[meteorite-list] NP Article, 01-1916 Meteor Sends Towns To Knees
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:21:07 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV93Y3h1EJpUF0000a997_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_000B_01C34D4A.56C251C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Paper: Gettysburg Times =20 City: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania =20 Date: Monday, January 17, 1916 Page: 2 FIRE BOLT SENDS TOWN TO KNEES Meteor Explodes Before Bank and Church BEG MERCY FOR SOULS Many Fearing End of the World Fall Prostrate Before Pastor, Returning Fro= m Services Washington, Pa., Jan. 17. - Residents of West Alexander were roused from = their beds by the explosion of a meteor, which struck the earth in the ce= nter of the town's business district. =20 Terror-stricken, the Inhabitants ran out, fearing the world was coming to= and end and not knowing what dire calamity had befallen. The heavenly visitor had fallen in front of the West Alexander National b= ank, and the next thought of the towns people was that an attempt had bee= n made to rob the bank, which, with several other buildings, had been dam= aged by the explosion. Posses were immediately organized and a search beg= an. Father Weber, of St. Joseph's cathedral, who is something of an astro= nomer, solved the mystery of the meteor and the posses dispersed. Rev. J. G. Deeds, pastor of the Methodist church, was returning from a co= untry prayer meeting when the meteor fell, and was probably the only witn= ess. People runing from their homes in wild scream found him standing nea= r the scene of the explosion, and they began to fall on their knees in pr= ayer, begging the clergyman to implore mercy for their souls. The more pr= actical-minded, however, saw the damaged front of the bank, and immediate= ly assigned a more earthly and highly criminal cause for the explosion, a= nd the hunt for the bank robbers began. When it was found that other buildings, the Methodist church included, ha= d been damaged, the terror began again with renewed vigor. It was not untill Father Weber made his investigation that calm took the = place of storm in the little town. He explained that the head of a meteor= rushing through the air had caused it to explode when it struck the eart= h. Many meteors have fallen in the Ohio vallery in the past, but none of the= m stirred up half the excitement which this one did. Some of the townspeo= ple are still unconvinced that the falling of the meteor is not the omen = of a terrible catastrophe to come during 1916. Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor= and meteorite articles. ------=_NextPart_001_000B_01C34D4A.56C251C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><B><FONT size=3D= 2> <P>Paper:</B> Gettysburg Times </P><B> <P>City:</B> Gettysburg, Pennsy= lvania </P><B> <P>Date:</B> Monday, January 17, 1916</P> <P>Page: 2</P> <= P> </P> <P>FIRE BOLT SENDS TOWN TO KNEES</P> <P>Meteor Explodes Befo= re Bank and Church</P> <P>BEG MERCY FOR SOULS</P> <P> </P> <P>Many F= earing End of the World Fall Prostrate Before Pastor, Returning From Serv= ices</P> <P> </P> <P>Washington, Pa., Jan. 17. - Residents of West A= lexander were roused from their beds by the explosion of a meteor, which = struck the earth in the center of the town's business district. </P> <P>T= error-stricken, the Inhabitants ran out, fearing the world was coming to = and end and not knowing what dire calamity had befallen.</P> <P>The heave= nly visitor had fallen in front of the West Alexander National bank, and = the next thought of the towns people was that an attempt had been made to= rob the bank, which, with several other buildings, had been damaged by t= he explosion. Posses were immediately organized and a search began. Fathe= r Weber, of St. Joseph's cathedral, who is something of an astronomer, so= lved the mystery of the meteor and the posses dispersed.</P> <P>Rev. J. G= . Deeds, pastor of the Methodist church, was returning from a country pra= yer meeting when the meteor fell, and was probably the only witness. Peop= le runing from their homes in wild scream found him standing near the sce= ne of the explosion, and they began to fall on their knees in prayer, beg= ging the clergyman to implore mercy for their souls. The more practical-m= inded, however, saw the damaged front of the bank, and immediately assign= ed a more earthly and highly criminal cause for the explosion, and the hu= nt for the bank robbers began.</P> <P>When it was found that other buildi= ngs, the Methodist church included, had been damaged, the terror began ag= ain with renewed vigor.</P> <P>It was not untill Father Weber made his in= vestigation that calm took the place of storm in the little town. He expl= ained that the head of a meteor rushing through the air had caused it to = explode when it struck the earth.</P> <P>Many meteors have fallen in the = Ohio vallery in the past, but none of them stirred up half the excitement= which this one did. Some of the townspeople are still unconvinced that t= he falling of the meteor is not the omen of a terrible catastrophe to com= e during 1916.</P> <P> </P> <P> </P></FONT><FONT face=3DArial s= ize=3D2> <P> </P></FONT><BR><BR>Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.= com, a free on-line archive of meteor and meteorite articles.</DIV></BODY= ></HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_000B_01C34D4A.56C251C0-- Received on Fri 18 Jul 2003 05:33:37 PM PDT |
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