s ' lite America it Geologist. February, 1896 
miles wesl of Knyahinya, the meteor presented the appearance 
of ;i burning birch rod. The handle, which was directed fore- 
most, was deep red: and the meteor shot over Saros and 
Zemplin to a poinl due cast, where it burst, scattering its 
fragments in all directions and houses shook with the explo 
sion." 
The bursting of the Quenggouk meteorite. Dec. 27, L857, 
was observed by Lieut. Aylesbury and others, and the former 
has left ;i sketch showing its appearance at the moment of ex- 
plosion. Haidinger,* after careful, study of all the observa- 
tions, states that "there can remain no doubt that the meteor- 
ite, entering our atmosphere as a complete stone, was broken 
into a number of pieces at a great height-. " 
Other instances of tins kind might be cited, but those which 
have been given ought to be sufficient to prove thai meteorites 
have been seen to "explode' 1 during their passage to the earth. 
1 can find, moreover, no other adequate explanation for the 
differences in crusl observable mi different parts of single 
meteoric stone- than to suppose that, by the breaking up Of 
the mass during it- passage through the atmosphere, some 
surraces were exposed for a much shorter time than others to 
the fusing forces. As stated in the Handbook, the stones of 
the Butsura fall furnish the most remarkable instance of this. 
for their surfaces show three di tie rent degrees of fusion, appar- 
ently corresponding to three different disruptions indicated 
by the three reports heard at the time <d' the fall. But the 
stones of almost every meteoric shower show, in connection 
with thoroughly fused surfaces, others which are barely 
smoked and indicate very brief exposure. Haidinger. I am 
aware, sought to explain these surfaces by supposing them to 
be the result of mutual collision of fragments during a fall: 
hut the extent of the surfaces and the absence of any eviden- 
ces of abrasion upon them seem to me to contradict such a 
i heory. 
It may of course he incorrect to assert that the sounds like 
an explosion, which are heard, are concomitant with, or are 
the result of the bursting of the meteorite, yet the inference 
is a natural and usual one. 
*Sitz. Akad. Wien., Bd. U, S. (537. 
