New-York tribune., 1902-06-12
HUGE METEOR IN MEy1co
PROFESSOR WARD ESTIMATES IN
WEIGH FIFTY TONS-NoT AS L.pcr
AS THE ONE PEARY BROUGHT
FROM GREENLAND

Rochester. June II (SpeciaD.-One of tho
meteorites known to the world has been IIr@seSt 1seSt
in Western Mexico by Professor Henry A IvId
formerly of this city. now of Chicago rb u' s'
public announcement Of his great find was mada.N
Monday night before the Rochester Hfsto-sooI Oa
cfety. Professor Ward is widely know, a. So
world Of science as the founder OF the w
Natural Science establishment OF Rochesro- rau p
collection of meteorites is fourth in point % % 20
in the world, and contains many stones Of er.a.
rarity and value.
The discovery of this great meteorite in Nsv,..
Is considered an important addition to the lrS
edge IF these aerial visitors. The stone v.4.
fifty tons, is thirteen feet and one ;,ot
length. and lay buried by the terrific orce 40 "a
own momentum nearly twenty feet in the eartb -
poughed into it like steel shell from g 12f,S
gun. Professor Ward broke off small portions J.
the great as specimens for his collection -,
left the remainder intact. practically as ba 80
found it. He said that the cost Of TRANSPORTING =
to the seacoast. seventy-One miles away yvonI,
have been more than $50 CO. He succeeded in c.
ing several fine photographs of the stole v,af,
show it in all its huge. ungainIy shape Profess
Ward thus described his expedition after the ers,
stone:
de RgnoTs N & and st stories had come to me for many
in the State of Sfnaloa Mexico but NOT iint1 Il
winter did fnd an opportunity to investigate r.
state, IS richer in meteOric remains and specimen
than any other country in the world Why this il
attraction for the living masses bI1t 49, strong
think win stand SEa7rst criffai, f.,y ''iI narqy
noticeable that almost without exception ths
Which distinguishes them SHARPLY from ny St19s
which are found elsewhere on the globe. Tfpse
things. it is best frankly to admit are beyond IN
power t, eIucidate. N1-
set out from Mexico City in the early spripr
and went toward the northwest; passing under the
shadow OF mighty Colimd, which even theu-it Was
about the White srrrsif WIN our txns,oa yaPor
passing several nOtseless erupti0us Of steam oc-
Jhe summit 70 &c ClsSIpateu oy the winds 1t took
as days 10 pass around the base of this immense
journey, employed guides to lead 10 the place
where the object Of my search was said to lie
las Tas PS5 Tss Vas aoa il the caIsf bills 52ut
town Of Mocorito / employed. force OF twenty
iye poems 70 dig for me. and after considerable
the first time since it fell what ;kink is the
greatest meteor known to the world 1t lay en-
tedded in soil and rocks 20 the depth of a0out
twenty feet Its position was somewhat sianting.
and s2Id ledg'- Its position and appearance were
such that in my estimation it had penetrated
Just in the position where it had stCTPed Nj
poems dug under it and succeeded in tipping
could. 1t very irregular in form. looking
perhaps, as much as anything Ike gigantic stone
England Its greatest length was ID feet inch its
/ computed its weight to be about ffty tons. Il
was eharaetsristicSlly Pttted and seaTed The ex-
count Of the dryness OF the atmosphere.
After l had measured and STUDIED The great
with sticks Of dynamite Its formation was beaut-
rsuar 'f It srf VENT hard Py Win me- to eav5 % hs won
derful specimen there in the wild fastuesses of
fh exbendtars 4nf Of sS69t 10 5o
even as far rs the coast. | gave up al hope. and
The Mexican Government has a fine collection Of
Hii6% any to BE- taken out OF the country The
government pIacards these stones with legends in
God himself can remove this stone = Inazmuch as
the government immediately proceeds 10 remove it
70 the museum, ones sense of reverence is some
what shaken.
If Professor Ward is not mistaken as % tha
character OF the mass Of iron here described the
discovery will prove highly interesting although it
is doubtful whether the Snaloa specimen EQUALS in
weight the big block brought by Peary from
Greenland several years ago. That estimated
at one hundred tons, though good judges regard
those figures as too large. Mexico has long been
famous for real and reputed meteorites Of great
size.
genuine reteoric iron and terrestrial iroa- Long
before Peary went to the arctic regions enormous
masses were found in Greenland, which were az
first believed 10 be OF meteoric origin. When
samples were sent to the experts of the British
Museum and similar institution II Nienra-ooLh
opinion was expressed that they had not fallen
from the skies This JgdsGsn{ < r. eNSIsa 6a5y Eys 55,
large and small. when the latter were subsequently
discovered. concerning tltlT SFflll.titSS- nov
ever expert opinion is generally favorable.
Pearv's rneteorites came from different part or
Greenland from that which the 6iscredired irons
found.
There are several tests which it Is customary 20
appv no one of which is conclusive. but hiCh col
lectively go far to determine The character OF a
specimen One OF these is to polish fiat surface
and apply acid The appearance of a crisS-cross OF
lines called ''Widmannst8tten figures Is re-
garded evidence that the iron is meteeric e Lhe
foregoing dispatch does not report any trial OF thlS
sort but it mentions another common trait OF
meteortes-a pitJed exterior
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