The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-09-27

This emphatic statement impressed
the magistrate.
LET me see Them he said.
The parcel was handed up to him
and he examined its contents with OBJ
vious interest
Are you quite sure of their meteor
&c origin. Mr.. IsaacsteinT" he asked.
Eyes"
"Can you form any estimate Of their
probable valueY
about f50.O00r'
The reply startled the magistrate,
and IT sent thrill through the court,
"Realiy, So tnuch." Mr. Abingdon
WIS almost scared,
"If. after cutting, they turn out as
well as I expect, that is moderate
estimate Of their worth" -
az take It, from what you say, that
meteoric diamonds are, rarer
fsaacstein closed his throat with q
premonitory cough and bunched up
his shoulders. A slight wabble was
stssdisd BY his stumpy hands on the
FaiI OF the witness box. he was really
the greatest Lying authority on fpe
subject, and he knew =, -
at Is a common delusion among dia-
mond miners that diamonds fall from
the skies in meteoric showers" he said,
There is some sort Of foundation for
this mistaken view, as the stones are
found In volcanic pipes or columns
of diamantiferous material, and the
crude idea is that gigantic meteors fell
and plowed these deep holes, distribut
ing diamonds In all directions as they
passed, But the SO called pipes are
really the vents of extinct volcanoes.
Ignorant people do not realize that the
chemical composition of the earth does
not differ greatly from that of the
bodies which surround 1t In space, so
that the same process of manufacture
under high temperature and at great
pressure which creates diamond In
meteor has equal powers here. In
word. what has happened In the outer
universe he also happened at Kim Der
ley. Iron acts as the solvent during
the period of creation, SO TO speak.
Then in tho 'lanse Of ages 1t oxidites
By the acti9.. ( air OF water and the
diamonds ra:ea:n." y
The magistrate nodded.
"There are particles OF mineral
that looks like iron among these
stopesY' he said,
The question gave 1saacstein time to
draw fresh supply Of breath. Sure
Of his audience now, he proceeded
more slowly.
"That is certain proof of meteOric
source. A striking confirmation of the
fact is supplied BY district In kri-
IONA Here, on a plain five miles In
diameter, are scattered thousands Of
masses Of metallic iron varying In
weight from half ton to fraction OF
Grc o'nop IN enormous meteoric
hho;@er fe.l 70 ii some period, and
nea. The teIer Is a cruter-like hole
which ~gess the lmpaff Of some
very large bod which bulic itself In
Inc earth. Al, u'lnesalogit s know the
place a. the w. on ni'.holo, or Dew
IFS gulch, and pecimens Of its ore are
in every collection. Ordinary TOOLS
were spoiled and even emery wheels
worn by some hard ingredient In the
iron, and analysis has revealed the
therein of three distinct forms
OF diamond-the ordinary stone, like
those now before you. both transpar-
ent and black graphite and amorphous
is, carbon without crys-
tallization."
81 gather that the diamantiferous
was present In the form OF
tiny particles and not In stones at all
these in sizeY said Mr..
Abingdon.
Exactly. l have never either seen
or heard of specimens like those. In
1886 a meteor fell In Russia and con,
tanned / per cent Of diamond In !
slightly memmcrphosed state; ~.
the Ava meteorite fell In ~
and It held crystalline graphite in the
bright as well as the dark formsl lt,i.
again, the distribution was well az
fused and OF slight commercial value.
Sir william Crookes or any eminent
chemist will bear me out in'.the as
sumption that the diamonds now be-
fore your eyes are absolutely match
less by the product of any recorded
source"
Isaacstein, having delivered his little
lecture. looked and felt important.
The magistrate bent forward, with
pleasant smile. rFa
"I am very much obliged to you fol.
the highly interesting information you
have given" he said. "One more
question. The inevitably corollary Of
your evidence is that the boy now III
the dock has either found meteor or
a meteoric deposit. Can you say II II
IL a matter OF recent occurrenceT
Judging by the appearance OF the
accompanying scraps of iron ore.
should say that they have been quite
In a state of iux from heat.
The slllcates seem to be almost elimi-
mated"
THE magistrate was unquestionably
Queer incidents happen IN
police courts daily. and the most IN
expected scientific and technical points