Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-04

If, after cutting, they turn out as well as I expect, that is moderate estimate of their worth"
 q take it. from what you say. that meteoric diamonds are rareg
 Isaacstein closed his throat with a premonitory cough and punched up his shoulders. A slight wnbble was steadied by his stumpy hands on the rail of the witness box. He was really the greatest living authority on the subject, and he knew 1t.
 Ut 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 it in space, so that the same process of manufacture under high temperature and at great pressure which creates diamond in a meteor has equal powers here. In a word, what has happened in the outer universe has also happened at Kimber- ley. Iron acts as the solvent during the period of creation, so to speak. Then in the lapse of ages 1t oxidizes by the action of air or water and the diamonds remain"
 The magistrate nodded.
 "There are particles of mineral that looks like iron among these stonesY' he said.
 The question gave Isaacstein time to draw a fresh supply of breath. Sure of his audience now, he proceeded more slowly.
 '.That is a certain proof of a meteoric source. A striking confirmation of the fact is supplied by district In Ari- zona. Here. on plain five miles in diameter, are scattered thousands of masses of metallic iron varying in weight from half ton to fraction of enc ounce. An enormous meteoric shower fell there at some period, and near the center Is a crater-like hole which suggests the impact of some very large body which buried itself in the earth. All mineralogists know the place as the Canyon Diabolo, or Dev- il's gulch. and specimens of its ore ars in every collection. Ordinary tools were spoiled and even emery wheels worn by some hard ingredient in the iron, and analysis has revealed the presence therein of three distinct forms of diamond-the ordinary stone, like those now before you, both transpar- ent and black graphite and amorphous carbon-that is, carbon without crys- utilization"
 q gather that the diamantiferous material was present in the form of tiny particles and not in stones at all approaching these in size" said Mir. Abingdon.
 Exactly. have never either seen or heard of specimens like those. In 1886 a meteor fell in Russia and con tained per cent of diamond In slightly memmorphosed state. In 1S48 the Ava meteorite fell in Hungary, and it held crystalline graphite In the bright as well as the dark form. But again, the distribution was we'll diff 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 meteoric source"
 Isaacstein, having delivered his little lecture, looked and felt important. The magistrate bent forward, with pleasant smile.
 T am very much obliged to you for the highly interesting information you have given" he said. "One more question. The inevitably corollary of your evidence is that the boy now in the dock has either found a meteor or a meteoric deposit. Can you say if 1t Is a matter of recent occurrenceT
 Judging by the appearance of the accompanying scraps of iron ore. l should say that they have been quite recently in a state of Aux from heat. The sillcates seem to be almost elimi- mated"
 The magistrate was unquestionably puzzled. Queer incidents happen in police courts daily. and the most un- expected scientific and technical points are elucidated in the effort to secure an accurate comprehension of matters in dispute. But never during bis long tenancy of the court had he been called on 10 deal with q case of this nature. He smiled in bis perplexity.
 We all remember the copybook maxim. Let justice be done though the heavens fall.'" be said. but here 1t Is clearly shown that the ideal Is not easily reached"
 Of course every one laughed, and the reporters piled pen and pencil with re newed activity. Here vas a sensation with a vengeance-worth all the dis play it demanded In the evening pa- pers. Headlines would whoop through a quarter of q column. and Philips meteor again run through space.
 The boy himself was apparently the most dIsinterested person present. While listening to Isaacstein- he again experienced the odd sensation of alOof- ness. of lofty domination. amid com monplace and insignificant environ