Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-10-09
GEMS FROM STARS.
DIAMONDS FOUND IN A METEOR
TIE IN ARIZONA.
We're All Diamonds Brought to the
Earth by Meteors?-A Subject
of Great Specula-
tive Interest.

ment of Science brought to Washington
for exhibition to their fellows, the most
extraordinary was a meteorite with dia-
monds in it, Such a thing has never
been seen or heard of before; in fact, it
was the only specimen of the kind thus
far discovered in the world. The dia-
monds were little ones, but what they
signified was big.
The metcoritc in question was one of
many found recently in Arizona, near
the Canon Diablo. 1t was supposed by
the discoverer5 that they had hit upon
an iron mine Of enormous value, but in
vestigation proved that the great chunks
of metal picked up had been shot out Of
the realms of space. The place whence
they were obtained is known as the
"Cratcr," because it looks like one;
being circular hollow one hundred feet
in depth, three quarters Of a mile wide,
and surrounded by a wall Of rock so steep
that the bottom IS strewn with the skele-
tons of animals which have got in and
been unable to climb out again. Never
theless, it is not of volcanic origin, as is
proved with certainty by the fact that
there is no lava, obsidian-vo!canic glass
or other volcanic product in the
neighborhood. What was it then that
made the craterl Biologists say
that it was formed by the i'm
pact of single gigantic meteor, which at
some time in the past struck the earth and
buried itself out of sight, leaving hole
which has since become partly filled up,
surrounded by a wall of rock that was
forced out of place. Imagine what big
one it must have been to leave 4 cavity
three fourths CT a mile in width where it
hit this planet. The huge mass Of iron of
which it was composed is there yet, of
course. Perhaps it is not sunk too deep
to render mining for its material unproit-
able. Fragments Of it formed the masses
that were picked up by the prospcctors
above referred to.
That one which contained the dia-
monds, however, has opened an absorbing
subject for speculation. 1t proves that
there are diamonds in other worlds than
ours; but also it points to many other
important conclusions. The diamonds OF
the famous Kimberly mires, which at
present produce almost the entire worlds
supply of these gems, are all found at the
bottoms Of just such craters as the one
described in Arizona. 1t is believed that
these craters, so called, were formed by the
impact of great mcteors, because there is
no other conceivable way in which they
could have been made, and for other
reasons geological. II so, then it must
be inferred that probably all the diamonds
of the world were brought to this terres-
trial sphere by metcoritcs. In other
words, these precious jewels arc not
native to the earth, but have been fetched
hither with the dust OF other stars. That
accounts for the manner, hitherto deomcl
unaccountable, in which they are scat.
tered everywhere through drift of all
sorts, having apparently no birthplace or
definite relation to other minerals.
Some scientists go so far as to assert
that diamonds, like coal, which is so
nearly of the same chemical constitution,
could not possibly come into existence
without previous vegetable growths to
generate their material. For this reason
they infer that the finding of the gems in
the meteorite demonstrates that there
must have been vegetable life, at all
events, in the place whence the meteorlte
came. If there was vegetable life there,
it is a fair presumption that there was
animal life also. All this may be un-
true, but it affords the first guess glimpse
that has ever been obtained into the
greatest problem that mankind has ever
attempted to handle-namely, the ques-
ton whether life exists in other worlds
than ours. From the philosophical
point OF view, the fact cannot but be
taken for granted in a universe in which
the sun is merely an inferior star OF the
fourth magnitude. Nevertheless, some
absolute evidence on the point would be
extremely satisfactory.
Meteorites ordinarily are nearly all
iron, with a small percentage Of nickel.
None of them has ever been known to
contain a particle of any precious metal.
Nevertheless, many Of them are worth
many times their weightin gold, because
of some regularity Of structure or other
wise. Every collector Of minerals makes
it matter of pride to have specimen
of every known kind Of meteorite in his
cabinet. If new sort turns up and he
has not a piece he is unhappy. 1t hap
pens sometin es that one weighing not
moro than pound, of a makeup that
has not been seen before, will sell in bits
for a couple OF thousand dollars, If its
possessor knows how to dispose OF it.
People are not less interested in other
worlds because they know nothing
about the next one.-Boston Transcript.
George A. Cowan, now seventy years
old and blind, who taught Emma Abbott
singing, is in the Milwaukee County
poorhouse.