[meteorite-list] Kendleton Meteorite; Port Arthur, Texas NPA

[MARK BOSTICK]

Hello,

I had a request for Kendleton NPA's.  This is the only one I have recovered 
so far, and I do not think I have posted it yet....so here it is.  Dr. 
Ehlmann once mentioned to me that Monnig collected NPA's, so it is likely 
that the Monnig files contain other NPA's related.

Mark


Paper: The Port Arthur News
City: Port Arthur, Texas
Date: Wednesday, May 3, 1939
Page: 1 (of 20)

FOLKS HERE SAW METEOR FLAME BUT DENY ITS TAIL SPELLED OUT 'HITLER' OR 'WAR'

     The tail of that meteor east Texans saw in the evening sky at dusk 
Tuesday did not spell out any message in letters, according to the Port 
Arthur residents who told The News they had seen it.
     But so prominent was it, that thousands in this area must have seen the 
fiery red ball that dropped toward the western horizon.  Drawling, 
apparently, upon their imaginations, many persons said they could see 
"words" spelled out by the fall as it hung in the sky 10 minutes or longer.

Seen Over Wide Area

     Persons in Beaumont, Houston and Galveston reported seeing the meteor 
to the west-southwest, indicating, because it was seen in the same place by 
so many people scattered over so large an area that it must have been 
hundreds - perhaps thousands - of miles away.
     An Associated Press dispatch from Houston related a large variety of 
symbols seen in the meteor's tail by the imaginative, "War," some said, was 
written plainly.  Other things reported seen were "Hitler," "1918" and the 
nazi swastika.  A Townsend planner saw "$200" as plan as day.

"Sort of Splashed Out"

     But Mrs. L. Gautreaux of 2401 17th street, who observed it with her 
husband, discounted all such reports.
     "It was like a ball of fire," she told The News, "like a shooting 
star," and it sort of splashed out.  But the tail lasted surely 10 minutes, 
first making a line like a pencil mark.  Then it broke into

(Turn to page 13, column 5)


Paper: The Port Arthur News
City: Port Arthur, Texas
Date: Wednesday, May 3, 1939
Page: 13 (of 20)

METEOR
Continued from Page 1.

pieces, something like letters, but I couldn't tell what it meant.
     From Mrs. Gautreaux's home, the meteor appeared to be over the Texas 
Company plant.

Not Seen At Weather Bureau

     The weather bureau station here said the phenomenon had been reported 
by several persons, but that none of its observers had seen it.
      Part of the (AP) story from Houston follows:
     The size of the meteor was described as being twice as big as a full 
moon.
     Various sounds were heard.  Some felt the meteor must have been near 
because they claimed they could hear it hissing.  Residents of Houston 
Heights said it was so near the earth that some of them ducked as it passed 
over.

Dust Fell On Trees?

     The thing made such a bright light roosters crowed.  Dust settling on 
trees, some claimed, sounded like birdshot falling.
     Joe King, amateur astronomer, said it must have been at least 500 miles 
from the earth because the tail and the meteor were visible so long.
     As for the hissing and the thunder and the messages in the sky, King 
said they were purely imaginary.

(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.