[meteorite-list] 1896 Newspaper Article, Spains Aerolite

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From: Mark Bostick <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:52:14 2004
Message-ID: <OE145g5XmllgYBr4BvR00013991_at_hotmail.com>

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Paper: Progress Review=20

City: La Porte City, IA

Date: Saturday, April 25, 1896

SPAINS AEROLITE

RECENTLY FELL IN THE VICINITY OF MADRID

The Naturally Suerstistious Spaniards Believe it a Warning from Heaven - =
It Came from a Clear Sky 0 Some American Aerolites

The Spanish newspapers that have reached this country in the last mail =
are full of details of the busting of the big aerolite over Madrid =
recently. The phenomenon that so greatly frightened Madrid and other =
places not far from the capital is not so very uncommon, but it is =
seldon observed on so startling a scale. The concussion from the =
explosion was so violent that every building in Madrid was shaken, many =
windows were broken, and a few light structures were levelled with the =
ground. The terror inspired by the occurrence, particularly among the =
ignorant and superstitous, was all the greater because the event was of =
course, unexpected, and it came on a day of beauty when all nature was =
bright and gladsome.

The sky was cloudless, the morning sun was radiant, the shops had put on =
their frestest Monday morning alr, and the streets were just beginning =
to be thronged with shoppers, pedestrians, and traffic when the =
deafening sound of the explosion was heard. Those who happened to be =
looking at the sky say that at the instant of the explosion there was a =
vivid glare of blinding light that for the moment outshone the sun, and =
then there instantly appeared at the place where the disturbance =
originated what looking like a cloud of white and bluish tint, bordered =
with red, which moved east at a termendous rate, leaving behind a thin =
train that may have been dust particles from the meteor illuminted by =
the sun.

The largest shell shot from a modern gun and bursting in midair could =
not have produced a sound approaching the stunning detonation of this =
explosion. Many people did not recognize it origin in the air, and =
thought some terrible calamity had occurred at the surface. The enormous =
energy of the disturbance probably equalled at least that of a large =
powder magazine which had blown up, for the whole city seemed to be =
shaken as by an earthquake, and the agitation of the atmosphere was =
shown by a rapid fall and rise of the barometers.

We may imagine with what brilliancy this aerolite must have shone in the =
sunlit sky when we know that it was visible over at least three-fourths =
of Spain as it shot through the air above the peninsula with a speed =
several times as great as that of the swiftest war projectile. The =
mountaineers among thePyrenees saw it and wondered. Even at France's =
famous watetlag place Diarritz, on the edge of Spain, the streak of =
light athwart the sky was observed. So it was observed from the Atlantic =
to the Mediterranean, for the people on the east coast at Valencia saw =
it, and in the south it was noticed as far as the southern tier of =
provinces. Nearly all Spain was treated to a pyrotechnic display on that =
morning.

Some damage was done also, at places other than Madrid, for the big =
red-hot stone partly disintegrated on its way and incandescent fragments =
that showered down upon the town of Logrono, 135 miles northest of the =
capital, set two buildings on fire, and at Borgos, 120 miles north of =
Madrid, three fragments from the main body started off as meteors on =
their own account and fell among the houses. Other places of the grayish =
stone that were flung off near Madrid were picked up while still hot.

So we see that this celestial visitor, after striking out atmosphere, =
scattered fragments along its way. It is quite probable that the main =
body passed complete over Spain and fell into the Mediterranean. It =
seems likely that it crossed the Spanish peninsula in less that half a =
minute, for these little objects travel with tremondous velocity. =
Probably many of the fragments that broke off from the stone traveled =
along with it in parallel courses but a few of them dropped to the =
ground.

The story of its flight is very much like that of the famous meteorite =
whose passage over about half of our continent from west to east was =
observed in December 1876. It first becane visible in the western part =
of the Indian Territory, and it passed over all the intervening states =
untill it was last observed in the state of New York, and it traversed =
this vast distance in about two minutes. The height above the earth at =
which it was first observed is believed to have been over sixty miles, =
and when over central New York it is thought to have been over thirty =
miles high. Many explosions were heard along its path, and many =
fragments that were broken off traveled along in its train as a flock of =
smaller meteors, and a few of them fell to the ground. An Indiana farmer =
heard the "dull thud" with which one of them struck the ground near his =
house, and he found the stone in the morning, and it was declared to be =
undoubtedly a part of the meteorite. In the same way explosions were =
heard in various cities as the Spanish visitor ???ed along, and, as in =
the case of our aerolite, there explosions were followed by detonations =
each a little less potent then its predecessor, and each a genuine echo.

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Paper: <FONT=20
size=3D2>Progress Review=20

City: La Porte=20
City, IA
Date: <FONT=20
size=3D2>Saturday, April 25, 1896
 
SPAINS AEROLITE
RECENTLY FELL IN THE VICINITY OF MADRID
The Naturally Suerstistious Spaniards Believe it a Warning from =
Heaven - It=20
Came from a Clear Sky 0 Some American Aerolites
The Spanish newspapers that have reached this country in the last =
mail are=20
full of details of the busting of the big aerolite over Madrid recently. =
The=20
phenomenon that so greatly frightened Madrid and other places not far =
from the=20
capital is not so very uncommon, but it is seldon observed on so =
startling a=20
scale. The concussion from the explosion was so violent that every =
building in=20
Madrid was shaken, many windows were broken, and a few light structures =
were=20
levelled with the ground. The terror inspired by the occurrence, =
particularly=20
among the ignorant and superstitous, was all the greater because the =
event was=20
of course, unexpected, and it came on a day of beauty when all nature =
was bright=20
and gladsome.
The sky was cloudless, the morning sun was radiant, the shops had put =
on=20
their frestest Monday morning alr, and the streets were just beginning =
to be=20
thronged with shoppers, pedestrians, and traffic when the deafening =
sound of the=20
explosion was heard. Those who happened to be looking at the sky say =
that at the=20
instant of the explosion there was a vivid glare of blinding light that =
for the=20
moment outshone the sun, and then there instantly appeared at the place =
where=20
the disturbance originated what looking like a cloud of white and bluish =
tint,=20
bordered with red, which moved east at a termendous rate, leaving behind =
a thin=20
train that may have been dust particles from the meteor illuminted by =
the=20
sun.
The largest shell shot from a modern gun and bursting in midair could =
not=20
have produced a sound approaching the stunning detonation of this =
explosion.=20
Many people did not recognize it origin in the air, and thought some =
terrible=20
calamity had occurred at the surface. The enormous energy of the =
disturbance=20
probably equalled at least that of a large powder magazine which had =
blown up,=20
for the whole city seemed to be shaken as by an earthquake, and the =
agitation of=20
the atmosphere was shown by a rapid fall and rise of the barometers.
We may imagine with what brilliancy this aerolite must have shone in =
the=20
sunlit sky when we know that it was visible over at least three-fourths =
of Spain=20
as it shot through the air above the peninsula with a speed several =
times as=20
great as that of the swiftest war projectile. The mountaineers among =
thePyrenees=20
saw it and wondered. Even at France's famous watetlag place Diarritz, on =
the=20
edge of Spain, the streak of light athwart the sky was observed. So it =
was=20
observed from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, for the people on the =
east=20
coast at Valencia saw it, and in the south it was noticed as far as the =
southern=20
tier of provinces. Nearly all Spain was treated to a pyrotechnic display =
on that=20
morning.
Some damage was done also, at places other than Madrid, for the big =
red-hot=20
stone partly disintegrated on its way and incandescent fragments that =
showered=20
down upon the town of Logrono, 135 miles northest of the capital, set =
two=20
buildings on fire, and at Borgos, 120 miles north of Madrid, three =
fragments=20
from the main body started off as meteors on their own account and fell =
among=20
the houses. Other places of the grayish stone that were flung off near =
Madrid=20
were picked up while still hot.
So we see that this celestial visitor, after striking out atmosphere, =

scattered fragments along its way. It is quite probable that the main =
body=20
passed complete over Spain and fell into the Mediterranean. It seems =
likely that=20
it crossed the Spanish peninsula in less that half a minute, for these =
little=20
objects travel with tremondous velocity. Probably many of the fragments =
that=20
broke off from the stone traveled along with it in parallel courses but =
a few of=20
them dropped to the ground.
The story of its flight is very much like that of the famous =
meteorite whose=20
passage over about half of our continent from west to east was observed =
in=20
December 1876. It first becane visible in the western part of the Indian =

Territory, and it passed over all the intervening states untill it was =
last=20
observed in the state of New York, and it traversed this vast distance =
in about=20
two minutes. The height above the earth at which it was first observed =
is=20
believed to have been over sixty miles, and when over central New York =
it is=20
thought to have been over thirty miles high. Many explosions were heard =
along=20
its path, and many fragments that were broken off traveled along in its =
train as=20
a flock of smaller meteors, and a few of them fell to the ground. An =
Indiana=20
farmer heard the "dull thud" with which one of them struck the ground =
near his=20
house, and he found the stone in the morning, and it was declared to be=20
undoubtedly a part of the meteorite. In the same way explosions were =
heard in=20
various cities as the Spanish visitor ???ed along, and, as in the case =
of our=20
aerolite, there explosions were followed by detonations each a little =
less=20
potent then its predecessor, and each a genuine=20
echo.</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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