The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-26
IRON FROM THE HEAVENS
Meteorites Among the Wonders Of
the National Museum.
Yeritnbie Shooting Stars That Have
Above-A Specimen Found In Ari-
zona-A Observation-Disclosures
From Tennessee The Arfzona.

| Probably few among the visitors to the
National Museum have been attracted by
those very ordinary-looking dark rocks,
| which are in reality meteorites. located
in the meteorological division of the build
! ing
| Yet when one reflects that they are re-
mains of Shooting stars which are
! sometimes seen careering downward to
! earth or into space, and that they are
veritable pieces OF the heavenly bodies
| that surround US, wonder and curiosity
are awakened perforce at these extraordi-
| nary relies
The Arizona, sometimes called the
| ''Signet Meteorite," is one of the largest
| in the National Museum. II was found in
l the early part of the last century in the
Sierras, near Tucson, Ariz., where there
| Is tradition among the old residents
that there was a shower OF meteorites in
the mountains some 200 years ago. For
| long time this meteorite remained in
the town of Tucson. where it was used as
kind of public anvil by the people
The Blake Meteorite' is another nota-
bic specimen Of this kind collected by the
Smithsonian Institution. 1t weighs three
hundred pounds, and was originally
brought by General Wilder from Tennes-
see. 1t was discovered in 1875, about ten
miles from Greensville Cooke County. in
that State, by farmer, who, after break
ing two plows upon it. dug it out. 1t is
compact mass of iron. When found It
was standing at an angle of about 10 de-
grees, the top being about eight inches be-
low the surface of the ground. The Mexi-
can or Chihuahua, meteorite is also COM
pact mass of iron. weighing four thousand
pounds, and is one OF the several remark
q rtyf1sr
OF the collections of meteorites now ex-
isting. that of the British Museum ranks
first in Importance, that OF Vienna second
the Paris collection third and that known
as the Sheppard, collected by Prof Charles
Hugh Sheppard. of Amherst Mass. fourth.
The last named collection contains no
less than 254 specimens, among which
however are none of extraordinary size
the weight OF the whole amounting to only
1900 pounds. The largest weighs 1873
pounds. and the lightest half an ounce.
The largest stone meteorite in this re-
markabie collection weighs 81 IL pounds,
and is from Waconda, Kan.
Other important collections of meteor
ties in the United States are those of the
Academy of Natural Science of PhiIadeI-
phia. Yale College, and that of Prof Smith
in Louisville, KY.
The largest meteorite ever found on the
continent Of North America was that dis
covered at Ovifak. Greenland, in 1870. by
Prof. NOrdenskjold. the celebrated min
eralogist and Arctic explorer This speci-
men weighs over six tons and was found
in a locality which is almost inaccessible
in even a moderately rough sea- the town
of Oyifak being situated on Disco Island
Here were found meteorites of various al
mansions which are supposed to have
fallen during the tertiary stage of the
worlds history and which had become i'm
bedded in the strata of the Miocene pc
riod. The cliffs in the vicinity rise to
height of 1000 feet above the sea level. the
upper portion being formed of bas:ilt The
were found at the base of these
cliffs. within an area of about fifty squara
yards
In 1871 the Swedish Government fitted
put an expedition comprising two naval
vessels to proceed TO Disco and procure
these masses of meteoric iron, constituting
twelve large specimens and many smaller
ones. One Of these is now in the British
Museum and another in the museum at
Copenhagen.