The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-23
JOHN BRAITSCH,
I2O East Douglas.
FROM THE SKY.
Volcanic Nature of Masses Which Fall
From Above.

Il
Volcanic Nature of Masses Which Fall
| From Above.
| An addition to our present knowledge
| of meteorites has been presented by
| Mr.. J. r. Eastman, who furnishes u
list of iron aerolites, together with q
table of their weights and remarks as
| to the relative occurrences of iron and
stony meteorites.
| According to this gentleman the ratio
| of weight Of the former to the latter il
as to IL 90, and the aggregate weight
| of aerolitic iron which has been OBJ
served and discovered up to date on the
American continent is about 1853 tons
IF the above ratio be true in all
| cases." he says, there should have
been fall of about l. $50 tons of lithic
meteorites, or in all over 1900 tons of
serolitic matter precipitated upon the
earth"
Mr.. Eastman offers the following
theory to account for the apparent cx-
cess of iron over stony meteorites:
''When a stony meteorite falls TO the
earth il breaks into many fragments.
and the ruptured surfaces indicate the
nature Of the catastrophe.
mo case is on record where ar iron
aerolite showed any indication OF hav.
ing been twisted, broken, or torn from
another mass of the same material.
''The true type OF meteorite which
j reaches the earth from outer space il
probably similar To that which fell in
Iowa county, Ia, on February i2. 1875.
This celestial visitor is composed almost
wholly OF lithic matter. but scattered
through the mass are small grains OF
nickeliferous iron.
This iron NAV exist In the stony
matrix in all forms and sizes, from tho
microscopic noduie 10 the mass weigh
ing several ton, When the little mass
comes i'm contact with the esrth's at.
mosphere the impact breaks up the
matrix, sets free the iron bodies, and
they reach the earth in the same con-
dition, SO far as mass and figure are
concerned. as they exist in the original
formation.
stony portion of the original body ~
rent into such small fragments by the
explosion that these would not reach
the earth in any apprecisble size. Tho
larger the masses of iron the more COM
plete would be the destruction of tho
original body. and the larger iitbic me
teorites would be those containing the
smaller granulcs Of iron"
We may here revert % the aur:ferous
aeroli.e which is reported TO have fallen
q few days ago at Idaho 30 far as NO
are aware, precious metals have never
yet been found ia substance Of meteor
ic origin
Should. therefore, the telegraphi,
news which has been received Of az ap-
parently remarkable discovery be con-
Sr1,ed. scientists viii find themselves
confronted with another kno.ty prob
lem-how 10 account for the prosencs
Of pure gold in the aerolite.
Up TO the present the principal
known constituent parts es meseorio
iron are, In addition 10 the mat
common and asefal OF metals" aud
nickel. numerous compounds. such as
ferrous suIphide ltroili.et. snipb,de Of
chromium edaubreeiite). calcium sui
phidc toldhamitel, and pho.yhide 81
iron and nickel tschreibe1itel. which
are not known a. terrestrial minerslA,
besides magnets pyrites. chronic iroa.
magnetic. pyroxene. oIivsse aad
snorthite. which are ordinary canpo
snts Of vo,esnic rocks -iron-