[meteorite-list] Rochester Meteorite - 1-3/4-1877 NPA's, Various

[MARK BOSTICK]

Paper: The Edwardsville Intelligencer
City: Edwardsville, Illinois
Date: Wednesday, January 3, 1877
Page: 2 (of 4)

Under "WEST AND SOUTH."

     A REMARKABLE meteoric phenomenon was witnessed in portions of Kansas, 
Northern Missouri, Southern Iowa, Central Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, on the 
evening of the 21st.  A brilliant meteor moved across the sky, resembling a 
comet with a long and luminous tail.  It moved rapidly and exploded with a 
loud report, in some places, being apparently split up into innumerable 
fragments.

(end)

Paper: The Athens Messenger
City: Athens, Ohio
Date: Thursday Morning, January 4, 1877
Page: 5 (of 8)

     - A correspondent thus refers to the late extraordinary meteor as seen 
in Rome township and of which mention was made in last week's MESSENGER:  At 
nine o'clock P,M., on the night of Thursday the 21st of Dec., Mr. Weils 
Grubb and family and others saw balls of fire, apparently rising from the 
hilltop, on lands owned by Joseph Patterson in Rome Township, Athens County, 
Ohio, which passed from West to East, the velocity of which was about the 
same as a flock of birds flying. They state that the number of balls were 
about 25 or 30, and were from two to four inches in diameter.  They emitted 
sparks similar to iron when heated to a white heat.  All concede it to be a 
very singular phenomenon.

(end)

Paper: The Indiana Progress
City: Indiana, Pennsylvania
Date: Thursday, January 4, 1877
Page: 4 (of 8)

     Illinois has been visited by a meteor and the Chicago papers are full 
of stories about it.  In Pontiac its light was so intense that people rushed 
into the streets, thinking the city was in flames.  There was a rumbling 
noise, buildings were shaken and the impenitent fell upon their knees, 
thinking that the day of judgment had come.  At La Salle there was the light 
of day for a few minutes, although night was considerably advanced.  At 
Nakeoki it appeared as three balls with a fiery trail and from Jacksonville 
it was seen to burst into a dozen blazing fragments.  Passing over 
Champaigne it continually dropped fire.  at Clifton the accompanying 
detonation was like that of heavy artillery.  All accounts agree as to the 
swiftness of the meteor's passage from west to east, the brilliancy of the 
illumination, and the severity of the explosion.  Chicago astronomers are 
instituting inquiries as to the characteristics of the phenomenon.
     This meteor was seen by several of the citizens of this place, parties 
residing near Salisburg, and also in Allegheny county.

(end)

Paper: Hornellsville Tribune
City: Hornellsville, New York
Date: Friday, January 5, 1877
Page: 4 (of 4)

     From a comparison of descriptions given, the Chicago Tribune concluded 
that the following is an approximate statement of the path pursued by the 
meteorite of Thursday night.  From some point southwest by wet of Lawrence, 
Kan., to Miami county, on the eastern border of that state; across Missouri, 
from Cass to Marion counties; across Illinois; from Adams to Iroquois 
counties; across Indiana, from the southern portion of Newton County to Fort 
Wayne, Allen county, from there across Ohio to the southern point of Lake 
Erie, and over the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania into New York state.  
The distance was nearly 1,000 miles; the time at Chicago about 8h. 35m. 
P.M., of Dec. 21, 1876; the height above the earth's surface some 75 miles 
when over Kansas, to 40 miles when over Ohio.

(end)


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