The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-21
The KING of :
DIAMONDS.
By Louis Tracy,

Author OF "Winss of the Morning. THE Pillar OF
Light" Etc.


estimate Of their worth"
II take it, ron what you a that
meteoric diamonds are rare|
Isaacstein closed his throat with q
premonitory cough and punched up
his shoulders. A slight wabble 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.
1T 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, n 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 hat 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 a 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 a mineral
that looks like iron among these
~stones?' 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 a district in Ari-
IONA. Here, on a plain five miles in
diameter, are scattered thousands of
weight from half a ton to a fraction of
n ounce. An enormous meteoric
shower fell there at some period, and
near the center is q 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 Dew
lis gulch, and specimens of its ore are
in every collection. Ordinary tools
were spoiled and wen 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-
t~alliZation."
"I gather that the diamantiferous
material was present in the form of
tiny particles and not in one at all
approaching these in size ?" said Mr..
Abingdon.
Exactly. I have never either seen
or heard of specimens like those. In
1886 a meteor fell in Russia nj con
tanned l per cen of diamond in a
slightly metamorphosed state. In 1916
the Ava meteorite fell in Hungary,
aad it held crystalline graphite IN the
bright as well as the dark form. But,
! again, the distribution was well 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 m magistrate bent forward, with q
pleasant smile.
81 am very much obliged to you for
the highly interesting information you
have given" he said. Zone more
question. The inevitably corollary OF
your evidence is that the boy now in
the dock has either found a meteor OF
a meteoric deposit. Can you say If il
is a matter of recent occurrenceT
Judging by the appearance Of the
accompanying scraps Of iron ore. ]
should say that they have zen quite
recently in a state Of fux from heat
The silicates seem to be almost elimi
mated"
The magistrate was unquestionably
puzzled. Queer incidents happen II
police courts daily, and the most un
expected scientific and technical points
are elucidated in the effort to secur
an accurate comprehension of matters
in dispute. But never during his Ions
tenancy OF the court had he been called
on to deal with a case of this nature
He smiled in his perplexity.
I'VE all remember the copybool
maxim, Let justice be done though
the heavens fall" he said, but here
it is clearly shown that the ideal is no
easily reached"
OF course every n laughed, and thu
reporters piled pen and pencil with re
newed activity. Here was a sensation
with a vengeance-worth all the dis
play it demanded In the evening pa
pers. Headlines would whoop through
a quarter of a column, and Philip!
meteor again run through space.
The boy himself was apparently thu
most disinterested person present
While listening to Isaacstein, he again
experienced the odd sensation of aloof
ness. Of lofty domination, amid a com
monplace and insignificant environ
ment. The man was clever, of course
but his cleyerness was that Of the text
book. n dry record of fact which need