http://www.dearnetoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=768&ArticleID=2033097
DearneToday.co.uk
METEORITE CAUSES DAMAGE - OR DID IT?
by Kevin Rogers
A 'METEORITE' seen flashing through the sky before
destroying a tree in Mexborough turned out to be a meteor-wrong. Or did it?
Denaby student Shane McGarrigle and two friends turned
detective after they saw a flash in the sky and heard a
huge bang as they walked near Ferryboat bridge last
Wednesday night.
"I was lucky enough to witness this along with two other friends.
It was quite a sight," said Shane, 19, of St Chad's Square.
"We saw a flash in the sky and heard a big bang. We thought a
power cable had come down. When we got to the old rectory,
the trunk of a large tree was broken like a matchstick."
Convinced he had spotted a meteorite hit - an event only
witnessed about 500 times a year worldwide - Shane took
some snaps at the scene. When he returned the following
morning the tree had burned to a cinder.
But insurance broker John Jesson, who lives at the
Old Vicarage, poured cold water on Shane's theory.
Mr Jesson explained: "Landscape gardeners had been
in that day and lit a fire next to the tree. The tree was
riddled with woodworm and dry as balsa wood. They lit
a fire near to it and it must have spread to the tree.
That night you could see it burning halfway up and it
broke in two and toppled into the canal."
So that answers the question of the falling tree -
but what about the flashing light in the sky?
When we told him what Mr Jesson had said about
the tree, Shane said: "There must have some confusion
then, probably on my part - but there were three
of us and we still saw what we saw."
Did any of our readers see any strange phenomena
over Mexborough last Wednesday? If so, contact our
newsdesk on 01709 303050 or email editorial@dearnetoday.co.uk
kevin.rogers@dearnetoday.co.uk
08 February 2007
DearneToday.co.uk
METEORITE CAUSES DAMAGE - OR DID IT?
by Kevin Rogers
A 'METEORITE' seen flashing through the sky before
destroying a tree in Mexborough turned out to be a meteor-wrong. Or did it?
Denaby student Shane McGarrigle and two friends turned
detective after they saw a flash in the sky and heard a
huge bang as they walked near Ferryboat bridge last
Wednesday night.
"I was lucky enough to witness this along with two other friends.
It was quite a sight," said Shane, 19, of St Chad's Square.
"We saw a flash in the sky and heard a big bang. We thought a
power cable had come down. When we got to the old rectory,
the trunk of a large tree was broken like a matchstick."
Convinced he had spotted a meteorite hit - an event only
witnessed about 500 times a year worldwide - Shane took
some snaps at the scene. When he returned the following
morning the tree had burned to a cinder.
But insurance broker John Jesson, who lives at the
Old Vicarage, poured cold water on Shane's theory.
Mr Jesson explained: "Landscape gardeners had been
in that day and lit a fire next to the tree. The tree was
riddled with woodworm and dry as balsa wood. They lit
a fire near to it and it must have spread to the tree.
That night you could see it burning halfway up and it
broke in two and toppled into the canal."
So that answers the question of the falling tree -
but what about the flashing light in the sky?
When we told him what Mr Jesson had said about
the tree, Shane said: "There must have some confusion
then, probably on my part - but there were three
of us and we still saw what we saw."
Did any of our readers see any strange phenomena
over Mexborough last Wednesday? If so, contact our
newsdesk on 01709 303050 or email editorial@dearnetoday.co.uk
kevin.rogers@dearnetoday.co.uk
08 February 2007
