The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-03
METEORITES IN MEXICO
Hugo Blocks OF Iron Weighing
Many Tons.
Some OF Them Disco, ered Centuries Ago
Interesting Facts Concerning Their
Curious Characteris-

tics.
The most remarkable meteoric irons
OF America as respects size and weight
are found upon the tablelands of Next
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 Moxico, 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 1880, and have
but recently been on exhibition in Mex
leo. They are SO we'll made and col
ored that the visitor at first supposcs
that he secs 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 were dis
covered by the explorer Antonio dc
Espejo in 1851. This refers to the two
largest blocks, lying in the soil some
chiO0 GU y aiOo lPiit, OuU cNluCnU-
ly broken one from the other at the
time of the fall. This becomes strilS-
ingly evident when the two models are
brought together end 10 cnd for the
ragged projections of one fit 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 feet inches in breadth, and 1S
inches in thickness. Its density is T.SO,
and its weight by calculation is not less
than 1880 pounds, or over nine tons
The second and larger portion meas
urcs over feet in length and G,1 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 n yard thick, and would weigh
nearly twenty-five tons. Both masses
contain the metal troilite, n proto-
sulphid Of iron characteristic of meteoric
masses, giving additional evidence, if
any were needed, of the extra terres-
trial origin of these irons.
1t is hard to conceive how such n
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-
flOnS nf fnn intnncn1v on1J
the frigid regions of space. Meteoritcs
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. 1t at once
suggests the possible origin of the
mass in q vein-like fssure 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 mir. Q. That of Toluca, in
which immense quantities of little frag-
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
effiorescences containing nickel. The
largest mass weighs about ninety
pounds and others are of all sizes. They
are found in cultivating tho 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 rletcoritcs of
this zone are not very alterablc by ex-
abundance. Mention should also be
made of the celebrated Irwin Ainsa or
Ring meteorite from Sonora, for many
years past in the National museum at
Washington.
Ifono-s for the I;a5y.
Nowadays when his majesty the baby
is christened two little people, one
dressed as the maid of honor and the
other as page, both in white, walk
just behind her serene highncss the
nurse and the precious infant, carrying
the one white ivory praycr-book
bound in silver and the other n hymnal
to match. You see, from the very be-
ginning his lordship is put under the
rod of Nine. Etiquette.
The Human Eye.
a German doctor has been publishing
the results of long course of visual ex