[meteorite-list] Rochester Meteorite - NPA 12-22-1876 - Decatur, Il.

[MARK BOSTICK]

Paper: Decatur Daily Republican
City: Decatur, Illinois
Date: Friday Evening, December 22, 1876
Page: 2 (of 4)

     PANA, Ill., Dec. 21 - Passengers on the southward bound Illinois 
Central train were treated to a fine view of a brilliant meteor, just as the 
train was approaching Macon.  A young lady was the first to discover a large 
ball of fire coming directly towards the train moving from west to east, 
midway between the zenith and horizon.  It burst just before reaching the 
train, and gradually descended.

(end)

     LINCOLN, Ill. Dec. 21 - A large meteor passed over this city about nine 
o'clock this evening, in a northeasterly direction, and is supposed to have 
struck the earth some thirty miles away.  Its passage through the air 
sounded like the rumbling of a train of cars; the explosion was like the 
roar of cannon.  As it passed over us the earth trembled and houses shook.  
For nearly a minute the heavens were ablaze and it was light as day.


Paper: Decatur Daily Republican
City: Decatur, Illinois
Date: Friday Evening, December 22, 1876
Page: 3 (of 4)

Under "CITY DEPARTMENT."

     ...Everybody is talking about the meteor.

(end)

THAT METEOR

     Last evening the attention of people who happened to be out doors about 
eight o'clock was attracted by a huge ball of fire rising in the west, 
which, when at an angle of about forty-five degrees, seemed to burst, 
sending out innumerable jets of light similar to what appears when a rocket 
explodes is the air.  The immense body of light, with its thousand or more 
attendants, moved rapidly in an easterly direction and disappeared over the 
eastern horizon at about the same altitude which it had reached in the west 
when first seen.
     In about four or five minutes after the light was first seen, followed 
the report of its explosion, which was similar to two discharges of a 
cannon, causing the buildings and ground to tremble, as would the shock of 
an earthquake.
     Those who saw the light, of course associated the sound with it as it 
origin; but those who were inside and simply felt the shock, had an idea 
that an earthquake had taken place, until they learned of the meteoric 
display which immediately preceded it.
     From the length of time which intervened between the appearance of the 
light and explosion and the report which followed, it must have been many 
miles away, and we shall probably hear of the phenomenon from remote parts 
of the country.
     One very interesting fact that goes to show the distance of the 
luminous body from this locality, is that its appearance at Wapella was 
telegraphed at this station, and the telegram was read to bystanders before 
the report reached here.
     These fire balls or shooting stars are fully described in 
Encyclopedias.  They are said to be generally from fifty to one hundred feet 
in diameter, their size to the eye of an observer, of course, depending upon 
their distance from him.
     Humboldt claims that some of the largest of these shooting fire balls 
must have had a diameter of from five hundred to two thousand feet.  Their 
height at the points where they begin and finally disappear, is said to be 
from fifteen to one hundred and fifty miles, and their velocities are said 
to vary from eighteen to thirty-six miles per second.  They sometimes appear 
singly - as was the case last evening - and sometimes in large numbers, as 
was the case in November, 1833, when the most remarkable meteoric shower 
ever witnessed on this continent took place.
     It is supposed that there is in all these fire-balls solid matter, 
which finally falls to the earth, numerous specimens of which have been 
found from time to time - many of which are in the cabinets of our colleges 
and other institutions of the country.  In most instances these specimens 
are composed of about ninety parts of iron, to ten of other metallic matter. 
  Various theories have been suggested as to the origin of these aerial 
travelers, which we have not room to notice, all of which will be found 
fully stated and discussed in the standard Encyclopedias of the day.  The 
study is an interesting one, and especially so at this time, when everyone 
is talking about the wonderful phenomena of light and sound.

(end)

     A Good Joke. - One of our citizens who had retired at the time the 
meteor passed over the city last night, upon hearing the report and feeling 
the shock, thought that his chimneys had fallen down, and got up and went to 
the roof of his house to satisfy himself that all was right.

(end)


Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
Wichita, Kansas
http://www.meteoritearticles.com
http://www.coinandstampman.com
http://www.imca.cc

http://stores.ebay.com/meteoritearticles

PDF copy of this article, and most of those on my website, are available 
upon e-mail request.

The NPA in the subject line, stands for Newspaper Article. The old list 
server allowed us a search feature the current does not, so I guess this is 
more for quick reference and shortening the subject line now.