[meteorite-list] NPA, 04-1889 Meteorite Almost Hits Steamship During Hurricane (?)
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:32:49 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV84sKBsxeOpb000154a2_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_002D_01C4081D.7AAA6E40 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Paper: Trenton Times City: Trenton, New Jersey Date: Saturday, April 13, 1889 MORE ABOUT THE GREAT STORM. The Story Told by the Captai of the Steamship Trople. NEW YORK, April 13. - The British steamship Tropic, Captain Barber, from = Pregreso, which place she left March 31, had a remarkable experience duri= ng the voyage. The first six days out was uneventful, but when off Hatter= as on Saturday, April 6, she encountered a gale. It set in at 8 a.m. and = two hours later it took the form of an electrical storm. the lightning wa= s almost incessant, while deafening peals of thunder followed in quick su= ccession. The storm lasted nearly ten hours. At nightfall the sea was run= ning mountain high. It was found necessary to resort to the use of oil to= ride out the hurricane, which had become one of the most furious kind. T= he Tropic lay at the mercy of the elements all night. At 5 o'clock Sunday= morning a remarkable brilliant flash of lightning illuminated the sky, f= ollowed by a deafening thunder clap. Immediately the sea became fiery red= and then darkened to a hue of blood. This phenomenon was attended by a hissing sound which apparently came fro= m overhead. The noise grew in volume and the illumination swiftly increas= ed. The light became so brilliant that none of the crew could distinguish= anything but sparks of fire. A large ball of fire was described overhead= It was as large as a good sized balloon. It came slanting toward the st= eamer and fell into the sea only a few yards from the vessel, filling the= air with flakes of fire. Millions of sparks fell in the wake of the fire= ball, illuminated the steamer for several minutes. Capt. Barber believes= it was a meteor. For some minutes after the ball had sunk into the sea t= he faces and eyes of the sailors squinted with pain, and the side of the = steamer nearest the fire ball was warm. During the disturbance the barome= ter vibrated 1-10 each way, indicating that it was of metallic substance.= Two hours after the meteor fell the Trople's engines gave out under the = strain of buffeting the waves the steamer rolled over into the trough of = the she, where she lay helpless for nearly forty-eight hours and the sea = breaking over her fore and aft. The weather chains were carried away, the= bridge smashed. On Wednesday the storm ceased, and the engines and rails= were patched up sufficiently to reach this port. Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor= and meteorite articles. ------=_NextPart_001_002D_01C4081D.7AAA6E40 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><FONT size=3D2= > <P>Paper: Trenton Times</P> <P>City: Trenton, New Jersey</P> <P>Date: S= aturday, April 13, 1889</P> <P>MORE ABOUT THE GREAT STORM.</P> <P> <= /P> <P>The Story Told by the Captai of the Steamship Trople.</P> <P>NEW Y= ORK, April 13. - The British steamship Tropic, Captain Barber, from Pregr= eso, which place she left March 31, had a remarkable experience during th= e voyage. The first six days out was uneventful, but when off Hatteras on= Saturday, April 6, she encountered a gale. It set in at 8 a.m. and two h= ours later it took the form of an electrical storm. the lightning was alm= ost incessant, while deafening peals of thunder followed in quick success= ion. The storm lasted nearly ten hours. At nightfall the sea was running = mountain high. It was found necessary to resort to the use of oil to ride= out the hurricane, which had become one of the most furious kind. The Tr= opic lay at the mercy of the elements all night. At 5 o'clock Sunday morn= ing a remarkable brilliant flash of lightning illuminated the sky, follow= ed by a deafening thunder clap. Immediately the sea became fiery red and = then darkened to a hue of blood.</P> <P>This phenomenon was attended by a= hissing sound which apparently came from overhead. The noise grew in vol= ume and the illumination swiftly increased. The light became so brilliant= that none of the crew could distinguish anything but sparks of fire. A l= arge ball of fire was described overhead. It was as large as a good sized= balloon. It came slanting toward the steamer and fell into the sea only = a few yards from the vessel, filling the air with flakes of fire. Million= s of sparks fell in the wake of the fire ball, illuminated the steamer fo= r several minutes. Capt. Barber believes it was a meteor. For some minute= s after the ball had sunk into the sea the faces and eyes of the sailors = squinted with pain, and the side of the steamer nearest the fire ball was= warm. During the disturbance the barometer vibrated 1-10 each way, indic= ating that it was of metallic substance. Two hours after the meteor fell = the Trople's engines gave out under the strain of buffeting the waves the= steamer rolled over into the trough of the she, where she lay helpless f= or nearly forty-eight hours and the sea breaking over her fore and aft. T= he weather chains were carried away, the bridge smashed. On Wednesday the= storm ceased, and the engines and rails were patched up sufficiently to = reach this port.</P></FONT><BR><BR>Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.co= m, a free on-line archive of meteor and meteorite articles.</DIV></BODY><= /HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_002D_01C4081D.7AAA6E40-- Received on Fri 12 Mar 2004 11:33:37 AM PST |
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