The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-03-31
Q n FROM rHE SKIES.
A 1000, 900 Ton Meteor Falls in Nevada
An Assay Proves II to Contain Gold,
Silver and Other Precious n!etals.

AT 2 O'Clock on the morn ing of the
7th of January, says a Nevada ex-
change, an immense body, glowing
with intense brilliancy, came rushing
across the face Of heaven, illuminating
the earth with the light of day. 1t
Travelled in an oblique direction from
the southwest to the northeast, and in
simultaneously a shock was felt that
almost threw the few spectators at that
early hour from their feet.
About ten days ago Mr.. Wheeler,
who c~ultivates a ranch in Diamond
Valley, and who is also in the stock
business, came into town, and left a
most remarkable substance with an
assayer. Mr.. Wheeler had a smatter-
ing of metallurgical knowledge, and,
it seems, had tested the compound with
a blowpipe and other means within his
reach, and detected the presence of the
precious metals, but was unable to de-
termine the value.
The piece submitted to the assayer
was about as large as Il hens egg, and
Immediately attracted his attention by
its unusual weight and peculiar color,
it being of n purplish-black shade, and
where it had been broken off the main
body presenting a ANIMATED stratiica-
ton that he failed to recognize. Mr..
| Wacke expended the whole night in
a series of experiments, applying every
known test to the article, and detect
ing the presence Of iron, nickel, cad
MUM, lead, silver, gold, zinc, cobalt,
silica and phosphorus. There was also
a residuum to each assay, of which Prof.
Wacke was unable to determine the
properties, but he hopes by the use of
the spectroscope to classify it.
A surprising feature of the ore is ex-
cessive malleability and ductility, a
small portion of it being reduced by
hammering to a film not exceeding one
hundredth Of an inch in thickness. He
has sent a portion of it to the San
Francisco Academy of Sciences and
also to Prof. Silliman, of New Haven,
and in the meantime is prosecuting his
researches. Prof. Wacke has found
that the substance will reach 1887 in
silver and $42 in gold per ton.
The strangest part Of the story re-
mains to be told; and now that Mr..
Wheeler has duly recorded his claim
and perfected his title, we feel at liberty
to disclose the facts. On the morning
of the 7th of January Mr. Wheeler was
almost thrown from his bed by violent
shock. Getting up and looking out of
the window he observed at the foot of
the mountain an immense mass glowing
at a white heat and of intense bright
ness. Hastily dressing, he approached
as near as possible, and found that the
object lay just at the foot of the Dia-
mond mountain range, but the heat
was so great that he could not go within
1000 yards of the spot.
He kept his own counsel, and made
repeated attempts to reach it.. but did
not succeed until the 18th inst, when
it had cooled sufficiently to allow him
to break off the portion brought to
town. The main body will measure
about sixty feet in height, eighty-seven
feet in width, and is 314 feet in length.
These are the proportions of the body
visible, and it is probable that as much
more is imbedded in the earth. Mr..
Wheeler calculates there are at lest p
100000 tons in sight, and if it will work
anywhere near the assay he will extract
an immense sum from the mass.