sparks and vanished before reaching 

 the Earth. 



On the 27th day of December, 1875, about 9 p. m., a brilliant meteor was 

 seen to dart across the northern sky, from West to East, being chiefly 

 observed in Northwest Missouri, illuminating the heavens for a few seconds, 

 brighter than the brightest moonlight, then bursting into fragments. After 

 a few minutes interval, a sound as of distant thunder was heard. The ex- 

 plosion was only heard in Northwest Missouri, although the meteor was 

 seen as far south as Nevada, Yernon county, and Clinton in Henry county. 

 It was seen at Lawrence, 'Kansas, at Council Bluffs and Iowa City, Iowa ; 

 Falls City, Nebraska ; at Oregon, St. Joseph, Kansas City, Kirksville, and 

 St. Louis, Missouri ; at Cincinnati, Ohio, and Eipley, Indiana. 



Mr. William Kaucher of Oregon, Holt county, Missouri, observed it near 

 the Constellation G-emini, passing near Procyon, and beyond, exploding 30° 

 below that star, and 20° above the horizon, in the southeast. Explosions 

 were heard three minutes later. 



At St. Jo. it appeared near the zenith, of dazzling brightness, passing 

 eastwardly, exploding and emitting sparks like a rocket, then disappear- 

 ing. It first appeared red, then blue, then white and bright. Its nucleus 

 appeared one-half the size of the Moon, according to one person, while 

 another person thought it about four times the size of the Sun ; a fiery 

 sheet, and emitting sparks. About three minutes thereafter a noise was 

 heard, resembling thunder, followed by a deep rumbling noise, continuing 

 for about sixty seconds. At Savanna, Andrew county, it seemed to come 

 from the North-northwest and passed to South-southeast, exploding 5° to 

 12° above the horizon. An explosive sound was heard about three minutes 

 after. At Eockport, Atchison county, it was seen passing southeastwardly. 

 At Pleasant Hill, Cass county, the sky seemed brightly illuminated, and 

 immediately afterwarda a bright nucleus or ball of fire with a short tail, 

 appeared in the Northwest, shooting up like a rocket from the horizon 

 towards the zenith, and descending eastwardly. At Clinton, Henry county, 

 Missouri, it passed across the northern sky at 30° elevation, its nucleus ap- 

 pearing twice the diameter ot the Sun, with a long luminous tail of a blue- 

 ish violet color. At Kirksville, Adair county, it was observed 10° to 15° 

 Northwest, at an altitude of 30° to 40°. 



Mr. C. W. Irish, of Iowa City, Iowa, observed it at South 60°, West ele- 

 vation 65°, and thinks that it fell a few miles Southeast of Eagleville in Har- 

 rison county. I could hear of no explosion being heard in the counties 

 just south and west, but it was last seen overhead in the southwest part of 

 Linn county. 



