[meteorite-list] NPA 03-18-1880 Estherville Meteorite Article

[MARK BOSTICK]

Paper: Indiana Democrat
City: Indiana, Pennsylvania
Date: March 18, 1880
Page: 4


Fall of a Meteor

     At the last meeting of the astronomical department of the State 
historical society, held in St. Paul, an exceedingly interesting and 
valuable paper on meteorites was read by Prof. E. J. Thompson, of the State 
University.  The following extract from this paper relating as to a 
meteorite that fell across the southern line of Minnesota, near the town of 
Jackson, will be found of interest:
     May 10, 1879, was a bright, clear, cloudless day.  At five o'clock in 
the afternoon, in full sunshine, this meteorite passed through the air, 
exploded and fell in the town of Erterville, Emmet county, Iowa, about ten 
or twelve miles below the southern boundary of Jackson county, Minn.  The 
path it followed marked a course from northwest to southeast, and was seen 
for a distance of several hundred miles.  Mr. W. L. Wilkins, of Austin, told 
me that as he was traveling in the northwest part of Mower county, May 10, 
about 5 P.M., he heard an unusual crackling and hissing noise about him, and 
upon looking up saw to the west of him the meteor passing.  This was more 
than 100 miles from where it fell.  Mr. Pickard who resides in the northwest 
part of Blue Earth county, saw it pass as it seemed far to the northwest of 
him; and described it as a most startling and wonderful phenomenon - a huge 
ball of fire, followed closely by a cloud of fire.  Reports from localities 
still further northwest, some from Dakota, confirms the opinion that its 
direction was as above stated.  Its appearance in the heavens was that of a 
huge globe of fire attended by a fiery cloud.  The inhabitants residing 
within the area of a circle whose diameter is six miles, for a few minutes 
were greatly alarmed; not more at the simple flying ball of fire which 
seemed so near to them, than at the terrific explosions immediately above 
them; those who did not see it thought an earthquake had occurred and were 
in great terror.  All agree with its explosion and force.  The noise 
accompanying its flight is described as rumbling, cracking, crashing, 
similar to that produced by a train of cars crossing a long bridge; then 
came a very loud report, immediately followed by two distinct reports in 
quick succession though not so explosion or loud as the first.  It struck 
the ground in separate masses, together with smaller fragments scattered 
over an area of three or four miles.  There were two large pieces which fell 
about two miles apart, in a direct northwest line, both at an angle of 
eighty degrees.  The impression of those who saw the meteor in the air just 
at the time of explosion was that still another large mass fell no far 
distant.  This has been confirmed by the recent finding of a piece weighing 
150 pounds by a trapper named Robert Pietz.
     The largest mass, weighing 470 pounds, now at Keokuk, Iowa, penetrated 
a hard blue clay soil, covered with water, to the depth of twelve feet.  The 
mass weighing 170 pounds, now at the State University, fell on a dry grassy 
knoll, and was buried to the depth of five and a half feet below the 
surface.  A few rods from the largest mass would found a fragment weighing 
thirty pounds, and a schoolboy picked up a specimen weighing three pounds a 
little distance away from the largest.  Three resembled the great body of 
the meteorite in all respects. - St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer.

(end)

Mark Note: Newspaper article on the Estherville meteorite fall.  Misspelled 
in article Erterville.