Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-07

he examined its contents with obvious
| interest.
Are you quite sure of their meteorie
| origin, Mr.. Isaacstein?'' he asked.
Yes"
Can you form any estimate of their
proba BILE yalue?'
About fifty thousand pounds"
The reply startled the Magistrate and
it sent thrill through the court.
Really! So much Mr.. Abingdon
was almost scared.
IF, after cutting, they turn out as
well as ! expect, that IS moderate eS-
innate of their worth"
Il take it, from what you say, that
meteoric diamonds are rare"
Isaacstein closed his throat with a
premonitory cough and punched ms
shoulders. A slight wabble was stead.
led by his stumpy hands on the ran on
the witness box. He was really the
greatest living authority on the SUBJECT
and he knew it
Wonderful Stories.
1T is common delusion among dia-
mond miners that diamonds fall from
the skies in meteOric showers, he SAID.
There is some sort Of foundation Tor
this mistaken view, as the stones are
found in volcanic pipes or columns of
!
idea is that gigantic meteOrS teli ana
plowed these deep holes. distributing
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 a diamond in
meteor has equal powers here. In
word what has happened in the outer
universe has also happened at kImber-
ey Iron acts as the solvent during
the period Of creation, so TO speak
| Then. in the lapse of ages, it OXidizeS
by the action OF air or water. and the
diamonds remain
The magistrate nodded
There are particles OF a mineral that
look like iron among these stones ,?
he said.
The question gave Isaacstein time 10
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 Arizona.
Here, on a plain ) miles in diameter.
are scattered thousands of masses OF
metallic iron. varying in weight from a
| half ton to a fraction Of ! ounce. An
enormous mcteOriC shower fell there at
some period, and near the center is a
craterlike hole which suggests the i'm
ract of some very large body which bur
| led itself in the earth. All mineTalOgiStS
| know the place as the Canyon DiabOlO
or Devils GuCh. and specimens OF its
ore are in every collection. Ordinary
| tools were spoiled, and even emery
wheels worn by some hard ingredicEt in
iron. and analysis has revealed the pres
eucC therein Of three distinct forms of
diamOnd-the ordinary stone, like these
now before YOU, both transparent and
.
that is, carbon without crystalIiZat ion.
Il GA Their that the didmdntiferOuS ma
| terial was present in The form Of tiny
particles and not in stones a. all APP
prCa ching these in size said Mr.. Alb
ingdon
Exactly l have never either seen
or heard Of specimens like those. I'm
1886 a meteor fell in Russia, and con
slightly metamorphosed state. In 1916
| 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 well GifuSed.
and of slight commercial value. Sir
William CrookeS, or any eminent chem
list, VIII bear me out in the assumption
that the diamonds now before your eyes
are absolutely matchlesS by the prod
uct of any recorded meteoric source"
IsaacStein, having delivered his lit
tie lecture, looked and felt important
The magistrate bent forward with
picdSdlt Smile.
Il am very much obliged to you for
the highly interesting information you
have given" he said. zone more ques-
tiOn-the inevitable coFolIary of your
evidence is that the boy now in the
dock has either found meteor or a
meteOric deposit Can you say if il is
a matter of recent occurrence
Judging by the appearance of the
accompanying scraps of iron ore. |
should say that they have been quite re-
Gently in state of fluX from heat. The
silicates seem 10 be almost eliminareSh
The magistrate vas unqUestiOnably
puzzled. Queer incidents happen in pc,
lice courts daily. ard the most unex-
pected scientific and technical points are
calculated in the effort to secure an
accurate COMPREHENSION Of matters in
dispute But never, during his long ten
ancy of the court, had lie been called
on to deal with a case of this nature
H smiled in his perplexity.
we all remember the COpybOOk
maxim, Let justice be done though the
heavens IAN " he said but here it is
clearly shown that the ideal is not cas-
lily reached"
OF course. every one laughed. and the
reporters piled pen and pencil with re-
newed activity. Here was a sensation
it demanded in the evening papers
ter of a column, and Philips meteor
again run through space
(To be Continued Next Weekly