Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1891-08-19
WHOLE NO. 1898.
A Rain of Aerolites.


Phe deposit of nrolites which an
oregon man is reported to have dis.
covered, should be explored by the
scientists, if we are to add ANYTHING to
our scanty knowledge of these ceIes.
IlaI vlsitants. The Oregonian in this
case, thought he had struck a mine Of
n'eN q. iie forwarded 10 the limited
states Bureau of Geographical Survey
a specimen of the mineral found ,ybioh
ne SAID existed in large Qualities
Inc scientists at once pronounced the
| specimens to be nothing more or Iass
THAN Grolites. AS is well known thor.
are TWO varieties of aerolites-mineroI
ana stony. The mineral aerolites era
composed chiefly Of iron aud nickel
Ihese are generally stratilied, the law
ers OF the two metals, light and dark
present beautifully streaked appear
ahGe' sometimes wavy, and often laid
IN horizontal stripes. Nothing like #
Is ever found on the globe except up
der conditions that assure the scientist
mat 1t came from the skys. The Ore.
gon man has discovered a mine Of aer.
Olites.
1t must have been a verv warn. time
IN the northwestern corner of that's
portion OF the globe which is now
known as the United States. when that
shower OF aerOlites fell upon the earth
II there was anybody living there. thew
ieit no record of a shower comnared
WIN winch, the greatest rain of histor-
lcal times was but a trife. Perbans
mat storm of nickel and iron wined
OUT the natives. 1t is estimated that
the weight of the earth is being added
TO by the fall of many millions of aar-
olites IN year Most of these are 90
small as to escape observation, but
Uuce III Whlle one falls weighing a
hundred pounds or more, and creates
much excitement in the immediate
nelgh6orhOOd. When the Oregon
took place, away back in nre-
historic times, the air must have heen
hlled with falling Jumps of nickel and
iron, te say nothing of the fire which
usually accompanies phenomena of
TINS sort. AerOlites are supposed to he
matter suspended in space. fragments
Of the nebular system, chips from the
N Masters workshop, bits left over from
the creation that have failed to he
formed into worlds or planets. These
might be called star dust. literally
speaking. This material drifts tbronob
'paSe until some big planet passes that
way when the larger pieces fall upon
l drawn by the attraction of gravita.
ion. When one of these Migrants
lrops upon our globe, falling as it does
rom an Infinite and Unreasonable dis.
ahce, IL enters our atmosphere with
uch velocity as to set itself on fire
70 aerollte has ever been found that
vas not covered with skin of melted
METAL or stone. AS the earth nursues
Is way through space it occasionally
triKes region where vast quantities
! Uhls suspended material are hanging
observers have noted that we strike
MS cosmlc dust once in third of a
entury, and invariably in November
the year in which the shower is dine
other words we enter a region of
leteOrs and aerOlites three times in
1t must have been a popu-
'us section of the belt which was
,ruck when the deposit aerolites was
'rmed in Oregon.
II Is supposed that the asteroids. or
mute planets of our system are made
some OF the left over materials
hieh IN still smaller fragments drift
trough the trackless wilderness of
'ace. Clio, the least of the asteroids
As circumference of only 48 miles
anything should happen to Clio. so
aC IL should fall to pieces, the wreck
20 would strew the solar sysqem, and
Is not unlikely that some of it would
IL upon our planet. In that event.
might have another such a rain of
rolltes as that which heaped IN iron
ID nickel prOjectiles like so MANY
Il'slOhes In Oregon. Imagine if we
d, the CONSERVATION of the inhabi-
nts OF that part of the globe over
nose heads was falling the exploded
sphere Is miles in diameter. But
e earth is big. 1t not only turns on
own axis and around the sun. but
wO06les good deal as it goes on
rough space. Even such power as
lde the Oregon deposit, might fall or
suspended in space, very often in
ed and yet the globe escapes it in
ceaseless rolling. The largest show
ofimeteOrs and aerOlites have been
severed to come from point in the
installation of Lionis MaiOris, by a
r designated by the Greek letter
'silon. We arrive under that show.
only once in 3S4 years, so that there
10 immediate danger, even suppOs.
that the earth and it's inhabitants
to be eventually stoned to death.
tslde OF our atmosphere there is un-
l6tedly vast amount of inert and
ltlng material. Occasionally some
i drops on our planet, adding to its
K. Let US hope that future addi-
rs to our real estate will come. as in
past, in broken doses, as it were.
ldual accretiOns of this sort will be
tul when the population of the
rld'needs more room. Immediate
wholesale additions would be de-
rable.