522 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



at 5.30 was widely observed throughout the adjoining country. 

 It appears that the phenomenon was rather in the nature of a 

 meteoric shower, judging by appearances and the fact that 

 several complete meteorites of considerable size — 10, 70, 100 

 pounds — have been found, at long distances from each other, with 

 a large number of smaller ones. The splendor of this great lumin- 

 ous ball — bright even in full sunlight — its fiery comet-like tail, 

 three to four degrees in length, and the long train of smoke 

 lingering behind it fully ten minutes plainly marking its course 

 in the sky, inspired all who saw it with awe. It is described as 

 sputtering throughout its course like fireworks. To the students 

 who saw it enter the atmosphere, it appeared to start a few 

 degrees below the zenith, and to pass below the horizon to the 

 N.N.W. of this place, descending at an angle of fifty degrees. 

 The meteoric shower covered an area, some two to three miles 

 wide, near Forest City, Winnebago Co., Iowa, while one mete- 

 orite, weighing one hundred pounds, passed into Kossuth Co. We 

 were so fortunate as to secure several fragments broken from the 

 seventy pound mass, together with a rather small, but complete 

 and characteristic meteorite, weighing one fifth of a pound. 

 These meteorites belong to the " Stone " class. Their most 

 noticeable feature is the large amount of metal contained in the 

 fragments examined, it amounting to 45 per cent by weight. The 

 metal is in exceedingly small globules and thin flakes, making its 

 separation from the matrix a matter of considerable difficulty. 

 The matrix has been analyzed by us with the following results: 



Si0 2 47*03, Fe 2 3 29*43, A1 2 3 2-94, CaO 17-58, MgO 2'96 = 99«94. 



Specific gravity of matrix 2 '63, of the metal freed from matrix as 

 well as possible at present 5*75. As early as is consistent with 

 accuracy, these preliminary notes will be followed with a full 

 report on this important meteor. 



Iowa College, G-rinnell, Iowa, May 9, 1890. 



2. Orbit of the Meteor of May 2d. — The newspaper accounts 

 of the path of the Iowa meteorite of May 2d are definite 

 enough to give a fair idea of its orbit about the sun before enter- 

 ing the atmosphere. The path that satisfies best the accounts 

 that appear to be reliable was directed from a point a little north 

 of west and somewhat higher than the sun, — the sun being then 

 about 20° high and due west. The velocity of the meteorite 

 may be safely assumed to have been greater than that of 

 Encke's comet at distance unity, and less than that belonging to a 

 parabolic orbit. With this assumption the orbit would be in- 

 clined to the ecliptic between 10 and 20 degrees with direct 

 motion. The ascending node is in longitude 42°-5. The body 

 had passed perihelion several weeks, how long depends mainly 

 upon the inclination to the horizon of the path through the air. 

 The perihelion distance was probably between -50 and -70, this 

 element also being largely dependent upon the same inclination. 

 Better observations of this inclination than are now in hand are 

 hoped for. h. a. n. 



