The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-12
ten miles distant from station upon the

ten miles distant from a station upon the
Atlantic & Pacific railroad in Arizona.
To the sheep herders, the hunters, the
Indians and the frontiersmen, the koon
Butte or Great Hole, as they sometimes
call it, is simply strange hole in the
crust of the earth. They have known it
for long time, but strangely enough it
had not been brought to the attention of
the government scientists until within a
few months. Last summer some sheep
herders tending their nocks on the arid
plains OF Southeastern Arizona picked up
here and there some little bits of iron ore.
1t was almost pure iron, nugget-like in
share, and the sheep herders became en-
thusiastic because they believed they had
discovered in that desolate country an
iron mine. They wandered up and down
the plain, and found that there were many
of these bits of ore scattered through terri
tory about two miles long and only forty
feet wide. The men were ignorant, but
shrewd fellows. They knew iron, but
they did not know much about mining,
and they were convinced that if so much
OF iron lay upon the surface, there must
be vast stores of it 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? If it is, we know
where there is mine of it not very far
from here, and we are willing to sell or
make arrangements with you for securing
1t, ii you find that we are right.
There happened to be in Albuquerque at
that time two mining experts, DIR. Foote,
OF Philadelphia, and Mr.. Barry. and
they pronounced the specimens magnetic
iron OF the finest quality, with every indi-
cation that it was of meteoric origin. They
were therefore instructed to go to the
place indicated by these men and make a
thorough exploration. When they reached
the place they found the earth pretty we'll
sprinkled with magnetic iron, some of it
very small, some quite large nuggets, but
1t only required a brief investigation to
satisfy these experts that there was no
mine beneath the surface, and this iron
was OF meteoric origin and had fallen to
the earth there no one knows how many
years ago. At some time in the past a
great meteor must have exploded, or per-
haps several of them, over that SPOT. and
Its fragments dropped to the earth. But
while the experts did not find any iron
greatly interested them, and this was this
Noon Butte or Great Hole. They spent
some little time in examining II, and were
satisfied that it was a natural curiosity
worthy the attention OF the ablest
scientists, and they determined TO make
report upon 1t at meeting Of the Ma
tional Academy of Sciences which was 10
take place in Washington City last fall.
This they did, and their report caused the
greatest interest to arise among the scien-
lists. and especially to those connected
with the United States geological survey
Mr.. u. n. Gilbert, himself scientist of
wide repute and great ability, who is con-
nected with the geological survey. gave
much thought TO these reports. and at last
1t occurred to- him that possibly this great
hole in the earth's surface might have
been caused by gigantic meteor. The
theory or suggestion came to him on ar
count OF coincidence which is very rare.
If not unprecedented. In the first nlace
here was meteoric iron in small frag.
ments, and in the next place a gipantie
crater-hke excavation in the earth's sur.
face, the two conditions existing side hv
side. Ii Mr. Gilbert's theory or idea WI.
correct, he believed il could be easily de-
termined. Ii true, then at some time
meteor at least thfee-quarters of a mile in
diameter has struck the earth at this point
and with such enormous velocity that il
buried itself deep beneath the surface
forcing out earth and rock and leaving
circular ridge upon the circumference of
the excavation. Mr.. Gilbert argued in
ferentlally In the first place that such a
hole, TO speak IN popular terms as this
was known TO exist nowhere upon the sur.
face OF the earth. Moreover, Ineteoric re-
mains or fragments are comparatively
few, and il was an extraordinary coincf.
dence, if it were nothing but a coinci.
dence, that such fragments should be
found beside such natural wonder az
this and one which could have heen
caused by the collision between a gigantic
meteor and the earth's surface
Therefore, Mr.. Gilbert determined IN
visit in company with scientific experts
this great hole, to make experiments and
investigations that he might ascertain IL
possible, whether his idea was correct
and if not what the cause of this i'm,
mense curiosity or defornity, so to speak.
was. He took with him most delicate