The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-12
NATURES STRANGE FREAK.
A GREAT HOLE IN THE EARTH's CRUST
rs THE NEW WONDER.
IL Wa, SUPPOSED That y Meteor Had
Struck There. hut n Biologist Has Ad'
Sanced the Theory that nm Explosion In
the lee Arc Hurst Through the Surface.

| yanced the Theory That nm ExpiorI"" Nv
the Ice Age Hurst Through the Surface.
| In the hall ofthe National Museum ut wash
| ington was exhibited during the meeting OF
the National Academy OF Sciences recent'y
plaster model which seemed to represent the
crater of a volcano. 1t was OF dull. yellow
color. and the ring or circle made OF irregular
| formation. although as whole 1t was n per-
| feet circle. The model seemed to interest the
| men OF SCIENCE and when they heard the story
| told about It they displayed greater interest.
Tho model was that OF u now natural
| curiosity. which IL not discovered recently
has been explored and examined and ex-
planned scientifically. 1t is called the Amer
| lean Maar. although collo1uially 1t Is spoken
| of as the Koon Butte While 1t does not rival
| some OF the magnificent wonders OF the vest
ern country so far as appealing to the eye Is
| concerned. and may not have the scientific
| interest that some other OF the native wonders
| OF the West have created. yet It is certain to
| become great natural curiosity and Is likely
| to attract travellers from the line OF the rail-
| way. for 1t Is only ten miles from the ATTAIN
| tic and Pacific Railroad in Arizona.
To the sheep herders. tho hunters. the In
dians and the frontjersmen the Koon Butte or
Great Hole as they sometimes call 1t. is SIM
ply strange hole in tho crust OF the earth.
They have known OF It for a long time. but.
| strangely enough. II had not been brought to
tho attention OF tho Government scientists un-
til within q few months. Last summer some
sheep herders tending their focks on tho arid
plains of southeastern Arizona pickcd up here
and there some little bits Of iron ore 1t was
almost pure iron. nugget-like in shape. and
the sheep herders became enthusiastic. be-
cause they believed they had discov-
cred in that desoate country an iron
mine They wandered IN and down the plain.
and found that many OF the bits OF orc were
scattered through territory about two miles
long and only forty feet wide. The mon were
ignorant but shrewd fellows. They knew iron.
but they did not know much about mining.
and they were convinced that if SO much iron
lay upon the surface. there must be vast stores
of 1t beneath So. in some excitement. they
went to Albuquerque. which is the largest
town in the vicinity. and. going to some OF the
officers OF the railroad. they held out In their
hands some of these nuggets OF iron and said:
See. isn't this iron? II it is. We know whore
there is a mine OF it not very far from here.
and We arc willing to sell or make arrange
ments with You for securing it, II you find that
We are right"
There happened to be in Albuquerque at that
time two mining experts. DR.. Footo OF Phila-
delphia and Mr.. Barry. and they pronounced
the specimens magnetic iron of the finest
meteoric origin. They vera. therefore. in
structed 10 go to the place indicated by these
men and make thorough exploration. When
they reached the place they found the Garth
pretty well sprinkled with magnetic iron. some
OF it very small. some quito large uggets, but
the experts that there was no mine beneath
the surface. and that the iron was OF mcteoric
origin and had fallen to the earth many years
ago. At some time in the past a great meteor
must have exploded. or perhaps several OF
While the experts did not find any iron mine
they did see something which most greatly in
Great Hole. They spent some little time in
examining it, and We're satisfied that it was as:
ablest scientists and thcy determined to make
areport on itat a meeting OF the National Acnd.
cd she tn arss
the scientists and especially to those of the
United states Geological survey:
Mr. G. X. Gilbert. scientist Of wide rcputo
and great ability. who is connected with the
Geological Survey. gave MUCH thought to the
the great hole in the earth's surface might
have been caused by n gigantic meteor. The
Of a coincidence which is very rare. if not un-
precedented. In tho first place there, was n
meteorc iron in small fragments. and IN the
iIg side by side; Il Mr.: Gilbort's theory or
determined; II true. then Mt some time a
meteor at least three quarters OF {. mile in
and With such enormous velocity that it buried
itself deep beneath the surface. forcing out
earth and rock and leaving a circular ridge on
Mr.. Gilbert argued inferen,ially. in the first
place. that such a hole. in popular terms. was
the earth. Moreover. meteoric remains or
fragments are comparatively few and it was
ing but a coincidence. that such fragments
should be found beside such n natural Won
ger. ana one which could have been caused by
Mr.. Gilbert determined to visit. in company
with scientific experts. the great hole; to MAKE
experiments and investigations that no might
ascertain. i possible. whether his idea was
mensc c%r URIC OF eiomty So to 81 nS
He took delicate scientific Instruments. among
others compasses which would DO sure to re-
veal the presence OF mrteoric iron even at con-
siderable distance. When he reached the
koon Butte he made some measurements. Ho
fourths OF q mile across and the bottom Of the
hole was 600 feet below the rim or topmost
or level of the earth's surface. Therefore.
whatever caused this enormous disturbance
blown out Of tho hole rock and earih. sufficient
to rim the circumference about 300 feet above
the sur ace Of the earth
the Navy Yard in Washington: so thar it was
wou have to" be ctr dst uS the n" r 2o
tests were exhaustive, and not the :, :shtest
DETECTION OF the needle was observed. Mr..
Gilbert then reasoned that il II pieco of mag
netic or meeoric iron big enough to make that
enormous hole was beneath tho surface it
must he, at least nity miles below the crust or
the needle would have given some indication
OF II. 1t OF course WIS absurd to suppose that
any object gould have struck the earth with u
velocity sufficient to penetrate tn" crust to II
distance OF fifty miles, and. Mr. Gilbert, there
fore. abandoned tho idea Of m"tepr.c orsin Of
this hole, ard began Investigations looking to
other explanations
He conslderei many theories. nil of which
on lnve. tigation. with on" exception. proved to
b. unsatisfactory. He measured carefully til"
amount of earth and rock which pihpos",! Tho
rim Of the hole or crater. and thea also meas
ured the spac" bounded hythu hole itself And
he found TIA: i the earth and rock which
composed tho rim were shpvrllcd bncli int,
thn hole it would almost exactly fiji it. That
Indicated 70 ii certainty that no foreign sub
stance WAS beneath tho bottom Of the Ii e for
il there wa the material Of which the lin was
compose would more than MI the ho!". This
also iUw"ll that the earth AMI rocl. l,d been
forced out Gy, some violent sabterrn;
not have hoeA rolcnu:r Had 1t been.
some cyidenc" Of volcanic action would have
lao rpI