Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-03

Specimens Now Found to Re Genuine. Though
First Considered Mcteorftes-


First Considered Mcteorftes-
When news Of the dacovery Of . wonderful
nickel mine in Oregon reached the geological
survey a short time ago il was received with
disbelief The specimens Of ore sent in by the
prospector who had made the discovery were
in the shape Of pebbles averaging about the
size Of hazel nuts and OF irregularly rounded
forms. He reported that they were found In
grea; quantities scattered thickly over con-
siderable extent Of country and that his inten-
ton WAS TO smelt them for the valuable metal
they contained. Experts here examined the
first Of the samples transmitted and promptly
declared them meteorites Instead Of . mine OF
nickel the finder had simply picked mp . fev
bits of star dust
Since then. however. a competent mining Gu
gIneer has been over the field. the precise To-
cation OF which 10 rs yet not disclosed. He has
found II 30 thickly strewn with such pebbles 80
those offered for examination as TO entirely En-
plode the notion that thoy are meteoritea
Stones from the stars not precipitated 10
storms like hail. SO. with these surprising
facts established, DIR. W. II. Melville. chemist
for the geological survey, went 20 work and
Analysed q few Of them. He ascertained that
they contained 90 per cent Of nickel, 10 per
cent of stony matter. and the rest iron Now,
meteorites are ordinarily composed OF iron
with a small amount Of nickel. but mono have
ever been picked up with anything like SUCH q
proportion Of the latter metal.
WHERE rs THE ORIGINAL ROCK MAss2
The objects in question are not meteoritss.
Whence then did they come? OF that there is
no doubt any longer. They were originally
fragments of rock washed down by streams
and rounded in the process as other pebbles
are. Where is the rock mass which formed the
matrix whence these fragments were derived
Any one who finds it will have discovered one
of the richest mines in the world--a.inost a
solid lump of nickel. Perhaps there is a whole
hill OF II, containing enough of the metal 10
supply the United States with scent pieces.
Certainly il is well worth looking for.
People are continually sending absurd
things 70 the geological survey at Washington
for investigation. Farmers find granite
powders on their farms and express big chunks
of them labeled fragments OF meteorites."
Stag from iron furnaces often masquerades ~
meteoric iron also. Five years ago, when
there was a scare about diamonds In Kentucky,
thousands of persons in that state mailed
quartz crystals for estimates 20 their value.
Quartz crystal diamonds and iron pyrites gold
give a great deal Of trouble TO the government
experts. The public at large seems to imagine
that Uncle sam considers II his duty 90 analyze
upon demand any rocks which they may choose
70 ship for the purpose, or bottles containing
water which they believe TO contain valuable
mineral ingredients. Now and then q frAg-
ment Of glass bottle gets into a stream, ID
less gem. People who find odd minerals with
which they are unacqualnted are very aps 70
suppose that they have struck treasures which
will make them az rich as Monte Cristo.
ANALYzrNa MINERAL sPRISes.
The chemical laboratory Of the geological
survey has been recently engaged in Analysing
the various mineral springs Of the Yellowstone
Park which are destined some day TO be util-
lied to a great extent for medicinal purposes
N.,.. q las.a
ploymcnt in other than very severe slcknesses
For example, the spring known the Devils
Iukpot" contains forty grains OF sulphate of
ammonia TO the gallon, as well as free sui
phuric acid, sulphureted hydrogen, which Is
best known affording the odor of disap-
pointed chickens, and many other ingredients
associated with things internal. Some Of the
other waters contain much arsenic, which is
the most vigorous of alternatives. One mineral
spring has recently been found in southwest
Missouri which holds twenty grains Of sulphate
Of zinc TO the gallon, and is therefore . very
powerful natural emetic.