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(meteorobs) f yi more ripley's Believe it or not meteors/meteorites

Here is the latest information on the eclipse and fireball stuff that I have 
managed to find out concerning that Ripley's believe it or not information I 
found it in one of Ripley's books.

It seems, as I read it from the information that I found, that a lighthouse 
was hit by a "lightning type of fireball" and not a meteoroid fireball. 
Also about the fact that a a cruiser/ship was hit by a Meteor type fireball 
as it said in the book and that that most of the men jumped ship after the 
strike. It seems that the fireball took place about the same time as that 
lighthouse was struck but once again not a meteor fireball but a lightning strike. 
While a ship was close to shore when the ship was destroyed, a few members 
survived. However if it was close to shore, why did it take so long for those 
crewmembers to get to shore. Mystery again?

The other meteorite tale seems to be true and well documented though. 
Dr. Eric Flescher (kcstarguy@aol.com)
FGU astronomy consultant, Harvard U.-
Member, ASKC (Astronomical Society of Kansas City), Comet Observers Award 
Moderator, Astronomical League. 
(http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/obsclub.html) (http://members.aol.com/kcstarguy/blacksun/cometaward.htm); State of 
Kansas- Solar System Ambassador - JPL (Jet Propulson Lab);
 7 total solar eclipses and counting
(send messages to the network at ) CometObserversAwardAL@yahoogroups.com;
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**
Greetings
Well I was the first one to hear about this and tell you all about it to find 
more. I would like to update what I have found for your information. 

Regarding my original transcription that I found in a book at one of my 
middle schools in Kansas (part of the read a book program) - see below). 

The meteorite that hit the car is well explained and everything correct as I 
wrote it except I got the name of the town wrong.  One person even said he saw 
the meteor.

The 1907 was another storm to explain however. I did a number of searches on 
the internet and found the information and websites (see below).

I found this at 
http://www.southwestlife.com.au/history1201.htm

AND this is where it got confusing. It appears that a "fireball" hit the 
station but that is was not a "meteorite" type fireball but one related to 
lightning.

The following was said 
"
Of course, you can't have a lighthouse without shipwreck stories. Cape 
Naturaliste Lighthouse has many, but one of the most interesting is the Carnarvon 
Castle, which caught fire off the coast in 1907. The ship was a fair way out to 
sea, and the crew members had to jump ship. The 14 survivors floated in 
lifeboats in the Indian Ocean for 27 days before reaching Cape Naturaliste. The 
lighthouse keeper at the time, Patrick Baird, and his family, took them in and 
cared for them until they were OK to travel again."

It seems that crew did jump ship from sort of a lightning "fireball" but that 
is was not "meteor" in nature. I am not sure why it took so long for the crew 
who did survive , to make it to shore. I also did  not see any mention of the 
name of the ship called "eclipse."

So all is well concerning the meteorite hitting the car. But I think the 
information about the meteor hitting the ship was not correct as far as I can 
fathom.

Well this is what I have so far. Thanks for your interest.

****
"In Ripley's Believe it or not a book for kids there was this :

On Oct 9, 1992 a Michelle Knapp of Peeksville, NY found that a a big 
meteorite hit her truck/car which landed with a foul smelling odor. 

She got paid for the "meteorite tricking car" and also got $50,000 for the 
Meteorite!


Also


in 1907, it was told that a meteor struck the sailship Eclipse in the mid 
Pacific ocean. The mast was carried and only 3 of the crew survived on a 
Lifeboat. They rowed 900 miles to Hawaii in 13 days.


Anyone every heard of either particular the 1907 one?


Dr. Eric Flescher "

***
These are some other resources I found.

The Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse
1907 was an eventful year for this lighthouse with the wreck of the Carnarvon
Castle and the impact of a fireball on the tower and quarters. ... 
www.lighthousedot net.au/lights/WA/Cape%20Naturaliste/ Cape%20Naturaliste.htm 

http://www.southwestlife.com.au/history1201.htm
Of course, you can't have a lighthouse without shipwreck stories. Cape 
Naturaliste Lighthouse has many, but one of the most interesting is the Carnarvon 
Castle, which caught fire off the coast in 1907. The ship was a fair way out to 
sea, and the crew members had to jump ship. The 14 survivors floated in 
lifeboats in the Indian Ocean for 27 days before reaching Cape Naturaliste. The 
lighthouse keeper at the time, Patrick Baird, and his family, took them in and 
cared for them until they were OK to travel again.
Other shipwreck stories are common in this area, often involving the 
lighthouse keepers plucking people out of the stormy sea.

And what about the fireball? Patrick Baird was having an eventful year in 
1907. He had already saved the people from the Carnarvon Castle shipwreck, and 
then it's reported that a very heavy storm hit the lighthouse later in the year, 
during which a fireball struck the tower. The force of the explosion 
shattered windows, ripped up pathways, destroyed furniture, and knocked Mr Baird 
unconscious.

Other meteorite falls
http://www2.state.id.us/bdsmitigation/asteroids.html

File J2 of 2 "J" Files
... the British Astronomical Assn, The Major Fireball of 1980 ... Franklin 
Institute, Meteoric
Shower During the Eclipse, 1869, ... of Canada, A Case of Globular Lightning, 
1907, ... 
www.project1947.com/shg/j2.htm - 65k - Cached - Similar pages



***

Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:07:10 -0600

From: "MARK BOSTICK" <thebigcollector@msn.com>

Subject: (meteorobs) 1907 Fireball


Hello Everyone,


I have gotten a couple e-mails wondering if Ripley's had contacted me back.  
The archive lady I talked with told me she was about to go on vacation and 
would be gone till Tuesday, but would try to research it that day.  guess she 
didnt have time or couldn't find the reference off hand.  From my experience 
December has always been the worst month of the year for trying to do research.

If the original person that posted the Ripley's quotation, can verifiy that 
was a quotation and not reworded, or provide information on what Ripleyy's book 
the information came out of might help.  The Ripley search system can search 
its archives for exact wording...so the wording provided to the list was the 
wording I passed along. 


I am still looking up other avenues of research as well.  Information pro=

vided by Ripley's should point me in a good research direction.


1907 is pretty close to the turning point in meteor/meteorite newspaper r=

eports, in the sense that before this time meteorite reports in newspaper=

s were 8 of 10 false and after/about this time meteorite reports in newsp=

aers are about 5 out of 10 false.


When I find out more about the event I will report to the list and if I d=

on't hear from Ripley's by Friday of next week, I'll call and bug them ag=

ain. =20


Mark Bostick

www.meteoritearticles.com

------------------------------
 Fri, 12 Dec 2003 16:53:29 -0500

From: "Jeff Wilson" <meteorrr@worldnet.attdot net>

Subject: Re: (meteorobs) 1907 Fireball


The Ripleys book is a huge coffee table book which oddly enough my =

sister gave me for Xmas last year.  The original cartoon was in the =

newspaper (does not say which) Jan 12 1941.  
The caption under the drawing/cartoon  which is of a sailing ship at sea with 
a huge meteor hurling through the air towards it reads:  Strangest annal of 
the sea!  

The sailing ship Eclipse was struck by a meteor in Mid-Pacific. The masts 
were carried away and the vessel was abandoned with a loss of three lives.


Long trains,

 Jeff W

***

  Hello Everyone,


  I have gotten a couple e-mails wondering if Ripley's had contacted me =

back.  The archive lady I talked with told me she was about to go on =

vacation and would be gone till Tuesday, but would try to research it =

that day.  I guess she didnt have time or couldn't find the reference =

off hand.  From my experience December has always been the worst month =

of the year for trying to do research.


  If the original person that posted the Ripley's quotation, can verifiy =

that was a quotation and not reworded, or provide information on what =

Ripley's book the information came out of might help.  The Ripley search =

system can search its archives for exact wording...so the wording =

provided to the list was the wording I passed along.=20


  I am still looking up other avenues of research as well.  Information =

provided by Ripley's should point me in a good research direction.


  1907 is pretty close to the turning point in meteor/meteorite =

newspaper reports, in the sense that before this time meteorite reports =

in newspapers were 8 of 10 false and after/about this time meteorite =

reports in newspaers are about 5 out of 10 false.


  When I find out more about the event I will report to the list and if =

I don't hear from Ripley's by Friday of next week, I'll call and bug =

them again.=20


  Mark Bostick

  www.meteoritearticles.com

**
Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2003 15:43:15 -0500

From: KCStarguy@aol.com

Subject: (meteorobs) ripley's Believe it or not

meteors/meteorites


**


Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 16:10:58 EST

From: GLDSKTR@aol.com

Subject: Re: (meteorobs) ripley's Believe it or not meteors/meteorites



Hello KCStarguy@aol.com,


In reference to your comment:



I believe this is the story from Upstate NY. I live in NYC, and saw the car=20

at the Museum of Natural History. The meteorite went right through the trunk=

,=20

and made a hole in the ground! The car was totalled.

I never heard of the 1907 story.

Anthony

***




------------------------------

Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2003 13:45:22 -0800

From: Ed Majden <epmajden@shawdot ca>

Subject: Re: (meteorobs) ripley's Believe it or not meteors/meteorites

The event referred to below was "Peekskill", not Peeksville.  Do a =

search with "google" for the Peekskill Fireball or Peekskill Meteorite =

for more details.  I have nothing on the 1907 fireball event but a =

search with google might turn something up.


Ed Majden

Courtenay, B.C.

------------------------------


Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 16:39:55 -0600

From: "Gary W. Kronk" <kronk@amsmeteors.org>

Subject: Re: (meteorobs) ripley's Believe it or not meteors/meteorites


Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable


I have footage of the fireball and subsequent car damage on my 

website. The direct link to the movie is 

http://comets.amsmeteors.org/educate/vdemo2b.mpg.


Gary


------------------------------


Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 18:12:38 EST

From: Skywayinc@aol.com

Subject: Re: (meteorobs) ripley's Believe it or not meteors/meteorites



In a message dated 12/8/2003 3:49:06 PM Eastern Standard Time, 

KCStarguy@aol.com writes:

Anyone every heard of either particular the 1907 one?

My television station (News 12 Westchester) interviewed Michelle Knapp some 

years ago about the meteorite that hit the front of her car.  It happened in 

Peekskill, which is located in the northwest part of Westchester County, NY.


- -- joe rao


To: <meteorobs@atmob.org>

Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 2:19 PM

Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Bob Lunsford's Suggestions/Help & Nov. 19/20

Correction - LM, Marco Valois



> Hi Paul, Marco, Lew, Norman, Bob Kim and All!  I remember recording DCV

> Data on all my meteors between 1976 and about 1980.  Also recall that

> Bill Gates (not the one We all know & love) had the most bizarre Data

> that related to this DCV Value as He saw three to ten times the number of

> meteors  that Norman and I saw on any given night of observing!

>                                 In Astronomical Affinity - Felix A.

> Martinez

>


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