[meteorite-list] 1860 New Concord NPA, more reports...

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:16:27 -0600
Message-ID: <BAY111-F24F4696A6ED7F68E5FC57FB3AC0_at_phx.gbl>

Paper: Whitewater Register
City: Whitewater, Wisconsin
Date: Saturday, May 19, 1860
Page: 1 (of 4)

Fall of Meteoric Stones in Ohio.

>From the Zanesville Courier

     An extraordinary phenomenon occurred on Tuesday, about noon, which has
been noticed in many counties in Eastern Ohio. This occurrence, although it
may be incredible to some, was certainly noticed by many in different
localities about the same time. In this city the explosion or noise was
distinctly heard. At New Concord, sixteen miles east, a gentleman who was
out in his field heard a large crash, similar to sharp thunder, a succession
of which lasted half a minute, and then died away, like the sound of a
receding train of cars. On looking up he observed an object descending, with
great rapidity, in an angling direction, and on marking where it touched the
earth, he there found a stone imbedded two feet in the earth, and somewhat
warm, weighing 52 lbs. Another was found of 56 lbs., one of 40 and one of 86
lbs., in weight, all within the circumference of a few miles. A small
portion of one of these we have in our sanctum.
     At Bellair the concussion was so strong as to force open the large
doors of a car house.
     At Malaga some of the inhabitances wore frightened, thinking of an
earthquake. The shock at Barnesville seemed to jar the buildings to their
foundations.
     Some boys were out in the woods near McConnellsville, which is perhaps
thirty miles from Concord, and observed what they termed a large red ball
descending to the earth with a fiery tail to it, but were so frightened as
to immediately return home.

>From the Columbus Statesman, May 5th.

     A correspondent in New Concord, Muskingum County, in a letter published
in the Statesman on Tuesday morning, mentioned a singular phenomenon in that
neighborhood on Tuesday. It was an astounding noise in the sky like the roar
of a cannon, which was followed by the fall of a number of stones, weighing
from two to fifty pounds. Since the date of our correspondent's note we have
received other letters from the same region of country, which not only
corroborate his statement, but add greatly to the singularity of the
phenomena. It appears that the noise alluded to was heard through a wide
range of country, and that stones of the kind described were found freshly
imbedded in the earth in the same manner, miles apart.
     In Morgan, Muskingum, Coshocton, Morrow and Tuscarawas County the
explosion was distinctly head. Near McConnellsville several boys observed a
huge stone descend to the earth, which they averred looked like a red ball,
leaving a line of smoke in its wake. A gentleman walking the field, near New
Concord, hard a terrific crash like thunder , which lasted half a minute,
and then plainly saw a large body descending through the air in an angling
direction, with a velocity apparently much greater then it could have
attained by its own momentum. Going to the spot where it touched the ground,
he found a rock weighing over fifty pounds, embedded in the earth a depth of
two feet. The phenomena seems to be unprecedented. These stones were found
nearly fifty miles apart, although the explosion was heard at all the places
mentioned from the direction of New Concord. Houses were shaken by the
shock, and in one or two instances the doors bursted open. It occasioned a
great deal of consternation in that section of the country, as well it
might.

(end)

Mark Note: This article refers to the New Concord meteorite. This meteorite
fell in Muskingum county, Ohio on May 1, 1860 at 12:45 p.m. More then
thirty pieces, 227 kg., of this L6 stone chondrite was recovered.
(Reference: Meteorites A to Z: Second Edition).
Received on Wed 24 Jan 2007 06:16:27 PM PST