The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1884-07-05
A STRANGE STORY.
About a Red-Hot but Easily Dissolved
Machine.

west Of Benkleman, Dundy county
on the 9th very startling phenom-
enon occurred. 1t seems that J..
W. Ellis and three of his herdsmnn
and a number of other COWBOYS
were out engaged in a roundup.
They were startled by a terrific
whirring noise over their heads,
and turning their eyes saw a blaz-
ing body falling Ike Il shot to the
earth. 1t struck beyond them, be
ing hidden from view by n bank.
lie rode at once to the spot, and it
is asserted saw Fragments of cog
wheels and other pieces of machin-
cry lying on the ground, scattered
in the path made by the aerial yisi-
tor, glowing with heat so intense
as to scorch the grass for a long
distance around each fragment and
make it impossible for one to ap-
proach it. Coming to the edge Of
the deep ravine into which the
strange object had fallen, they I'M
dertook to see what it was. But
the heat vas 50 great that the air
about it was fairly ablaze and it
emitted a light SO dazzling that the
eye could not rest upon it more
than a moment. The heat from
this strange wreck was so intense
that a cowboy named Williamson
fell senselcss from gazing at it at
too close quarters. His face was
blistered and his hair singed to Il
crisp. His condition is said to be
dangerous. The distance from the
Rrolite was nearly 200 feet. The
burned nan was taken TO Mr..
Ellis house, cared for as well as
circumstances would allow, and a
doctor sent for. His brother who
lives in Denver, has been tele-
graphed for.
Finding it impossible to approach
the mysterious visitor, the party
turned back on its trail. Where it
first touched the earth the ground
was sandy and bare of grass. The
sand was fused to an unknown
depth over a space about twenty
feet wide by eighty feet long, and
the melted stuff was still bubbling
and kissing. Between this and
the final resting place there were
several other like spots where it
had come i'll contact with the
ground, but none so well marked.
1t being impossible to investi-
gate further at the time, messen-
gers were sent out to neighboring
ranches, and many came to see the
strange sight that night, at which
time the light emitted from it was
like the blazing rays of the sun,
and too powerful to be borne by
human eyes. On the morning of
the 18th another visit was paid the
luminous curiosity. In the party
was E. w. Rawlins, brand inspec-
tor for this district, who came into
Bcnkelman at once, and from
whom a full ~verification Of particu-
lars were obtained. The smaller
portions Of the vast machinery had
cooled so that they could be APP
preached, but not handled. One
piece that looked like the blade of
a propeller screw, of a metal in
appearance like brass, about six
teen inches wide, three inches
thick and three and a half feet
long, was picked up on a spade. 1t
would not weigh more than five
pounds, but appeared as strong
and compact as any known metal.
A fragment Of a wheel with a mill
ed rim, apparently having had IA
diameter of seven or eight feet, was
also picked up. 1t seemed to be
of the same material and had the
same remarkable lightnoss.
The 9rolite, or whatever it is,
seems to be about fifty or sixty
feet long, cylindrical, and about
ten or twelve feet in diameter.
Great excitement exists in the