The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-11-14

sHtugs blocks of i66 ighIng
Many Toms Si
Some OF Them Discovered Centuries Ago
Interesting Facts Concerning Their
Curious Characteris-

are found upon the tablelands OF MeXl-
co, says w. P. Blake in the New York
Independent. Through the efforts of
Prof. Castillo the mineral collections OF
the Minerva, the Mexican school of
mines, in the City of Mexico, have been
of late greatly enriched by the addition
of full-sized casts in papier-mache of
some of these enormous masses. the
great weight of which prevents their
being transported to the city. Some of
these casts or models were exhibited at
the Paris exhibition in 1889, and have
but recently been On exhibition in Mex
leo. They are so well made and col
ored that the visitor at first supposes
that he sees the real and original masses
of iron.
The largest irons occur in the state OF
Chihuahua and are known as the me
teorites Of Chupaderos. According to
the history of Philip H., they ere dis
covered by the explorer Antonio de
Espeio in 1881. This refers to the two
largest blocks, lying in the soil some
three hundred yards apart. but EVIDENT
~ broken one from the other at the
time of the fall. This becomes strik-
ingly evident when the two models are
brought together end to end, for the
ragged projections of one At into the
impressions in the other, and the thick
ness Of the contact is the same in both.
The smaller of the blocks SO represent
ed by the cast is about feet in length
and 8 feet 6 inches In breadth, and Is
inches in thickness. Its density is $50,
and it's weight by calculation is not less
than 1880 pounds, or over nine tons.
The second and larger portion meas
ures over feet i'll length and 81 feet
in width, and about 10 inches in thick
ness. Its mass is calculated as two
cubic meters, and it's weight $1,000
pounds.
The two portions if united would pre-
sent the appearance Of an irregular
plate or tabular mass over fifteen feet
long, from three to six feet wide and
half a yard thick, and would weigh
nearly twenty-five tons. Both masses
contain the metal t1oilite, a proto-
sulphid of iron characteristic of meteoric
masses, giving additional evidence, it
any were needed, of the extra terres-
trial origin of these irons.
It is hard to conceive how such a
massive plate of metal could have been
broken asunder, even by the force OF
the shock Of contact with the surface OF
the earth; but such fractures are COM
mon to meteorites, and are explained
by the resistance of the air, producing
sudden and great heat Of the outer por"
tons of the intensely cold body from
the frigid regions of space. Meteorites
also contain quantities OF gases occluded
in their substance. Fractures were
clearly shown in the iowa meteorites
and in those which fell several miles
apart in India in 1861, which fit to-
gether. The peculiar tabular form is
unusual among meteorites. It at once
suggests the possible origin # the
mass in vein-like assure or between
walls. This, however, is a mere sur
mise.
There are three distinct zones in
which meteorites have fallen in Mex
leo: l. That Of Oaxaca, where new
blocks and masses are found from time
to time and are characterized by the
absence of trolite and their inalterabil-
ity in the air. 2. That of Toluca, in
which immense quantities of little fragg-
ments are found, especially at and near
Xiquipilco, in the valley of Toluca.
These irons decompose rapidly in the
air, becoming rusty and covered with
exudations Of chloride of iron and green
eff1orescences containing nickel. The
largest mass weighs about ninety
pounds and others are of all sizes. They
are found in cultivating the fields and
in the small ravines after heavy rains.
8. The region of the north part of the
republic comprising the Chihuahua falls
and others north and south of Jimenez,
which place may be regarded as near
the central line. The meteorites of
this zone are not very alterable by ex-
posture, and they contain trolite in
abundance. Mention should also be
made of the celebrated I1win-Ainsa or
Ring meteorite from Sonora, for many
years past in the National museum at
Washington.
..- Tardy Delivery. 5..."
A letter nine years on it's travels Is q
rare occurrence nowadays. On Septem-
IL