The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-14

quantity, they are the following: Iron.
In much the largest proportion, magne-
SUM. silicon, oxygen, nickel, which Is the
principal cOncOmitant OF iron; cobalt,
chromium, manganese, titanium, tin, cop
per, aluminium, potassium, sodium, cal
cium. arsenic, PHOSPHORUS. nitrogen, sui
phur, traces of chlorine. and lastly, carbon
and hydrogen. 1t may be mentioned here
that NJ. De Konkoly has analysed several
hundred shooting stars with the spectro-
scope, and found continuous spectrum in
their nucleus, with lines of sodium, mag
nesiun, strontium, lithium and iron.
The density of meteorites varies from
three to eight. that of water being taken as
the unit; this is greater density than that
of the known rocks forming the earth's
upper strata and equal to that Of the lower
strata.
Whence come these stones that fall from
the sky?
Their identity with fire-balls is nolonger
doubtful, since every aerolite comes from a
fire-ball May we go further and identify
meteorites and fire-balls with shooting
stars2 1t seems not, for no enormous fire.
balls or falling stones are seen In con-
nection with these showers, or very rarely.
This fact shows us that, if shooting stars
move through space following elliptical
orbits like those of comets. fire-balls and
meteorites may nave different origin and
course.
While studying the composition of
meteOrites, one cannot refrain from
noticing the fact, assuredly well worthy
of attention, that their constituent ma
terials are exactly the same as those of the
interior of our globe, beneath layers of
sediment and granite, and not only have
they absolutely the same nature as our
minerals. but again, large number OF the
fragments present minerals associated in
the same way as in certain terrestrial
he
which fell at Juvinas department
Ardeche) in 1921, is almost exactly iden-
tical with certain lavas of Iceland; the
one that fell at Chassigny department
Haute- Marne) in 1915, has the same char
acter as terrestrial chrysOlite, with grains
of chrome iron scattered through 1t, just
as in the rock called dunite discovered in
New Zealand.
The aerolite which fell at Sako-Bania
Servia, in 1877 presents a conglomerate or
trachytic tufa like that found in the old
volcanoes OF Auvergne and on the shores
of the Rhine. Chrysolite, proxene, feldspar
anarthite, chrome iron, magnetic pyrites.
oxide of iron and graphite may be cited
among the minerals common to meteOrites
and to the terrestrial globe.
1t is extremely remarkable that iron,
silicon and oxygen. the three predominant
bodies in the ma jority of meteors. also pre-
dominate in our globe. On the other
hand. no fragment belonging to rocks
similar to the stratiiied rocks cOnsti-
tuting the exterior, and, SO 10 speak,
vital covering of our globe, has been
found i'll any meteor. No calca-
reous rocks are found, never the smallest
particle of sand, no shells, nor the least
trace of fossils. All siliceous rocks. which
form the earth's crust to considerable
depth, are lacking among meteors. 1t fol-
lows from these undoubted facts that
fra yrncppd only from the
interior of planetary bodies which may he
constituted like our globe. and that, If
they are the debris of a ruptured world,
they come from world that has not
reached its period of decadence, but from
an unfinished world. So TO speak, upon
which there have been no traces of life,
and which has passed through an evoiu-
ton less complete than that of the planet
We inhabit.
Let us now note another fact no less re-
markable than the analogy between mete-
orites and the lower rocks of our own
planet namely. the identity OF structure
i'm rocks which fail from the sky at very
different epochs. Meteorites very far re-
moved from each other. both IN geo.
praphicai and chronological point OF view,
Sometimes present such complete identity
that il is impossible to distinguish the
respective fragments. The conclusion is
that great number OF the fragments, IL
not all of them, come from single geolog-
| ical stratum belonging 10 planet ike the
| one we inhahit, or rather, like the earth OF
early ages, the protozoic earth, anterior
10 the time of oceans and sedimeitary
deposits.
1t also happens, on the other hand. that
| single fall of meteorites brings stones OF
different characters. Thus at Sigena,
| Spain, November IL. 1913. and at Iren-
zano, Italy. November II. 1896. stones OF
very different type fell at the same time
| One OF these types is seen in the meteor1te
| which fell at Busiee. India. the ID of De-
| cember, 1852, and the other in the mete-
| orite which fell ut Parnallee, India, IN
| 1857. Thus, twice different rocks fell to
| gether and under the same conditions. A