208 C. U. Shepard— Meteoric Stone of Rochester, Indiana. 



about 8:45 o'clock, our citizens witnessed a meteoric display of 

 extraordinary brilliancy. A fire-ball, described bv many ob- 

 servers as surpassing the moon in apparent magnitude, followed 

 by a great number of smaller meteors, was seen in the northern 



heavens, moving in a . — ,\ direction. Its tii-t apj 



was at a point 12° or 15° north of west, and about 10° above 

 the horizon. Its greatest altitude, as seen from Bloomington, 

 was about 18° or 20°, and its disappearance oeeurred at a point 

 in the northeast, some 5° or 6° above the horizon. A remark- 

 able feature of the meteoric group was the slowness ,,f its 

 apparent motion. The time of flight was variously estimated. 

 Most observers, however, think it could not have been less 

 than three minutes. Many of the meteors following in- the 

 train of the principal bolide were larger than Venus ordinate!'. 

 No attempt was made to count them, but their number was 

 certainly nearly one hundred. Some minutes alter the disap- 

 pearance a rumbling noise was lieaid, winch was supposed to 

 result from the meteor's explosion." 



The second is from the Columbus (Ohio) State Journal. 



A meteone display, which, for singularity and beauty, few 



persons in a lifetime have the good fortune to behold, was 



i by six or seven persons, mvself included, on the 



evening of the 21st inst, at just 9 o'clock. Four of us were in 



- car, and two or three others on the engine of the 



ram, clue in Columbus at 9:20 p. m., on the Cleveland, 



Mount Vernon and Columbus Eailroad, and within about four 



miles of the depot. At that point the ti k - rlv north 



and south. The cluster or flock , t , , sixty 



in number varying in apparent s, u „., u k. t do wt 



to the size of large apples, were sec ..... It. aether like 



a nock of wild geese, and moved with about the same velocity 



'•;•■ The color of their light was a yellow- 



if'r embm ? tlleli e lltfrora the red balls of fire thrown 



out by the explosion of some kinds < ,f sk v-n >ckets. There was 



In e /o' '' I 



" M window of 



our car, made the discovery at . , ment , in a 



wer?i- 'L eCt! ° n ' Whe " Seen b ^ the «« ^ ", the meteors 

 The earth T^ OVer the tnlck and v ^ ■ 

 orm havinl^r Srt * : ' "*»** 



stat tW g Wltn essed it from a movin°- train but simply 

 of note!" M thej a PP earecl t0 m y s elf a°nd others as worthy 



