A. M. on Monday the 14th inst. The morning was somewhat cloudy: the clouds were dispersed in unequal masses, being in some places thick and opaque, in others light, fleecy, and partially transparent; while spots of unclouded sky appeared here and there among them. Along the northern part of the horizon, a space of 10 or 15 degrees was perfectly clear. The day had merely dawned, and there was little or no light, except from the moon, which was just setting. Judge Wheeler, to whose intelligence and observation, apparently uninfluenced by fear or imagination, we are indebted for the substance of this part of our account, was passing through the enclosure adjoining his house, with his face to the north, and his eyes on the ground, when a sudden flash, occasioned by the transition of a luminous body across the northern margin of clear sky, illuminated every object, and caused him to look up. He immediately discovered a globe of fire, just then passing behind the first cloud, which was very dark, and obscure, although it did not entirely hide the meteor.

In this situation its appearance was distinct, and well defined, like that of the sun seen through a mist. It rose from the north, and proceeded in a direction nearly perpendicular to the horizon, but inclining, by a very small angle, to the west, and deviating a little from the plane of a great circle, but in pretty large curves, sometimes on one side of the plane, and sometimes on the other, but never making an angle with it of more than 4 or 5 degrees. It appeared about one half or two thirds the diameter of the full moon. This description of its apparent magnitude is vague, but it was impossible to ascertain what angle it subtended. Its progress was not so rapid as that of common meteors and shooting stars. When it passed behind the thinner clouds, it appeared brighter than before; and, when it passed the spots of clear sky, it flashed with a vivid light, yet not so intense as the lightning in a thunder-storm, but rather like what is commonly called heat lightning. Its surface was apparently convex.

Where it was not too much obscured by thick clouds, a conical train of paler light was seen to attend it, waving, and in length about 10 or 12 diameters of the body. In the clear sky a brisk scintillation was observed about the body of the meteor, like that of a burning fire-brand carried against the wind.

It disappeared about 15 degrees short of the zenith, and about the same number of degrees west of the meridian. It did not vanish instantaneously, but grew, pretty rapidly, fainter and fainter, as a red hot cannon ball would do, if cooling in the dark, only with much more rapidity.

There was no peculiar smell in the atmosphere, nor were any luminous masses seen to separate from the body. The whole period between its first appearance and total extinction, was estimated at about 30 seconds.

About 30 or 40 seconds after this, three loud and distinct reports, like those of a four-pounder, near at hand, were heard. They succeeded each other with as much rapidity as was consistent with distinctness, and, all together, did not occupy three seconds. Then followed a rapid succession of reports less loud, and running into each other, so as to produce a continued rumbling, like that of a cannon ball rolling over a floor, sometimes louder, and at other times fainter; some compared it to the noise of a waggon, running rapidly down a long and stony hill; or, to a volley of musquetry, protracted into what is called, in military language, a running fire. This noise continued about as long as the body was in rising, and died away, apparently in the direction from which the meteor came.

The accounts of others corresponded substantially with this. Time was differently estimated by different people, but the variation was not material. Some augmented the number of loud reports, and terror and imagination seem, in various instances, to have magnified every circumstance of the phenome

non.

The only thing which seemed of any importance beyond this statement, was derived from Mr. Elihu Staples, who said, that when the meteor disappeared, there were apparently three successive efforts or leaps of the fireball, which grew more dim at every throe, and disappeared with the last. Such were the sensible phenomena which attended this meteor. posely avoid describing the appearances which it assumed in other places, We purleaving this task to others who have the means of performing it more accurately; while we proceed to detail the consequences which followed the explosions and apparent extinction of this luminary.

Account of a Meteor.

We allude to the fall of a number of masses of stone in several places, prineipally within the town of Weston. The places which had been well ascertained at the period of our investigation, were six. The most remote were about 9 or 10 miles distant from each other, in a line differing little from the course of the meteor. It is therefore probable that the successive masses fell in this We think we order, the most northerly first, and the most southerly last. are able to point out three principal places where stones have fallen, corresponding with the three loud cannon-like reports, and with the three leaps of the meteor, observed by Mr. Staples. There were some circumstances comThere was in every instance, immediately after the exmon to all the cases. plosions had ceased, a loud whizzing or roaring noise in the air, observed at all the places, and so far as was ascertained, at the moment of the fall. It excited in some the idea of a tornado; in others, of a large cannon shot in rapid motion, and it filled all with astonishment and apprehension of some impending catastrophe. In every instance immediately after this, was heard a sudden and abrupt noise, like that of a ponderous body striking the ground in its fall. Excepting one, the stones were more or less broken. The most important circumstances of the particular cases were as follows:

1. The most northerly fall was within the limits of Huntington, on the border of Weston, about 40 or 50 rods east of the great road from Bridgeport to Newtown, in a cross road, and contiguous to the house of Mr. Merwin Burr. Mr. Burr was standing in the road, in front of his house, when the stone fell. The noise produced by its collision with a rock of granite, on which its struck, was very loud. Mr. Burr was within 50 feet, and immediately searched for the body, but, it being still dark, he did not find it till half an hour after. By the fall, some of it was reduced to powder, and the rest of it was broken into very small fragments, which were thrown around to the distance of 20 or 30 feet The granite rock was stained at the place of contact with a deep lead color. The largest fragment which remained did not exceed the size of a goose egg, and this Mr. Burr found to be still warm to his hand. There was reason to conclude from all the circumstances that this stone must have weighed about twenty or twenty-five pounds.

Mr. Burr had a strong impression that another stone fell in an adjoining field, and it was confidently believed that a large mass had fallen into a neighboring swamp, but neither of these had been found. It is probable that the stone whose fall has now been described, together with any other masses which may have fallen at the same time, was thrown from the meteor at the first explosion.

2. The masses projected at the second explosion seem to have fallen principally at and in the vicinity of Mr. William Prince's in Weston, distant about five miles, in a southerly direction, from Mr. Burr's. Mr. Prince and family were still in bed, when they heard a noise like the fall of a very heavy body, im mediately after the explosions. They formed various unsatisfactory conjectures concerning the cause-nor did even a fresh hole made through the turf in the door-yard, about twenty-five feet from the house, lead to any conception of the cause, or induce any other enquiry than why a new post hole should have been dug where there was no use for it. So far were this family from conceiving of the possibility of such an event as stones falling from the clouds. They had indeed forined a vague conjecture that the hole might have been made by lightning, but would probably have paid no further attention to the circumstance, had they not heard, in the course of the day, that stones had fallen that morning, in other parts of the town. This induced them, towards evening, to search the hole in the yard, where they found a stone buried in the loose earth which had fallen in upon it. It was two feet from the surface-the hole was about twelve inches in diameter, and as the earth was soft and nearly free from stones, the mass had sustained little injury, only a a few small fragments having been detached by the shock. The weight of this stone was about thirty-five pounds. From the descriptions which we have heard, it must have been a noble specimen, and men of science will not cease to deplore that so rare a treasure should have been immediately broken in pieces. All that remained unbroken of this noble mass, was a piece of twelve pounds weight, since purchased by Isaac Bronson, Esq. of Greenfield, with the liberal view of presenting it to some public institution.

Six days after, another mass was discovered, half a mile north-west from Mr. Prince's. The search was induced by the confident persuasion of the neighbors that they heard it fall near the spot where it was actually found buried in the earth, weighing from seven to ten pounds. It was found by Gideon Hall and Isac Fairchild. It was in smil frag -ents, having fallen on a globular detached mass of gneiss rock, which it split in two, and by which it was itself shivered to pieces.

The same men informed us that they suspected another stone had fallen in the vicinity, as the report had been distinctly heard and could be referred to a particular region somewhat to the east. Returning to the place after an excursion of a few hours to another part of the town, we were graufied to find the conjecture verified, by the actual discovery of a mass of thirteen pounds weight, which had fallen half a mile to the north east of Mr. Prince's. Having fallen in a ploughed field, without coming into contact with a rock, it was broken only into two principal pieces, one of which, possessing all the characters of the stone in a remarkable degree, we purchased; for it had now become an article of sale.-It was urged that it had pleased heaven to rain down this treasure upon them, and they would bring their thunderbolts to the best market they could. This was, it must be confessed, a wiser mode of managing the business than that which had been adopted by some others, at an earlier period of these discoveries. Strongly impressed with the idea that these stones contained gold and silver, they subjected them to all the tortures of ancient alchemy, and the goldsmith's crucible, the forge, and the blacksmith's anvil, were employed in vain to elicit riches which existed only in the imagination.

Two miles south-east from Mr. Prince's, at the foot of Tashowa hill, a fifth mass fell. Its fall was distinctly heard by Mr. Ephraim Porter and his family who live within 40 rods of the place and in full view. They saw a smoke rise from the spot, as they did also from the hill, where they are positive that another stone struck, as they heard it distinctly. At the time of the fall, having never heard of any such thing, they supposed that lightning had struck the ground, but after three or four days, hearing of the stones which had been found in their vicinity, they were induced to search, and the result was the discovery of a mass of stone in the road, at the place where they supposed the lightning had struck. It penetrated the ground to the depth of two feet in the deepest place; the hole was about twenty inches in diameter, and its margin was colored blue from the powder of the stone, struck off in its fall.

It was broken into fragments of moderate size, and from the best calculations might have weighed 20 or 25 pounds.

The hole exhibited marks of much violence, the turf being very much torn, and thrown about to some distance.

It is probable that the four stones last described were all projected at the second explosion, and should one be discovered on the neighboring hill, we must without doubt, refer it to the same avulsion.

3. Last of all, we hasten to what appears to have been the catastrophe of this wonderful phenomenon.

A mass of stone far exceeding the united weight of all which we have hitherto described, fell in a field belonging to Mr. Elijah Seeley, and within 30 rods of his house.

A circumstance attended the fall of this which seems to have been peculiar. Mr. Elihu Staples, a man of integrity, lives on the hill at the bottom of which this body fell, and witnessed the first appearance, progress and explosion of the meteor. After the last explosion, a rending noise like that of a whirlwind passed along to the east of his house and immediately over his orchard, which is on the declivity of the hill. At the same instant a streak of light passed over the orchard in a large curve and seemed to pierce the groundA shock was felt and a report heard like that of a heavy body falling to the earth; but no conception being entertained of the real cause, (for no one in this vicinity with whom we conversed appeared to have ever heard of the fall of stones from the skies) it was supposed that lightning had struck the ground. Three or four hours after the event, Mr. Seeley went into his field to look after his cattle.-He found that some of them had leaped into the ad

joining enclosure, and all exhibited strong indications of terror. Passing on, he was struck with surprise at seeing a spot of ground which he knew to have been recently turfed over, all torn up, and the earth looking fresh, as if from recent violence. Coming to the place, he found a great mass of fragments of a strange looking stone, and immediately called for his wife, who was second on the ground.

Here were exhibited the most striking proofs of violent collision.-A ridge of micaceous schistus lying nearly even with the ground, and somewhat inclining like the hill, to the south east, was shivered to pieces, to a certain extent, by the impulse of the stone, which thus received a still more oblique direction and forced itself into the earth to the depth of three feet, tearing a hole of 5 feet in length and 4 1-2 feet in breadth, and throwing large masses. of turf and fragments of stone and earth to the distance of 50 and 100 feet. Had there been no meteor, no explosions and no witnesses of the light and shock, it would have been impossible for any person contemplating the scene to doubt that a large and heavy body had really fallen from the skies with tre

mendous momentum.

This stone was all in fragments, none of which exceeded the size of a man's fist, and was rapidly dispersed by numerous visitors who carried it away at pleasure. Indeed we found it very difficult to obtain a sufficient supply of specimens of the various stones, an object which was at length accomplished principally by importunity and purchase. From the best information which we could obtain of the quantity of fragments of this last stone, compared with its specific gravity, we concluded that its weight could not have fallen much short of 200 pounds. All the stones, when first found, were friable, being easily broken between the fingers; this was especially the case where they had been buried in the moist earth, but by exposure to the air, they gradually hardered. Such were the circumstances attending the fall of these singular masses. We have named living witnesses; the list of these may be augmented, but we consider the proof as sufficient to satisfy any rational mind. Farther confirmation will be derived from the mineralogical description and

chemical examination of these stones.

The specimens obtained from all the different places are perfectly similar. The most careless observer would instantly pronounce them portions of a common mass, and different from any of the stones commonly seen on this globe.

Of their form nothing very certain can be said, because only comparatively small fragments of the great body of the meteor have been obtained. Few of the specimens weigh one pound-most of them less than half a pound, and from that to the fraction of an ounce. Mr. Bronson's piece is the largest with which we are acquainted; we possess the next, which weighs 6 pounds, and is very perfect in its characteristic marks, and we have a good collection of smaller specimens, many of which are very instructive. They possess every irregular variety of form which might be supposed to arise from accidental fracture with violent force. On many of them however, and chiefly on the large specimens may be distinctly perceived portions of the external part of

the meteor.

It is every where covered with a thin black crust, destitute of splendor, and bounded by portions of the large irregular curve which seems to have enclosed the meteoric mass. This curve is far from being uniform. It is sometimes depressed with concavities such as might be produced by pressing a soft and yielding substance. The surface of the crust feels harsh like the prepared fish skin or shagreen. It gives sparks with the steel. There, are certain portions of the stones covered with the black crust, which appear not to have formed a part of the outside of the meteor, but to have received this coating in the interior parts, in consequence of fissures or cracks, produced probably by the intense heat to which the body seems to have been subjected. The specific gravity of the stone is 3,6, water being 1. The color of the mass of the stone is inainly a dark ash or more properly a leaden color. It is interspersed with distinct masses, from the size of a pin's head to the diameter of one or two inches, which are almost white, resembling in many instances the crystals of feldtII i

apar in some varieties of granite, and in that species of porphyry known by the name of verd antique.

The texture of the stone is granular and coarse, resembling some piecesof grit stone. It cannot be broken by the fingers, but gives a rough and irregular fracture with the hammer.

On inspecting the mass, four distinct kinds of matter may be perceived by the eye.

1. The stone is thickly interspersed with black globular masses, most of them spherical, but some are oblong and irregular. The largest are of the size of a pigeon shot, but generally they are much smaller. They can be detached with any pointed iron instrument and leave a concavity in the stone. They are not attractable by the magnet, and can be broken with the hammer. 2. Masses of yellow pyrites may be observed. Some of them are of a brilliant golden color, and are readily distinguished with the eye.

3. The whole stone is thickly interspersed with metallic points, many of them evident to the eye, and they appear numerous and distinct with a lens. Their color is whitish, and was mistaken by the discoverers of the stone for silver. They appear to be mainly malleable iron alloyed with nickel.

4. The lead colored mass which cements these things together, has been described already and constitutes by far the greater part of the stone. After being wet and exposed to the air, the stone becomes covered with numerous reddish spots, which do not appear in a fresh fracture and arise manifestly from the rusting of the iron.

Finally, the stone has been analysed in the laboratory of this College according to the excellent instructions of Howard, Vauquelin and Fourcroy. The analysis was hasty and intended only for the purpose of general information. The exact proportions, and the steps of the analysis, are reserved for more leisure, and may be given to the philosophical world through another medium. It is sufficient for the general reader to be informed that the stone appears to consist of the following ingredients:

Silex, Iron, Magnesia, Nickel, Sulphur.

The two first constitute by far the greater part of the stone-the third is in considerable proportion, but much less than the others-the fourth is proba bly still less, and the sulphur exists in a small but indeterminate quantity.

Most of the iron is in a perfectly metallic state; the whole stone attracts the magnet, and this instrument takes up a large proportion of it when pulverized: Portions of metallic iron may be separated so large that they can be readily extended under the hammer. Some of the iron is in combination with sulphur in the pyrites, and probably most of the iron is alloyed by nickel.

It remains to be observed that this account of the appearance of the stone accords very exactly with the descriptions, now become considerably numerous, of similar bodies which have fallen in other countries, at various periods; and with specimens which one of us has inspected, of stones that have fallen in India, France and Scotland. The chemical analysis also proves that their composition is the same, and it is well known to mineralogists and chemists that no such stones have been found among the productions of this globe. These considerations, together with the facts that are immediately to be mentioned, must in connection with the testimony, place the credibility of the facts asserted to have recently occurred in Weston, beyond all controversy.

The falling of stones from the clouds is an event which has frequently hap pened in Europe, in Asia, and in South America. The accounts of such phenomena were, for a long time, rejected by Philosophers as the offspring of ignorance and superstition. Several facts of this kind, however, within a few years, have been proved by evidence so unexceptionable, as to overcome the most obstinate incredulity. It is now admitted not only that such phenomena have existed in modern times, but that the accounts of similar events in former ages are in a high degree probable. As this is the first time that stones are known to have fallen in this part of America, it may not be uninteresting to those who have paid little attention to this subject, or who still hesitate to admit that such things have happened, to see a statement of several similar wvents in other countries, and some of the evidence by which they are supported. In 1492, on the 7th of November, at Ensisheim in Upper Alsace, a stone