1819. Just after a brilliant meteor a mass of gelatinous and very fetid matter fell at Amherst, Mass.
1822. An earthquake devastated the greater part of Syria. It began about half past nine in the evening, and in ten or twelve seconds, Aleppo, Antioch, and every village and detached cottage in the pashalic of Aleppo, and several towns in the adjoining territories, were entirely ruined. There were 20,000 people destroyed by it, and as many more maimed or wounded.
1826. Laennec died; author of the Auscultation System of Ascertaining Diseases of the Lungs.
1838. John Farmer, an American archæologist, died. He published several works relating to the early history of the country, which evince great patience and industry, and bring to light many important facts which would have perished otherwise. For some time previous to his death he was engaged in arranging the state papers in the public offices at Concord, containing the old province and
council records, and revolutionary papers. By supplying omissions, transcribing papers that were scarcely legible, and having them arranged and bound, the state of New Hampshire has a very complete set of its early records.
1841. J. B. Richsonville, principal chief of the Miami nation, died near fort Wayne, Indiana, aged 80. He is said to have left $200,000 in specie, besides immense quantities of valuable real estate.
1842. Thomas P. Emmet, son of Thomas Addis Emmet, and a contributor to Silliman's Journal, died in New York, aged 47.
1851. The people of Litchfield county, Connecticut, celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of its settlement.
1854. General Paixhans died at his estate of Jouy-aux-Arches, near Metz, aged 72. He was renowned by his connection with the artillery, and especially with the celebrated gun which bears his name.
1854. At Marysville, Kentucky, a powder magazine, containing 800 kegs, was fired, and the explosion caused the entire destruction of 13 houses, involving a great loss of property.