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Prof. E. B. Andrews on Fall of Meteoric Stones. 108 
Art. XIIT—(1.) An account of the fall of Meteoric Stones at New 
Concord, Ohio, May 1st, 1860; by Prof. E. B. ANpDREws, of 
Marietta College. With (2.) Computations respecting the Me- 
teor; by Prof. EK. W. Evans, of the same Institution. 7b 
which are added further notices of the same by D. W. JOHNSON, 
sq. and Dr. J. LAwRENcE SMITH. 
(1. 
Axovrt fifteen minutes before one o'clock on the first peli 
May, 1860, the people of southeastern Ohio and northwestern Vir- 
ginia were startled by a loud noise, which was variously attributed 
to the firing of a heavy cannon, to the explosion of steamboat 
boilers, to an earthquake, and to the explosion of a meteor. In 
many cases houses were jarred. ‘'T'o persons within doors the 
hoise generally seemed as if produced by the falling of a heavy 
soft body upon the chamber floor. Many persons heard a rum- 
bling reverberation which continued for a few seconds. The 
area over which this explosion was heard was probably not less 
than one hundred and fifty miles in diameter. At Marietta, O., 
' the sound came from a point north or a little east of north. The 
direction of the sound varied with the locality. An examina- 
tion of all the different directions leads to the conclusion that 
the central point, from which the sound emanated, was near 
the southern part of Noble county, Ohio. : 
At New Concord, Muskingum Co., where the meteoric stones 
fell, and in the immediate neighborhood, there were many dis- 
inet and loud reports heard. At New Concord there was first 
heard in the sky, a little southeast of the zenith, a loud detona- 
ton, which was compared to that of a cannon fired at the dis- 
tance of half a mile. After an interval of ten seconds another 
similar report. After two or three seconds another, and so on 
with diminishing intervals. Twenty-three distinct detonations 
were heard, after which the sounds became blended together 
and were compared to the rattling fire of an awkward squad of 
Soldiers, and y others to the roar of a railway train. These 
Sounds, with their reverberations, are thought to have continued 
or two minutes, The last sounds seemed to come from a point 
m the southeast 45° below the zenith. The result of this can- 
Ronading was the falling of a large number of stony meteorites 
‘Upon an area of about ten miles long by three wide. The sk 
Was cloudy, but some of the stones were seen first as “ black 
specks,” then as « black birds,” and finally falling to the ground, 
A few were picked up within twenty or thirty minutes. The 
Warmest was no warmer than if it had lain on the ground ex- 
Posed to the sun’s rays, They penetrated the earth from two to 
three feet. The largest stone, which weighed 103 lbs., struck 
the earth at the foot of a large oak tree, and after cutting off 
#¥0 Toots, one five inchea in diameter, and grazing a third root, 
