The Portland daily press., 1888-03-27
DIAMONDS FROM THE SKY.
Singular Discovery Resulting from
the Study nf a Meteorlc stone
New York SUM-

New YORK sum-
Since'the time of the German philosopher,
Ernest Frorens Friedrich Chladni, who was
born in Wittenberg in 1876, scientists in all
parts of the globe have made study of mete-
oric stones. Their fall, their origin, and
composition have been subjects of the closest
examination, but it has always been found
that the stones, no matter how complex their
external or Internal appearance, were of the
same composition, being made up of rocky
substance and metallic iron. These two ele-
ments varied considerably IN proportion one
to the other, so that some of the aerolites APP
peared to be almost entirely stony, others
almost entirels metallic, and others again to
contain nearly equal proportions OF the
metallic and stony ingredients.
This similarity in the meteortes lessened
the interest of scientists in this direction,
and it was not until the latter part OF 1886
that 1t was reawakened by the falling OF a
peculiar stone in Siberia. On Sept in that
year meteoric stone weighing about four
pounds fell Novy Urej, KrasnoslObodsk, in
the Government Of Penza, Siberia. MN.
Jorelfeif and Latchinoff, two gentlemen OF
of science, secured it, and in it found what
they supposed to be diamonds Of microscopic
size.
They caused the fact of their discovery to
be published abroad, and in short time the
whole scientific world was agog over the Won
derful event. Letters came from all parts of
the globe asking for fragments of the meteo-
rite and pictures of the stone. Anybody
who had any interest In mineralogy was
anxious to secure a specimen OF the phen0m-
enon, and study 1t al his leisure.
NM. Jorelfeif and Latchinoff were very
slow in parting with even the smallest chip
of the stone, and it was not until few
weeks ago that piece reached this country.
1t came to Mr.. George K. Kunz. OF Tiffany u
Co. The specimen weighed exactly four
grains, just one fye-hundredth part OF the
stone, and, because of its minuteness, it was
feared that the quality of the meteorite
could not be ascertained. The fragment
however, was divided into sections, and a
small piece subjected to thorough examina-
ton through strong microscope. Only
some grains of Divine or perid0te were dis
covered in this inspection.
Mr.. Kunz then took the small pieces of the
meteorite and boiled them in hydrochlorlc,
sulphuric, and then in nitro muriatlc acids.
This cooking process had the effect OF remov-
ing all the magnetic and native iron, leaving
only the skeletons of Divine, to which, it
was discovered, chung small bright black par
ticles, one of which was elongated and
rounded. The correct forms, however,
could not be definitely determined, they APP
pearing to be two Joined cubes with rounded
ends.
On crushing one of these mysterious
looking objects with sapphire. the surface
of the gem was deeply scratched. fact
which at once gave evidence that there was
some diamondiferous quality in the stone:
Mr. Kunz took from his gem cabinet several
highly polished sapphires, and with each OF
the particles found clinging to the olivine
made several minute but deep scratches on
the faces of the gems: There Is only one
mineral that can scratch the polished surface
of sapphire, and that Is a diamond. Mr..
Kunz, therefore, at once decided that the
particles in the stone were diamonds, or a
new mineral having all the qualities OF the
diamond They may possibly be the amor
phous form Of the diamind known as the ear
ban or carbonado, so minute are they; but
because of their great scratching power it is
believed there is no doubt of their being
genuine.
The establishment of these facts is of
special Interest TO the scientific world, since
some of the most eminent scientists have
scoffed at the idea of precious stones beiDs
found in meteorites.
Prof Fletcher, curator of the Mineral0gi-
cal Department Of the British Museum, few
years ago secured a meteorite, which was
found in the sub-district Of Youndegin,
Australia. 1t was Of substance entirely
different from any ever found before, and he
examined it most thoroughly through one
ouarter-rch objective. From its structure
the professor concluded that, while it was
different from native graphite, the sharp
%.
crystals, the brightness Of the faces, the
delicacy of the acicular projections, and es-
pecally Of the obtuse, almost fiat square
pyramids, were quite sufficient to prove that
the form had never been any other than that
in which it was found; in other words, that
it was not pseudomorph. He called it the
Clftonite.
The diamonds in the stone found by NM.
Jorelfeif and Latchinoff have faces not very
unlike those of the Youndegin crystals, and
show similar bevelling OF the edges, by the
rounded tetrahexdra.
In a paper read before the Neurological
Society, Of England, on Jan. 10, 1887, Prof.
Fletcher says that the stone he found was
probably of the same nature as that OF MN.
Jorelfeif and Latchinoff, only that the gems
a hurried crystalization of the carbon, cir
cunstances initially favorable to the forma-
ton of the diamond had finally permitted
the existence in his stone Of carbon in
graphite form only.
This discovery of diamonds coming from
the worlds above us is another OF the many
mysterious things that will probably never
be explained How is such a mineral
formed, and whence come the small particles
which the experts have pronounced as dia-
monds? The little white stone, as every
body knows, is found buried deep in the
ground A suggestion might be offered that
a particle OF the "blue" or diamondiferous
earth was thrown up in the air, and, form
ing into stone by reason of its journey
through the different changes OF atmosphere.
fell to the earth again in the form found by
by NM. Jorelfeif and Latchinoff. This may
be one explanation Of the phenomenon, but
it is very weak one, as it Is hardly possible
that the passage through the air could
work such remarkable change IN the APP
pearance of the natural mineral. However,
whether the mystery is ever made clear or
not. 1t is known that the stone fell and con-
tanned diamonds. This fact alone will never