Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1916-09-29
GIFTS FROM SPACE
Wonderful Meteorites That Drop
to Us Out of the SKY.
ONCE REGARDED AS SACRED.

l ~ AAfE -af y tNH~f
iects Of Reverence ard Worsaip.
as Is the Famous stone at Mecca To
day-Thsir Fiery Flight 20 Earth.
In considering The wonders III tire
universe have you ever realized how
conspicuous among them are tie ne-
tcorites. those wonderful messages
dropped from the sky for Us - wonder
a, and study: They are the only ma
icrial objects which come 70 the earth
from the vast outer world
Among the collections shown In the
National museum at Washington IS
remarkably fine exhibit Of meteorites.
II includes complete meteorites rang
ing in size from the merest pebbles to
great bowlder-like masses and casts re-
producing giant forms Ike that Of Ba-
cubirito. which has been estimated to
weigh twenty-five tons and still rests
where it fell in Mexico.
The National museum has issued
handbook and descriptive catalogue OF
the meteorite collections in the mu-
scum. written by DR.. George P. Mer-
rill. head curator Of geology. from
which the following IS an abstract:
Although meteorites presumably have
fallen since time immemorial. skep-
ticism was felt at first by both the
popular and scientific minds regarding
the possibilities Of stones falling from
snaca In the few early recorded cases
where meteorites seen TO fall were re-
covered they were regarded as objects
Of reverence and worship A stone
which fell in ancient Phrygia. in Asia
Minor. about 200 years before Christ
was worshiped as Cybele, the mother
of the gods Another. which dates
back to the setenth century. is still
preserved at Mecca. where il Is built
into the northeast corner OF the Ka'a-
ba and reveref as one Of the hottest or
relics. The great Casas Grandes iron.
weighing about 1000 pounds. now IN
the national collection at Washington.
was found in an ancient Mexican ruin
swathed in mummy clothes in a man
ner to indicate that IL was held in
more than ordinary veneration by the
prehistoric Inhabitants.
The earliest known mdoubted me
still preserved are those Of
EIbogen. Bohemia and Ensisheim. Up
per Alsace. The first mentioned is
iron. the second a stone. The iron was
found somewhere about the year 400
of our era. The Ensisheim stone. seen
to fan on Nov. IS. 1892, about the time
Columbus made his discoveries. was
with a loud crash Ike
Portions Of this stone are TO
be seen in the National museum ex-
hibit.
The fall Of a meteorite IS usually &C
companied by noises variously describ-
ed as resembling the FIRE Of musketry.
or even thunder. II the
fall takes place dutng the periods Of
darkness it is also accompanied BY
fash Of light and followed By a lumi-
nous rocket-like trail These pbenome- +
IA are due TO the rapid passage OF the
objects through the air and q conse- {
Quent rise in temperature. sufficient 10
produce fusion Of the outer surface
and even ignition. thus giving rise to
the thin, dark. glasslike crust which
Is found 10 cover all stony meteortes- P
The time OF passage through the at
is. however. too short to per .
nit the heat TO penetrate to great
depths. and nearly all meteorites are (
quite cool. or scarcely warm. on reach .
ng the surface of the ground. 1t is +
70 the sudden rise in temperature and .
pressure Of the atmosphere that the .
breaking IN OF a meteorite aud its
the ground IS a shower OF .
fragments rather than q single individ-
Ial are due
We have little 10 guide Us in estimat-
ne the speed at which q meteortte .
caches the earth and ITS consequent +
,ower Of penetration. The velocities ,
Is given By various observers vary Be +
ween two and fortv-dve miles q sec
md The greatest recorded depth Of
Of a mete0ric stone IS that
II Knyahinya. Hungary. whore a GEO
,ound stone penetrated 70 depth of
.leveu feet On the other hand. stil
lea Ter MISSES Las = Nrt-l t"AA--tA -------t
uch conditions IS 20 toad one 70 infer
hat they scarcely buried themselves
al statements relative IN the temper
ture OF meteorites Immediately after
eaching the ground must be accepted
owing to their extremely
character. some stones
which fell in Styria In 1859 IRE stated
o have remained In q state Of incan-
escence for ever Eve seconds and for
quarter Of an hour were TOO hot 90
e banded On the other hand. the
stone is said TO have been
Intensely Geld when picked UP immedi-
tely after falling.
The largest known wcteoric mass is
hat brought by4 Commander Pecry
rom Cape York. Greenland Ii weiga-
d 72.0oo pounds The next LARGEST
rs iu TIE plain near Bacubirito, I'm
fexico. snd hes beeu estimated 60
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