The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-01-21
PEARY'S METEORITE.
WEIGHS NINETY TONS AND is THE
LARGEST IN THE WORLD.

The Arctic Explorer Brought 1t all the
Way from Greenland-It is Intrinsically
Worth $4,000, as 1t is Composed of the
Highest Grade n excl steel.
Lieut.. R. E. Peary's steam bark
Hope on her retirn from Greenland,
was Immediately towed to the Brook
lyn Navy Yard, where the Cape York
meteorite was t..ken from her hold.
On board the ship when she reached
New York WEI the entire party that
made the trip with the exception of
Mr. and Mrs Hugh Lee, who spent
their honeymoon in Greenland, and
Prof. Rola.t Stein, of Washington.
Albert Operti, the artist; J. o. Fig
gins, the taXidermist; DR.. F. Sohm,
and Mathew Henson, Peary's "all-
around" man. Most important of the
party to the crowd of curious callers
were the six Eskimos, members of the
Arctic Highlanders, the most northern
tribe of their race. Nooktah, the son
of the Chief Koolootoonah of Netuluni,
who in 1853 plotted to murder DR..
Hayes and his party, is the head of the
little band brought by Peary from the
hoi III. 4NOohCdu ID lccI + lHCucS Ill
height. With Nooktah are his wife,
Ahtungahnaksaah; his 10 year-old
daughter, Ahweah; Kessuh, a young
man who is a leader of his tribe; his
9-yearold son, Meesney, and a COM
rade, Weestakupsi
The centre of interest was, of course,
the ninety-ton meteorite, the largest
in the world, which could be easily
f-nY b0 olt to-
the lower hold. 1t is of such size,
however, that it rises nearly to the
level Of the main deck In appear
ance it does not differ from black
granite, and it needs a close inspection
to see its metallic consistency. Lieut..
Peary, who was on board the Hope, is
enthusiastic over his scientific treas
/ ure, and talked at length on the diff
ferent meteorites which have been
found and are now in museums The
Cape York meteorite is intrinsically
worth at least $4,000 as it is COM
posed of the highest grade nickel steel
such as is used in armor plate. Sir
John Ross heard of the meteorite on
his trip to Cape York in 1918, and it
has been known to Arctic explorers
for years, but was not discovered until
iouhu ny L SdI lOuI years ago.
The meteoroliter coming from a sin
gle meteor" said Lieut. Peary, "are
probably coherent before entering the
air, and in close company. The re-
sistance of the air and the on.eJuent
heating OF the body are sufficient to
break the meteor into fragments.
Fragments of a meteor which fell in
Indiana in 1861 were picked up three
- mil n,f noI
fit one another The meteoroids may
be regarded as small solid bodies
describing a long elliptic orbit about
tirely invisible until at a heaght of
less than 100 miles from the earth they
enter air dense enough to resist their
motion and create light. But for the
action of the air in arresting and de-
stroying the meteroids We should DE
intolerably pelted with them 1t is
estimated that every day millions of
meteoroids come within 1000 miles of
the earth's centre.
eThis particular specimen which the
Hope has in her hold, like most others
of its kind, is composed chiefly of iron,
with percentage of nickel, probably
some cobalt, and maybe trace of cop
per and tin. 1t is, in fact, a mass of
nickel steel. AS a matter of fact, the
idea of using nickel steel for armor
was obtained by it's inventor from OBJ
servation of the extreme toughness of
meteorites. But, of course, even if it
were practicable to cut up this great
meteorite, it would not be done, as it's
value would to a great extent be de-
stroyed. There is no other specimen
in the world to compare with it in size.
Il do not wonder that the ignorant
natives of that hyperbern country
looked upon the strange objects with
awe, believing that there was some
thing supernatural about it. They
have never thought Of damaging it.
although it has been in their power to
do so. Truth to tell, l first heard of
the meteorite from the Eskimos, who
excited my curiosity by telling me
of an enormous stone that lay on the
coast having been thrown there by
some god or other"
Getting the meteofits into the hold
of the Hope entailed a deal of arduous
labor. The work was done at a great
risk to the ship. The prize is twelve
feet long, eight feet wide and six feet
high, and is estimated to weigh from
80 to 100 tons. Beams were stretched
from the bulwark of the ship to the
meteorite and tracks laid thereon, By
means OF hydraulic jacks 1t was forced
upon the track to point where gun
tackles could be utilized, when it was
lowered into the held Here it was
surrounded with sand ballast and
propped with twelve-inch beams.