[meteorite-list] Remarks Concerning Stones Said To Have Fallen From The Cloud, Both In These Days, And In Antient Times. By Edward King 1796

[Shawn Alan]

Hello Lister

Speaking of meteorites falling I was searching the intern art and found this great website that offers over 100,000 books on the web for free and I decided to type in word Meteorites and I got back a book written by Edward King on REMARKS CONCERNING STONES SAID TO HAVE FALLEN FROM THE CLOUDS, BOTH IN THESE DAYS,AND IN ANTIENT TIMES. I finished reading the first publication written about meteorite written in English and I have to say its an easy fast read. I did learn new ideas and terms that were used in the 1700's to describe these events that took place across Europe. If you haven't read this manuscript before, please take sometime to do so. Down below are some section taken from the 1796 publication about meteorites.

REMARKS

CONCERNING

STONES

SAID TO HAVE FALLEN FROM THE CLOUDS, BOTH
IN THESE DAYS,
AND IN ANTIENT TIMES.



BY

EDWARD KING, ESQ. F. R. S. AND F. A. S.

Having received this last winter, from Sir Charles Blagden,[3] some very curious manuscript accounts, concerning a surprising shower of stones; which is said, on the testimony of several persons, to have fallen in Tuscany, on the 16th of June, 1794;—and having also perused, with much attention, a very interesting pamphlet, written in Italian, by Abbate Ambrose Soldani, Professor of mathematics, in the University of Siena, containing an extraordinary and full detail of such facts as could be collected relating to this shower; the whole has appeared to me to afford such an ample field for philosophical contemplation, and also for the illustration of antient historic facts; that (leaving the whole to rest upon such testimony as the learned Professor has already collected together; and to be supported by such further corroboration, as I am informed is likely soon to arrive in England,) I cannot but think it doing some service to the cause of literature,
 and science, to give to the world, in the earliest instance, a short[4] abridgement of the substance of the whole of the information; expressed in the most concise and plainest language, in which it is possible for me to convey a full and exact idea of the phænomenon.

It may be of some use, and afford satisfaction to several curious persons, to find the whole here compressed in so small a compass.

And, as I shall add my own conclusions without reserve; because the whole of the phænomenon tends greatly to confirm some ideas which I had previously been led to form, many years ago, concerning the consolidation of certain species of stone; it may open a door for further curious investigation.

And it may at least amuse, if not instruct; whilst I add a short detail of uncommon facts, recorded in antient history, and tending to shew clearly, that we are not without precedents of similar events having happened, in the early ages of antiquity.

On the 16th of June, 1794, a tremendous cloud was seen in Tuscany, near Siena, and Radacofani; coming from the north, about seven o'clock in the evening;—sending forth sparks, like rockets;—throwing out smoke like a furnace;—rendering violent explosions, and blasts, more like those of cannon, and of numerous muskets, than like thunder;—and casting down to the ground hot stones:—whilst the lightning that issued from the cloud was remarkably red; and moved with less velocity than usual.

The cloud appeared of different shapes; to persons in different situations; and remained suspended a long time: but every where was plainly seen to be burning, and smoking like a furnace.[5]

And its original height, from a variety of circumstances put together, seems to have been much above the common region of the clouds.

The testimony, concerning the falling of the stones from it, appears to be almost unquestionable:—and is, evidently, from different persons, who had no communication with each other.

For first; the fall of four stones is precisely ascertained: one of which was of an irregular figure, with a point like that of a diamond;—weighed five pounds and an half;—and had a vitriolic smell.—And another weighed three pounds and an half;—was black on the outside, as if from smoke;—and, internally, seemed composed of matter of the colour of ashes;—in which were perceived small spots of metals, of gold and silver.

And, besides these, Professor Soldani of Siena, was shewn about fifteen others: the surfaces of which were glazed black, like a sort of varnish;—resisted acids;—and were too hard to be scratched with the point of a penknife.

Signior Andrew Montauli, who saw the cloud, as he was travelling, described it as appearing much above the common region of the clouds; and as being clearly discerned to be on fire;—and becoming white, by degrees; not only where it had a communication, by a sort of stream of smoke and lightning, with a neighbouring similar cloud: but also, at last, in two-third parts of its whole mass, which was originally black. And yet he took notice, that it was not affected by the rays of the sun, though they shone full on its lower parts.—And he could discern as it were the bason of a fiery furnace, in the cloud, having a whirling motion.

This curious observer gives an account also, of a stone,[6] which he was assured fell from the cloud, at the feet of a farmer; and was dug out of the ground, into which it had penetrated.—And he says, that it was about five inches long, and four broad; nearly square; and polished: black on the surface, as if smoked; but within, like a sort of sand-stone, with various small particles of iron, and bright metallic stars.

Other stones are described by him; which were said to have fallen at the same time: were triangular; and terminated in a sort of (pyramidal) or conical figure.—And others were so small as to weigh not more than an ounce.

                                ***
He mentions also shortly another shower of stones,[V] A. C. 202, and still a third,[W] which must have happened about the year 194 before the Christian æra.

Such are the records of antient history. And in Holy Writ also a remembrance of similar events is preserved.

For when the royal Psalmist says,[X] "The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder: hail-stones, and coals of fire,"—the latter expression, in consistency with common sense, and conformably to the right meaning of language, cannot but allude to some such phænomenon as we have been describing. And especially, as in the cautious translation of the seventy, a Greek word is used, which decidedly means real hard substances made red hot; and not mere appearances of fire or flame.

Whilst therefore, with the same sacred writer,[Y] we should be led to consider all these powerful operations, as the works [18]of God; Who casteth forth his ice like morsels;[Z] and should be led to consider "fire and hail, snow and vapours, wind and storm as fulfilling his word;"[AA] we should also be led to perceive, that the objections to Holy Writ, founded on a supposed impossibility of the truth of what is written in the book of Joshua,[BB] concerning the stones that fell from heaven, on the army of the Canaanites; are only founded in ignorance, and error.

And much more should we be led to do so; when, to these observations, and testimonies, concerning showers of hot burning stones, is added the consideration; that within the short period of our own lives, incredibly large real hail-stones, formed of consolidated ice;—of ice consolidated in the atmosphere, have fallen both in France, and in England.

In France, on the 13th of July in the year 1788;—of which it is well known there has been a printed account: and concerning which it is said, and has been confirmed, on good authority, that some of the stones weighed three pounds: whilst others have been said to weigh even five pounds.

And in England, on the 20th of October, 1791, in Cornwall.

Of one of the hail-stones of this latter, minor storm, I have had an opportunity of obtaining, by the favour of a friend, an exact model in glass; whereof I now add an engraving.

This stone fell, with thousands of others of the same kind, near Menabilly, the seat of Philip Rashleigh, Esq.; well known for his science, and attention to whatever is curious; who having great copper works, and many ingenious miners, and workmen, on his estate, and directly under his eye; caused it to [19]be instantly picked up: and having then, himself, first traced both its top, and bottom, upon paper; and having measured its thickness in every part, with a pair of compasses; caused a very exact mould to be formed: and afterwards, in that mould, had this model cast in glass: wherein, also, the appearances of the imbedded, common, small, roundish hail-stones, are seen transparently; just as they appeared in the great hail-stone itself originally.

Here is the link to read the whole manuscript
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/29281/29281-h/29281-h.htm

Shawn Alan 
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