J. L. Smith—Description of Meteoric Stones. 219 
ART. XXXI.—A description of the Rochester, Warrenton, and 
Cynthiana Meteoric Stones, which fell respectively December 21st, 
1876, January 3d, 1877, and January 23d, 1877, with some 
remarks on the previous falls of Meteorites in the same regions ; 
by J. LAWRENCE SmirH, Louisville, Kentucky. 
A SHORT notice of the three meteorites which form the sub- 
ject of this communication, was published by me shortly after 
their fall, the detailed account of their flight and fall having 
been deferred until I could make a moré thorough examina- 
tion. his I am now able to do, as there have been 
sent to me the entire stone that fell near Cynthiana, and a 
large portion of the fragments which have been saved of the 
other two. 
_ The points of interest in connection with these three meteor- 
ites are as follows: First, they fell within a period of thirty-two 
days, and within a circumscribed territory of about two degrees 
of latitude and six degrees of longitude. ‘Secondly, they differ - 
from each other in their structural characteristics, and each has 
some peculiarity distinguishing it from the ordinary type of 
meteoric stones. Thirdly, they fell within a belt of cory 
which I shall show has been the lodging ground of all the 
meteoric masses that have been observed to fall and have been 
collected in the United States during the past eighteen years, 
with the exception of about one kilogram. 
1. Rochester (Indiana) Meteorite. 
The passage of this meteorite through the earth’s atmosphere 
has left but a small souvenir of its visit. It was well observed 
_ at Bloomington, Indiana, lat. 89° 12’, long. 86° 82', by the dis- 
tinguished astronomer Professor Kirkwood, who communica- 
ted to me at the time his observations; and he has subse- 
quently given them more in detail to the American Philosoph- 
ical Society, with the observations he had collected from others. 
I will therefore simply give a summary of the phenomena 
attendant upon its flight before describing the chemical and 
mineralogical characteristics of the stone which fell. 
e bolide made its appearance about nine o’clock P. M.,” 
December 21, 1876, and was of extraordinary magnificence. It 
saree eastward over the States of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, 
ndiana, Ohio, and parts of Pennsylvania and New Yor 
Although no observations were made in the two last mentioned . 
States, still Professor Kirkwood is doubtless correct in defining 
this as its course. t Bloomington its elevation was fifteen 
egrees. According to the calculation, the length of its observed 
track was from 1,000 to 1,100 miles, one of the longest on rec- 
