[meteorite-list] NPA 02-20-1948 Vapor Trail Followed Fireball, Meteor Expert Seeks Fragments
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Oct 6 11:41:44 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-F2Hiu3fQtYdVzD00005c4d_at_hotmail.com> Paper: Nebraska State Journal City: Lincoln, Nebraska Date: Friday, February 20, 1948 Page: 1 Vapor Trail Followed Fireball; Meteor Expert Seeks Fragments RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) Crews of two B-29 planes said Thursday there was a vapor trail behind a "ball of fire" before it exploded Wednesday in the sky somewhere near northwest Kansas. The fliers first saw the fireball, trailing vapor, while 10,000 feet over Limon, Colo. They estimated its location as 100 miles southwest of their position, and its altitude as much higher than planes. Capt. Howard B. Berodt, Bernnett, la. and 1st Lt. Leonard P. Marchese, New York City, piloted the ships. They gave their account after returning to their base at Weaver field. Rapid City, S.D. The fliers saw the ball of fire explode. An hour after the explosion the cloud of smoke was still visible, high above the planes. The fliers fixed their position at the time as "directly east of McCook. THE EXPLOSION, believed to have come from a meteor high above the Oberlin, Kas., area, was observed in Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Colorado. It led to numerous reports of aircraft disasters. Oscar Monnig, secretary of the National Meteorological society, said at Fort Worth, Tex., he felt sure the fire ball was a meteor disintegrating. The fiery object was first seen near Colorado Springs, Colo. traveling eastward at great altitude. As it exploded in the Oberlin area, windows were shattered and residents reported a red ball exploded "in a fiercely brilliant white flash." DR. H. H. NININGER, director of the meteor crater observatory at Flagstaff, Ariz., left Thursday for Kansas to attempt o find meteor fragments. C. L. Jacoby of Norton, Kas., Telegram, said excited residents phoned that the explosion was "of atomic proportions." He said there was no damage in the area, altho windows were rattled. (end) PDF copies of articles posted today are available upon requst. Mark Bostick www.meteoritearticles.com Received on Wed 06 Oct 2004 11:36:08 AM PDT |
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