[meteorite-list] 1860 New Concord NPA, early account

[MARK BOSTICK]

Paper: Janesville Daily Gazette
City: Janesville, Wisconsin
Date: Tuesday Evening, May 8, 1860
Page: 3 (of 8)

     AN EARTHQUAKE IN EASTERN OHIO - The Columbus Fact of Thursday evening, 
says:
     On Tuesday last the counties of Guernsey, Belmont and Harrison, in 
eastern Ohio, were visited by an earthquake, more serious than any preceding 
one which there is any record in this section of the country.
     The earthquake lasted for about thirty minutes (or seconds?) producing 
the most intense excitement among the inhabitants,  and striking terror to 
the heart of all who happened to be within its range.  At Cambridge, 
Barnesville and other points, the citizens assembled together in the 
streets, and prayed for a safe deliverance from the destined face which 
seemed impending.
      Probably the most singular feature of the event, long to be remembered 
by those who saw and felt it, was the falling of what is supposed to be 
meteoric stones in various portions of that locality. Four large stones, 
weighing from forty to sixty pounds each fell on or near the track of the 
Central Ohio Railroad, near Concord, burying themselves in the ground two 
feet, while at Claysville, south-east of Cambridge, and other portions of 
the country, stones of the same quality, but in greater quantities, fell to 
the earth.
     The Cambridge Jeffersonian of Friday makes the following mention of the 
matter:
     No little excitement has arisen from the report that the rumbling sound 
which alarmed the delicate nerves of so many of our fair sex, on Tuesday 
last, was caused by the falling of a shower of stones, coming in an oblique 
direction toward the south-east.
     The specimens that we have seen are angular, of light-gray color 
internally, and of dark metallic on the outside. They are very compact and 
heavy.

(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).