The evening times., 1902-06-12
AN IMMENSE METEOR
UNEARTHBD In MEXICO
Professor Ward Finds 1t
Under Ground.
STONE WEIGHING FIFTY TONS
Unable to Stand the Expense of Trans
porting 1t to the Seacoast-Specimen
Not So Large, However, as PeaTy
Brought From Greenland.

ROCHESTER. June 12.-0ne Of the
largest meteorites known to the world
has been unearthed in Western Mexico
by Prof. Henry A. Ward, formerly Of
this city. now of Chicago. The first
public announcement of his great fnd
was made on Monday night before the
Rochester Historical Society. Prof
Ward is widely known in the world Of
science as the founder Of the Ward
Natural Science establishment of Roch-
ester. His collection OF metcorites is
fourth in point OF size in the world and
contains many stones of great rarity and
value.
The discovery OF this great meteorite
! in Mexico is considered IN important ad-
dition to the knowledge CT these aerial
visitors The stone weighs over fifty
/ tons. Is thirteen feet and one inch in
/ length. and lay buried by the terrific
force OF its own momentum nesTly twen-
/ ty feet in the earth. It plouEhed into
it like a steel shell from thirteen-inch
gun.
/ Prof. Ward broke of small portions
Of the great mass as specimens for MS
collection. but left thr remainder in
J tact. practically as he had found it, He
! said that the cost OF transporting Ii
/ to the seacoast. serenty-one miles away.
would have been more than $50, 900. He
/ succeeded in securing several fine photo
! eraphs OF the stone. which show 1t in
1 all its huge ungainIv shape Prof. Ward
thus described his expedition after the
great stone:
/ Ru1nors and stories lad come to me
/ for many years past o. the presence OF
such huge meteorite In the State Of
/ SinaIoa, Mexico, but got until last win
ter did I find an opportunity to investi-
gate the truth of these stories. Mexico,
/ II NAV be well to state, is richer in
meteoric remains and specimens than
any other country in tne world Why
4 this is so il is puzzliDs to explain Some
/ scientists say that Mexfco's rocks pos
sess some peculiarly strong attraction
/ for the flying masses, but that / hardly
think viii stand Igainst criticism. 1t
is also noticeable that almost without
exception the meteOrites are purely iron
in their composition, which distin-
/ guishes them sharply from the others
which are found elsewhere on the globe.
!
are beyond human power TO elucidate
set out from Mexico City in the early
spring and went toward the northwest,
/ passing under the shadow Of mighty
! CoIim2. which even then-it was the
first Of April-was wreathed In heecy
/ vapor about the white summit. While
/ cur expedition was passing several
noiseless eruptions OF steam occurred
which sent great clouds Of vapoT nigh
above the summit. to be dissipated by
the winds It took US days to pass
around the base Of this immense vol
/ canic mountain. Arriving near the end
of our journey. I employed guides to
/ lead me TO the place where the object
Of MI. search was said to lie hidden
/ The SPOT was in the hills, about sew
entv-one miles from the Pacific Coast.
not far from the town of Mocorito- /
empIoved force of twenty five poems
/ n dig for me. and after considerable
! labor was rewarded DE seeing exposed
/ to view for tho first time since it Yell
what I think Is the greatest meteor
known 70 the world. L lay embedded in
soil and rocks to the depth CT about
twenty feet It's position was somewhat
sIantiug. and its lower end rested
against crumbled rock and solid ledge
It's Dosftion and appearance we're such
! that in my estimation 1t had penetrated
straight through when it fell. and was
/ uncovered Just in the position where 1t
/ had stopped Ny poems dug under 1t and
! succeeded in tipping II over. then
made as accurate measurements rs
could. 1t was very irregular in form,
! looking. perhaps, as much as anything
/ like gigantic stone axe. such as are
found in the prehistoric graves Of Eng
! land. It's greatest length was thirteen
/ feet one inch, its thickness six feet four
F, inches. its width FIVE feet four inches
: I computed its weight to be about hfty
tons. It was Enthusiastically pitted
/ and scared. the exterior being in fine
state of preservation on account or the
dryness OF the atmosphere.
( after hed measured and studied the
great meteorite thoroughly / blasted on
small pieces with sticks OF dynamite
Ite formation vas beautiful in the ex-
! trerne being unusually typical and regu-
lar II vent hard with me to leave this
wonderful specimen there in the wild
! fastness Of Sinaloa. but when l reckon
* that II would require the expenditure
of about $50 900 to transport 1t even as
! far as the coast. 1 gave uD all hope. and
denarted with what / had Clipped on
as my reward.
The Mexican government has fine
! collection of meteorfc specimens, and is
very careful not to allow any to be taken
ant of the country. The government
nIacards these stones with legends IN
! SnaDish which read freely like this;
/ e,Io one but God Himself can remove
This stone" Inasmuch as the govern
Tnen+ Immediately proceeds to remove
/ il tn the museum, ones sense OF reVer-
epce is somewhat shaken