The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 103

LOOK OUT BELOW A Hoosier town relaxing on a sunny day was suddenly jarred by an exploding meteor TESTERDAY a century ago--to be exact, stars Monday, fell on March 28, Southern 1859-is Indiana. the day the Buena Vista was a scattered cross-roads village in Taylor Township, on the banks of Mosquito Creek a few miles above its confluence with the Ohio River. The day had been clear and warm and many of the inhabitants were outside. The usual group of loafers was on the porch of Wallace's general store, idly whittling and gabbing. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon "the thing" struck.

Without warning, the sky was lit up with a terrific flash of light, spreading over the entire sky and lighting up the countryside. This blinding glare was immediately followed by loud bursting explosions which were succeeded by continuous thunderous reverberations across the valleys and high ridges. It was described by one of those who heard it as "equal to the discharge of many batteries of heavy artillery in continuous succession." The blinding flash and the thunder-like noise were seen and heard over a wide area. Capt. Hamilton Smith of the steamboat Tishomingo was landed at Derby, Perry County, about 40 miles west of Buena Vista, at the time.

He reported that the inhabitants "were terribly frightened, and women and children rushed forth from their houses in utmost consternation following the shock, which was accompanied by a rumbling sound with a sort of reverberation in the air, which was very singular and unusual." A correspondent writing from Nicholasville, more than 70 crow-flight miles from Buena Vista, to The Louisville Democrat, said, "This afternoon we heard three distinct reports, something like the discharge of a cannon, which produced a considerable concussion; so much so that the glasses in the house in which I was seated rattled as though they would fall from the sash." However widespread was the sound of the bursting meteorite, fragments of the visitor from outer space fell only in the vicinity of Buena Vista. Two sons of John Lamb were out in the barn yard when, following the explosion, they heard a loud, hissing sound above them. An object fell almost at their feet, penetrating about four inches into the earth. They dug it up and found it to be almost too hot to handle. It was of an oblong shape and about 3 inches long.

Another fell through a peach tree near by, but they were unable to find it. JOSIAH CRAWFORD and his wife were standing in their yard at the time, and saw a fragment burying itself in the ground. Another, which they did not find, fell near them "when they thought it prudent to retire to the house." As soon as possible he dug up the piece they had seen fall. It was still warm and had a sulphurous smell. In all only four pieces of this bursting meteorite were recovered, although a much greater number must have fallen, as over an area of about four miles square, almost every individual testified to having heard the hissing noise made by the falling fragments.

All By DR. CARL BOGARDUS showed a jet-black outer surface, but the broken inner surfaces were light gray in color, and interspersed with bright crystalline metallic specks. The material showed a marked magnetic property--the external coating being more magnetic than the internal portion. Dr. J.

Lawrence Smith, of the University of Louisville, a distinguished chemist and naturalist, analyzed these "unbidden messengers from another world." He found them to be 95 per cent earthy minerals (silica, magnesium, calcium, aluminum, sodium, potassium, etc.) and 5 per cent nickel-bearing iron, with traces of other metals (cobalt, copper, phosphorus and sulphur, Two of the aerolites were turned over to the British Museum in London, where they remain today, labeled, "Harrison County, Indiana, Meteorites." Another is now at Harvard University. The smallest fragment was, in 1878, in the possession of Prof. John Collett, assistant state geologist of Indiana, who has preserved this story for us. Where this piece of meteor is today is unknown. The strange part of this fantastic occurrence was the fact that no meteoric fragment struck a person, building or animal, nor inflicted the slightest injury or damage in any way that was ever known of.

The largest known meteorite ever to strike the United States hit in prehistoric times and There was a flash and a blast in the sky. ploughed into the earth near Flagstaff, Ariz. It has been estimated to weigh about 5,000,000 pounds. Burying itself deep in the ground, it spewed out some 300,000,000 tons of debris to form a crater three miles in circumference. Astronomers estimate several million meteors enter the earth's atmosphere every day, yet fewer than 10 are known to have landed on Hoosier soil.

The first of record was the Harrison County meteor of 1859. In 1862 one was found near Kokomo, another near Rushville in 1866, and a pear-shaped piece was found in Marshall County in 1872. In 1876 a 12-ouncer fell near Rochester. The largest found in the state was a six and one-half pound mass of meteoric iron plowed up near Plymouth in 1893, and one weighing five and one-half pounds was found at South Bend. BE and YOUNG Byck's St.

WORLD Matthews pin checker Dustins 2 to 4 sizes 4.95 4 to 6X 5.95 8 to 14 7.95 10 to 16 (Subteen) 8.95 Aqua or Pink pin checked cotton with the adorable touch of colorful smocking! me the following: Ky. Choice Amount Send or St. Choice 2nd Louisville 2, Ky. Size 1st Item Quantity Total. Money Order Name Street Charge City Check FOR A GOOD BEGINNING! Self Starter Saddle With all the important points of fit and proper support and it's saddle oxford! White elk with 6.95 Navy, or all Brown, Red or White.

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 1959 11.