the Fall of Meteorites on the Earth. 



357 



1861), probably from the extreme cold of the interior, showed, 

 at the moment of their fall, a temperature notably below con- 

 gelation*. Meteoric iron, however, being a good conductor of 

 heat, comes down far more heated, and even in a state of in- 

 tense incandescence, as was the case with the iron of Corrientes 

 in Caritas Paso, near the river Mocorita, in January 1844, men- 

 tioned by Mr. Gregt, which fell at 2 a.m. in the shape of 

 a lengthened globe, a fiery streak marking its passage through 

 the air. The mass fell down at a distance of about 1200 feet 

 from Mr. Symonds, who indeed first made known this fall. Later 

 in the morning it could not be approached nearer than ten or 

 twelve yards, on account of the heat emanating from the mass, 

 which projected several feet out of the ground. During the fall 

 the atmosphere was evidently in a state of motion, as if repelled 

 by the falling body, producing a whirlwind of short duration. 



This description is quite consistent with the facts to be derived 

 from the preceding considerations. In this case the meteoric 

 iron-mass struck the earth nearly point blank, falling under an 

 acute angle of 60°. 



Another very characteristic phenomenon connected with the 

 vanishing of meteoric light, is the accompaniment of intense ex- 

 plosive sound, resembling the ignition of gunpowder fired from 

 guns or mines. Generally one detonation is strikingly loud, 

 frequently followed by others of a " rattling " character. The 

 meteor " explodes," as it is commonly called, and lets fall from 

 it one or more stones, disproportionally small in quantity as 

 compared with the probable size of the fireball itself. 



What could then have become of a body so luminous as that 

 of a large meteor, which, according to Prof. Laurence Smith's 

 experiments, might indeed appear far larger than the solid matter 

 contained in it could justify one in supposing possible ? 



According to Prof. Smith's experiments — made, 1st, with the 

 electric light between carbon points ; 2nd, with the oxy-hydrogen 

 light falling on lime ; and 3rd, with the light from steel burning 

 in oxygen, — the irradiation of a luminous point gives the follow- 

 ing numbers for the apparent size at four different distances : — 



Distance . . . 



10 inches. 



600 feet. 



1320 feet or £ mile. 



2640 feet or 4 mile. 



1. Carbon 



2. Lime ... 



3. Steel.... 



0-3 line 

 0-4 „ 

 0-2 „ 



"* Diameter 

 £ >■ of the 

 j moon. 



Diameter 

 2 I of the 

 •, moon. 



3 ^] Diameter 

 2 I of the 

 . moon. 



Though persons struck by any uncommon sight are generally 

 * Proceedings of the Imperial Academy of Vienna, sitting of the 29th 

 Nov. 1860. 

 t Philosophical Magazine for July 1855. 



