“Wheel” from the Sky found Outside Salem City Limits:

Believed to have caused Radiation Poisoning, Causing “Witchcraft” Scare

By Richard Wood

In late March of 1696, Farmer Jenkins, of Peabody, Massachusetts reported finding a chunk of an unknown metal.  He claims to have found it in his flower patch outside of his house.  Curious as to where the metal might have come from, Jenkins quickly called his workers to survey his fields for anything at of the ordinary.  To everyone’s amazement, during the search, one of the workers came sprinting back to the farm house.  After Jenkins and the other workers were able to calm the worker, identified to be Jorge Smith, Smith told Jenkins about what he had found.  Out near the far edges of property, east of a small creek and just before the forest, Smith had discovered a crater with, what he described as a large metal wagon wheel, in it.  Jenkins decided to take some of the men, armed with muskets, to examine the site.  Upon arrival, Jenkins sent one of the men to fetch the village preacher.  Preacher John Myles came and, after an inspection of the site, declared that this was the work of the Devil, himself.  However, in order to avoid another scare, the town of Peabody sent for scientist Emangel Swedenborg to thoroughly examine the site and the “Wheel”.  Through careful scientific study, Swedenborg was able to determine that this “Wheel” had fallen from the sky and landed in the early months of 1692.  Swedenborg theorized that, since it had dropped from the sky, it had fallen out of heaven.  Thus, this object had radiated evil spirits to cause the Witchery that had taken place during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.  Swedenborg has received permission from the town to conduct further experimentation of the “Wheel.”