Remarks Concerning Stones Said to Have Fallen from the Clouds, Both in These Days, and in Antient Times.

by Edward King.

_An Attempt to account for the Production of a Shower of Stones, that fell in Tuscany, on the 16th of June, 1794; and to shew that there are Traces of similar Events having taken place, in the highest Ages of Antiquity. In the course of which Detail is also inserted, an Account of an extraordinary Hail-stone, that fell, with many others, in Cornwall, on the 20th of October, 1791._

Having received this last winter, from Sir Charles Blagden, some very curious _ma.n.u.script_ accounts, concerning a surprising shower of stones; which is said, on the testimony of several persons, to have fallen in Tuscany, on the 16th of June, 1794;--and having also perused, with much attention, a very interesting pamphlet, written in Italian, by _Abbate Ambrose Soldani_, Professor of mathematics, in the University of Siena, containing an extraordinary and full detail of such facts as could be collected relating to this shower; the whole has appeared to me to afford such an ample field for philosophical contemplation, and also for the ill.u.s.tration of antient historic facts; that (leaving the whole to rest upon such testimony as the learned Professor has already collected together; and to be supported by such further corroboration, as I am informed is likely _soon_ to arrive in England,) I cannot but think it doing some service to the cause of literature, and science, to give to the world, in the earliest instance, a short abridgement of the substance of the whole of the information; expressed in the most concise and plainest language, in which it is possible for me to convey a full and exact idea of the phaenomenon.

It may be of some use, and afford satisfaction to several curious persons, to find the whole here compressed in so small a compa.s.s.

And, as I shall add my own conclusions without reserve; because the whole of the phaenomenon tends greatly to confirm some ideas which I had previously been led to form, many years ago, concerning the consolidation of certain species of stone; it may open a door for further curious investigation.

And it may at least amuse, if not instruct; whilst I add a short detail of uncommon facts, recorded in antient history, and tending to shew clearly, that we are not without precedents of _similar events_ having happened, in the early ages of antiquity.

On the 16th of June, 1794, a tremendous cloud was seen in Tuscany, near Siena, and Radacofani; coming from the north, about seven o'clock in the evening;--sending forth sparks, like rockets;--throwing out smoke like a furnace;--rendering violent explosions, and blasts, more like those of cannon, and of numerous muskets, than like thunder;--and casting down to the ground hot stones:--whilst the lightning that issued from the cloud was remarkably red; and moved with _less_ velocity than usual.

The cloud appeared of different shapes; to persons in different situations; and remained suspended a long time: but every where was plainly seen to be burning, and smoking like a furnace.

And its original height, from a variety of circ.u.mstances put together, seems to have been much above the common region of the clouds.

The testimony, concerning the falling of the stones from it, appears to be almost unquestionable:--and is, evidently, from different persons, who had no communication with each other.

For first; the fall of four stones is precisely ascertained: one of which was of an irregular figure, with a point like that of a diamond;--weighed five pounds and an half;--and had a vitriolic smell.--And another weighed three pounds and an half;--was black on the outside, as if from smoke;--and, internally, seemed composed of matter of the colour of ashes;--in which were perceived small spots of metals, of gold and silver.

And, besides these, Professor Soldani of Siena, was shewn about fifteen others: the surfaces of which were glazed black, like a sort of varnish;--resisted acids;--and were too hard to be scratched with the point of a penknife.

Signior _Andrew Montauli_, who saw the cloud, as he was travelling, described it as appearing much above the common region of the clouds; and as being clearly discerned to be on fire;--and becoming white, by degrees; not only where it had a communication, by a sort of stream of smoke and lightning, with a neighbouring similar cloud: but also, at last, in two-third parts of its whole ma.s.s, which was originally black.

And yet he took notice, that it was not affected by the rays of the sun, though they shone full on its lower parts.--And he could discern as it were the bason of a fiery furnace, in the cloud, having a whirling motion.

This curious observer gives an account also, of a stone, which he was a.s.sured fell from the cloud, at the feet of a farmer; and was dug out of the ground, into which it had penetrated.--And he says, that it was about five inches long, and four broad; nearly square; and polished: black on the surface, as if smoked; but within, like a sort of sand-stone, with various small particles of iron, and bright metallic stars.

Other stones are described by him; which were said to have fallen at the same time: were triangular; and terminated in a sort of (pyramidal) or conical figure.--And others were so small as to weigh not more than an ounce.

Professor Soldani saw another stone, said to have fallen from the cloud, which had the figure of a parallelopiped, blunted at the angles; and was as it were varnished, on the outside, with a black crust; and quite unlike any stones whatever of the soil of the country where it had fallen.

Two ladies being at _Cozone_, about 20 miles from _Siena_, saw a number of stones fall, with a great noise, in a neighbouring meadow: one of which, being soon after taken up by a young woman, burnt her hand: another burnt a countryman's hat: and a third was said to strike off the branch of a mulberry tree; and to cause the tree to wither.

Another stone, of about two ounces weight, fell near a girl watching sheep; a young person, whose veracity it is said could not be doubted.--This stone, the Professor tells us, is also a parallelopiped, with the angles rounded; and its internal substance is like that of the others; only with more metallic spots; especially when viewed with a magnifying gla.s.s: and the black external crust appears to be minutely crystallized.

Many others, of a similar kind, were in the possession of different persons at Siena.

And besides the falling of these from the cloud, there is described to have been a fall of sand; seen by keepers of cattle near _Cozone_, together with the falling of what appeared like squibs; and which proved afterwards to be stones, of the sort just described, weighing two or three ounces:--and some only a quarter of an ounce.

Amongst other stones that fell; was one weighing two pounds, and two ounces; which was also an oblong parallelopiped, with blunted angles, (as they are called, but which I think meant plainly prismatical terminations, and are said to have been about an inch in height;) and this was most remarkable for having, a small circle, or sort of belt round it, in one part; wherein the black crust appeared more smooth; and shining like gla.s.s; as if that part had suffered a greater degree of heat than the rest.

Another, also, was no less remarkable, for having many rounded cavities on its surface: as if the stone had been struck with small b.a.l.l.s, whilst it was forming; and before it was hardened; which left their impressions.--And some appearances, of the same kind, were found on one of the four surfaces of another stone, in the possession of Soldani.

On minute examination, the Professor found the stones were composed of blackish _crystals_, of different kinds; with metallic or pyritical spots, all united together by a kind of consolidated ashes.--And, on polishing them, they appeared to have a ground of a dark ash colour; intermixed with cubical blackish crystals, and shining pyritical specks, of a silver and gold colour.

The conclusion which Professor Soldani evidently forms, is; _that the stones were generated in the air, by a combination of mineral substances, which had risen somewhere or other_, AS EXHALATIONS, _from the earth_: but, as he seems to think, _not from_ Vesuvius.

The names of many persons, besides those already referred to, are mentioned; who were eye witnesses to the fall of the stones. And several _depositions_ were made, _in a regular juridical manner_, to ascertain the truth of the facts.

The s.p.a.ce of ground, within which the stones fell, was from three to four miles.

The falling of them, was _the very day after_ the great eruption of Vesuvius.

And the distance of the place, from Vesuvius, could not be less than two hundred miles, and seems to have been more.

Vesuvius is situated _to the south_ of the spot: and the cloud came _from the north_; about thirteen, or at most eighteen hours, after the eruption.

Now, putting all these circ.u.mstances together, I cannot but venture to form a conclusion, somewhat different from Professor Soldani's; though perfectly agreeing with his general principles.

From a course of observations, and inquiries, which I have been led to pursue, for a great many years: tending to elucidate the history of extraneous fossils, and of the deluge; I have long been convinced, that stones in general, and strata of rocks, of all kinds, have been formed by _two_ very different operations of those elements, which the wisdom, and omnipotent hand of G.o.d, has ordained, and created.

The one, by means of fire:--and the other, by means of water.

And, of each sort, there are two subdivisions.

Of the stones, and rocks, formed by fire;--there are some, (besides lavas,) whose component parts, having been previously fused, and in a melted state, did merely cool, and harden _gradually_.

And there are others; whose component parts, having been fused, and in a melted state, and having so become completely liquid; did instantly, by the operation of the powers of _attraction_, become crystallized.

And, in like manner; of stones, and of strata of rocks, formed by means of water;--there are some, which having had their component parts brought together, in a fluid state; did then merely become gradually settled; and by the power of attraction, and the mixture of crystalline particles, were hardened by degrees.

And there are others: which, having had their component parts, in like manner, brought together by water, did yet, on account of the peculiar nature, and more powerful _attraction_ of those parts, _instantly_ crystallize.

And both of stones, and of strata of rocks, formed by fire; and of stones, and of strata of rocks formed by means of water; there are some such, as have been slowly consolidated by the first kind of operation; namely by the gradual cooling or settling of the substances; which yet do contain imbedded in them, crystals formed by the latter kind of operation.

Instances of which, we seem to have, in some granites, on the one hand;--and in some sorts of limestones on the other.

To this I must add also; that there appear further, to have been some stones formed _by a sort of precipitation_: much in the same manner as _Grew_ describes[A] the kernels, and stones of fruit to have been hardened.

And I have met with many instances, wherein it appears unquestionably, that all these kind of processes in nature are going on continually: and that extraneous substances are actually inclosed, and _continually inclosing_, which could not be _antediluvian_; but must have been recent.

To these short premises, I must beg leave to add; that in two papers formerly printed in the Philosophical Transactions,[B] I endeavoured, by some very remarkable instances, to prove, that iron, wherever it comes into combination with any substances that are tending to consolidation, _hastens the process exceedingly_;--and also renders the hardness of the body much greater.

And I have also endeavoured, elsewhere,[C] to shew, in consequence of conclusions deduced from experiments of the most unquestionable authority, that _air_, in its various shapes and modifications, is indeed _itself_ the great consolidating fluid, out of which solid bodies are composed; and by means of which the various attractions take place, which form all the hard bodies, and visible substances upon earth.

From all these premises then, it was impossible for me not to be led to conclude; that we have, in this august phaenomenon of the fall of stones from the clouds, in Tuscany, an obvious proof, as it were before our eyes, of the combined operation of those very powers, and processes, to which I have been alluding.

It is well known; that pyrites, which are composed of iron, and sulphur, and other advent.i.tious matter, when laid in heaps, and moistened, will take fire.

It is also well known, that a mixture of pyrites of almost any kind, beaten small, and mixed with iron filings and water, when buried in the ground will take fire; and produce a sort of artificial volcano. And, surely then, wherever a vast quant.i.ty of such kind of matter should at any time become mixed together, as flying dust, or ashes; and be by any means condensed together, or compressed, the same effect might be produced, even in the atmosphere and air.

Instead, therefore, of having recourse to the supposition, of the cloud in Tuscany having been produced by any other kind of exhalations from the earth; we may venture to believe, that an immense cloud of ashes, mixed with pyritical dust, and with numerous particles of iron, having been projected from Vesuvius to a most prodigious height, became afterwards condensed in its descent;--took fire, both of itself, as well as by means of the electric fluid it contained;--produced many explosions;--melted the pyritical, and metallic, and argillaceous particles, of which the ashes were composed;--and, by this means, had a sudden crystallization, and consolidation of those particles taken place, which formed the stones of various sizes, that fell to the ground: _but did not harden the clayey ashes so rapidly as the metallic particles crystallized_; and, therefore, gave an opportunity for _impressions to be made_ on the surfaces of some of the stones, as they fell, by means of the impinging of the others.