346 



Dr. W. Flight. On Meteorites. 



[Feb. 9, 



Carbonic acid . 

 Hydrogen 

 Carbonic oxide 

 Nitrogen 



5 155 

 77 778 

 7*345 

 9 722 



100 -ooo 



A drawing of the Rowton iron, and of a section showing the figures, 



During the past year a very beautiful specimen of a meteorite fell 

 near Middlesbrough, at a spot called Pennyman's Siding on the 

 North Eastern Railway Company's branch line from Middlesbrough 

 to Guisbrough, about one mile and three-quarters from the former 

 town. Its descent was witnessed by W. Ellinor and three platelayers, 

 who heard a whizzing or rushing noise in the air, followed in a second 

 or two by a sudden blow of a body striking the ground not far from 

 them ; the spot was found to be 48 yards from where they stood. The 

 fall took place at 3*35 p.m. on the 14th March, 1881. No luminous or 

 cloud-forming phenomena are reported. According to Professor 

 Alexander Herschel, who at once visited the spot, the fall appears to 

 have been nearly vertical. The stone was " new milk warm " when 

 found, and weighed 3 lbs. 8J oz. ; the crust is very perfect and of an 

 unusual thickness, and has scarcely suffered by the fall. The stone 

 forms a low pyramid, slightly scolloped or conchoidal-looking, 

 inches in length, 5 inches wide, and 3 inches in height. The 

 rounded summit and sloping sides are scored and deeply grooved, 

 with a polish like black lead in waving furrows running to the base, 

 showing that this side came foremost during the whole of the fusing 

 action of the atmosphere which the meteorite underwent in its flight. 

 The base is equally fused by heat, but is rough, dull brown in colour, 

 and not scored or furrowed. It penetrated the soil to a depth of 

 11 inches. From experiments made by Professor Herschel it is 

 calculated that it struck the ground with a velocity of 412 feet per 

 second. As it would acquire this velocity by falling freely through 

 half-a-mile, it is evident that little of the original planetary speed with 

 which it entered the atmosphere can have remained over. 



The stone contains 9*379 per cent, of nickel-iron, the composition 

 of which was found to be — 



accompanies the paper. 



III. — The Meteorite of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. 



Iron . . 

 Nickel 

 Cobalt, 



76 -99 

 21 -32 

 1 -69 



100 -oo 



