MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSIONS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 February 1918, Page 1

MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSIONS

A remarkable phenomenon is reported from Bourke, which recalls similar occurrences mentioned in the reports of early Australian explorers. The manager of a sheep and cattle station near Bourke, together with his family, was at dinner, about Christmas time, when all were startled by a loud explosion. The report seemed so close that it was thought that a petrol tank used for generating gas for the premises had burst. A prompt examination, however, showed that the tank was intact. A further examination around the homestead failed to explain the cause ol the explosion, nor could any sign of destruction be detected.

It was subsequently ascertained that a settled living pine 'miles away from the station had also, hoard the explosion which, therefore, must have been a heavy one. The country in the vicinity is quite open. It is interesting .to recall that Sturt notes in the account of his explorations, ivhen he was trying to penetrate the centre of Australia, that he heard two mysterious explosions on successive days, seemingly near his camp. The first startled him at 9 0 'clock one morning, and ' the second occurred the following day about the same time. He could not, discover the scene of them, and attributed the reports to gaseous outbursts of some kind. The two explosions occurred in the early 'twenties and he reports thta ho he&rd another when on the Darling River in the 'forties.

As it is believed that there is nothing in the geological formation of the Bourke country to give rise to violent outbursts of gas, the theory is held that the recent explosion was caused by a falling meteor. Meteors, if of any size, falling millions of miles out of space, must strike the earth, or the atmosphere surrounding it, with an unimaginable force, and perhaps cause these puzzling explosions.