The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-03-30
RICHES FROM THE SKIES.
THE GIGANTIC MASS THAT FELL IN DIA-
MoND VALLEY, NEy.-A QUEER STORY.

At about four o clock on the morning of
the 9TH If Jauuaty. an immense body,
glowing with Intense brilliauct, came rush
ing aci"ss the face os heaven, illuminating
the earth with the light of day. Ii travelled
in an oblque direction, from the southwest
to the northwest, aud iisiantaneuusly
shock was felt that almost threw tie few
spectators at that early hour from their feet.
About terr days. ago MI. Wheeler. who
cuitivates Il ranch in Diamond valley, and
VII" Is also ia the stock business, came into
town aud left Il most Iemai kable subst ance
with au assayer. Mr.. " heelcr had a
siuatteIiug of metallurgical kuowl dye,
aud, II seems, had tested the compound
with blow pipe aud other means within
his reach, ami detected the presence of the
precious meals, but was unable u deter
mine the value.
he piece submitted To the assayer was
about as large a hens egg, aud imme-
dIaiely attracted his attention by it's unus-
ual weigh: aud peculiar color, ii being of a
purplish black shade, an6 where il had
becn broken oft the main body presenting a
Eliminated sIiaiIiication that lac failed to
IccupuIza. Mr.. Nacke expended the whole
night in a series of experiments. apply ying
every knoan test To the article, aud detect
ing the pIesence oi iron, nIckie, cadmium,
lead, sllNeI, gold, zipc, cobalt, sIlicia aud
phoHphoiu>. There was also TesIduum
To each essay, of which Piuf. Wacke was
nuable To- deieInI the properties, but he
hopes by the use Of the spec:I oscupe to
classify IL.
4 surprising feature of the ore is exces-
sive maleabIniy aud duciilIy, "A small pui-
tl"u of II beH:g reduced 10y hamneIing To
"A iilm not exceeding one hundiedth uf AN
inch IN thickness He has sen; a poition
of 1t To the San Francisco Academy at Sci
euces, aud also In Piuf. Siiliman of New
Haven, aud IA the mraniIine Is prosecuting
his researches. Prof. " acke has found
that the substance will reach 1857 III silver
aud S42 in gold per ton.
The stTaugest part nf the story remains
to- he Told ; aud, now that Mr.. " heelet has
duly recul dvd his claim and perfected the
tilIe, we feel AT liberty To- dlscioSe tle facts.
On the morning of the 7tii of January, Mr..
Wheeler was almost thrown from Ills bed
10y violent shock. Getting up aud looking
out of the window, he observed at the foot
Ut the III ;utItaIn AN immense iiia>s = lowing
at whi.e heat and of inteuse brightness.
Hastily d esSiug, he approached as n"ar as
possible, aud found tia. The object lay just
al the foot of the Diamond mountain range,
bat the heat Was 50 great that he could not
go within 1,OOO laIds of the si'It.
J. k"r. hI~ n"l counsel. .tld MADE Ie-
I,eat.d al lempis tu reach it, bat did not
succeed unIIl the l4ih inst, when 1t had
conied sufficiently To allow hIm to break of
the pcTtIru bIought to town. The main
body VIII measure about 6O feet IN height,
81 iUet in width. and Is 3l3 feet in length.
These aIe The ,iupurtIorIs of the body visi
blc aud Il is pr''babe that much more Is
iH,beddcd in the earth. Mr.. ~ heclcr CAL
culates that there are at least J. OU0 coo feet
ia sight, aud If it VIII work anywhere neal
the .,sSay he will extract an itnmeuse sum
from the mass.