232 THE BRILLIANT FIREBALL METEOR.
tant of Braintree declares that it fell in the Avenue at that town ;
while another thinks it must have been in the Fair-field, about thirty
yards distant. A resident of Dunmow, who was midway between
his home and High Roding at the time the meteor appeared, affirms
that it dropped about fifty feet in front of him.
Braintree.—A correspondent writes : "The aerial visitor was seen at Braintree
shortly before ten o'clock. Its appearance, according to several eye-witnesses,
was similar to the moon at the full; and after changing to three distinct colours
it burst with a rumbling noise like thunder."
Brightlingsea.—The meteor was witnessed by several persons. At first it
showed a brilliant white trail lighting up the sky and surrounding neighbour-
hood, thence turning to red and travelling from east to west, leaving a rumbling
behind as of slight earthquake shocks, which lasted two or three seconds.
Buckhurst Hill.—Mr. H. C. Snell saw the glare in the sky followed by a
report like thunder, but did not catch sight of the meteor itself.
Chelmsford.—Mr. Charles B. O. Gepp, of Springfield Tyrells, Chelmsford,
writes : "Last Sunday night at 9.45 I had occasion to go to my greenhouse to
ascertain that the temperature was high enough, when suddenly the the whole
place was lit up as if the electric light was turned on. On looking in the direc-
tion of the Pleiades 1 saw a large meteor, which presently broke up into falling
stars of the greatest brilliancy. Directly afterwards there was a rumbling noise
in the earth, and a reverberation like thunder in the sky, which lasted several
seconds. The sky was perfectly cloudless at the time." Other observers
describe the meteor as a ball of five "as large as the sun."
Colchester.—Observers described the meteor appearing as a sudden flash across
the sky, resembling a huge sky-rocket.
Dunmow.—The flash of the meteor here was stated to have been followed by a
thunder-like explosion.
Epping.—Mr. A. B. Davis writes : "At 9.45 last night (Sunday), when walk-
ing near Epping, and when the sky was very clear, very suddenly there appeared
a brilliant illumination, which was quite startling, and, on looking up, there was
seen what might have been a meteoric body of great brightness, just bursting,
and falling in a shower of sparks similar to a firework rocket. The sight was
quite dazzling and was observed by many. The brilliance was so great that some
in houses (who saw not the cause) presumed it was a vivid flash of lightning."
Felstead.—Mr. J. French writes : "On Sunday evening, Dec. 14th, at about
9.45 o'clock, a very brilliant meteorite passed over this village. It moved at a low
angle in a direction from N.N.E. to S.S.W. Its apparent diameter was about
that of the sun. It was followed by a very loud report at an interval of not more
than half a minute from its appearance. The noise was peculiar and most
resembled thunder, being heard indoors by several persons who did not see the
meteor. This report lasted many seconds and increased in intensity up to a cer-
tain point, whence it finally died away in the direction towards which the
meteorite had flown."
Halstead.—The meteor is stated to have been seen by many people, and that
it lit up the landscape for miles around.
Loughton.—Mr. Robert Hunter, of "Forest Retreat," Staples Road, has sent
the following account to "Nature" : "On Sunday, the 14th inst., about 9h.
45 m. p.m., I was entering my house by the back door, when the whole place was