Phenomena of Falling Meteorites. — Furring ton. 83 
It is doubtless possible that sounds like those of an explo- 
sion may be generated during the fall of a meteorite without 
any exploding of the meteorite itself. In this case it is import- 
ant, of course, to guard against mistaking a similarity of 
sound as evidence of the fact of explosion. But 1 believe it 
may also be asserted, from evidence so reliable that the nature 
of the occurrence cannot be doubted, that the actual "explos- 
ion" or breaking up of meteorites in the air has been seen to 
take place. 
Prof. H. A. Newton, in a lecture on the Relation of Meteor- 
ites to Comets, published in Nature (vol. 19, p. 315), men- 
tions a number of instances of this kind. The meteorite 
which passed over Illinois, Dec. 21, 1876, was seen by hundred- 
of persons to fly into fragments, lighting up the sky with ;i 
burst of celestial fireworks. Its passage was accompanied by 
the sound of fearful explosions. The meteor which passed over 
(reorgia and Tennessee in 1860 behaved in a similar way. 
Prof. Newton states that the Iowa County meteorite, id' Feb. 
12, 1875, was seen to break up in the air and later by one and 
a half to two minutes live quickly recurring reports were 
heard from it. Dr. J. Lawrence Smith states.* from evidence 
gained from eye witnesses of the fall of the Kmniet County 
meteorite. May 10. 1879, that "there were distinctly two ex- 
plosions. The first took place at a considerable height in the 
atmosphere and several large fragments were projected to 
different points over an area of four square miles, the largesl 
mass going farthest to the east. Another explosion occurred 
just before reaching the ground and this accounts for the small 
fragments found near the largest mass.'* At the fall id' the 
Fomatlan meteorite Sept. 17. 1N7D.+ ••many saw and heard the 
explosion. Two or three fragments fell eight miles N. W. of 
Fomatlan between the houses of tin- Gargantillo farm. The 
main body of the meteorite, which must have been very large, 
continued on its path to tin- \. W. and fell into a large lagoon 
four or live miles distant from the farm." 
Two scientific persons commissioned by the Governmenl at 
Pesth to impure into the circumstances of the meteoric fall ;ii 
Knyahinya. dune i). 1866, reported"}; that "at Eperies, fifty-five 
*Am. Jour. Sci., Ill, vol. xix, p. 4(50. 
tAni. Jour. Sci., Ill, vol. xxx. p. 108. 
^Abstract in Proc. Brit. A. A. S.. 1866, p. L33. 
