SHOWERS OF BLAZING METEORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13745, 9 May 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

SHOWERS OF BLAZING METEORS.

IP'S NARROW ESCAPE. The extraordinary story of a ship wrecked by a meteor has been followed by another equally remarkable, though, fortunately, unattended by loss of life. j The Dutch steamer Ocean, crossing the .Atlantic between Rotterdam and Philadelphia, reports that she was about two hundred miles from the American port— latitude 39.59 noXth, longitude 71.27 west, according to the log—-when a meteor which must have weighed many tons dropped from the sky. It fell into the sou so near the ship that the. tremendous waves which immedi- ! ately spread around almost swept over ! the steamer. Clouds of gas shot up from ! the spot where the meteor fell—-fumes so dense and poisonous hat Captain Benkert; the master, declares that nearly asphyxiated many of the crew. Had not the men sought shelter below the decks, he says . they would undoubtedly have been poisoned. The gas remained in the atmosphere, while the ship steamed on, for no less'than fifteen minutes. When Captain Benkert and his men ventured again on deck they found everything covered with a peculiar brownish dust. Then _ followed a shower of blazing meteors, which fell hissing into the sea all around the ship. The shower lasted for several minutes, and the sea on every side became phosphorescent a3 far as the eve could see. The crew declare that they saw dazzling objects of every colour dancing about on the sea.