Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-30
METEOR|TES EXHIBITED
AT NATIONAL MUSEUM
i "'
Abstract Of Catalogue on Subject,
Written by DR.. George P. Mer-
rill. Describes Wonders.

In considering the wonders of the
universe. have you ever realized how
conspicuous among them are the me-
tecrites, those wonderful messages,
dropped from the sky. for one to Won
der at and study? They are the only
material objects which come to the
earth from the vast outer world.
In the collection shown in the new
building OF the National Meseum III
this city is a remarkably fine exhibit Of
meteori:es. 1t includes complete me-
teorites ranging in size from the mere
est pebbles to great bowlderlike
masses, and casts reproducing giant
forms like that of Bacubirito, which
has been estimated to weigh twenty
five tons, and still rests where it fell
in Mexico.
The National Museum has recently Is
sued handbook and descriptive cata-
logue of the meteorite collection IN
the museum, written by DIR. George +.
Merrill. head curator of geology, from
which the following is an abstract:
Worshiped in Some Places.
Although meteorites have presum-
ably fallen since time immemorial.
great uedl VI Sheptltisii W a. hNAS -
first by both the popular and scientific
minds regarding the possibilities OF
stones falling from space. So great
was this skepticism that the exam
pies preserved in the public museums
were once hidden or discarded, the
custodians fearing to make Laughing
stocks of themselves. In the few early
recorded cases where meteorltes seen
to fall were recoyered they were re-
garded as objects of reverence and
worship. A stone which fell in ancient
Phrygia, in Asia Minor, about zoo years
before Christ, was worshlped as CyDele'
the mother of the gods. Another, Wnlch
dates back to the seventh century, is
still preserved at Mecca, where 1t is
built into the northeast corner OF tne
Karaba and revered as one of the holl-
est of relics The great CaSaS Grandes
iron weighing about 5000 pounds, now
in the national collections at Washing
ton. was found in an ancient Mexican
ruin, swathed with mummy cloths IN
a manner to indicate that 1T was heid
in more than ordinary veneratlon by
the prehistoric inhabitants
The earliest known undoubted meteor
ties still preserved are those OF FL
bogen. Bohemia, and Ensisheim, Upper
Alsace Germany, the first mentioned
is iron. the second a stone
Occurrences so well authenticated
should have gone a long way towara
convincing the scientific world, at
least, but such was not the case, ana
as late as 1772 committee presented
to the French Academy report OF
the examination of stone seen 10 iaii
at Luce four years previously, which
It asserted was but an ordinary
rock that had been struck by light
ming.
Accompanied by Noise.
The fall of meteorite is usually ac-
companied by noises variously describ-
ba of r0nSketrY.
cannonading or even thunder. If the
fall takes place during the periods OF
darkness it is also accompanied by a
fash of light and followed by lumi-
nous rocket-like trail. These phenomena
are due to the rapid passage OF the
objects through the air. and con-
sequent rise in temperature, sufhcient
to produce fusion of the outer sur
face and even ignition. thus giving
rise to the thin, dark, glass-like crust
which is found to- cover all stony
meteorites: The time OF passage
through the atmosphere is, however,
too short to permit the heat to pene-
trate to great depths. and nearly all
meteorites are quite cool, or scarcely
warm. on reaching the surface OF the
Temperature and pressure OF the at.
mospnere that the breaking up OF
a meteorite and it's reaching the ground
as shower of fragments rather thah
a single individual is due.
There is little to guide one IN est
mating the speed at which meteorite
reaches the earth and its consequent
power of penetration The Veloclties
as given by various observers vary
between two and forty-five miles
second. The greatest recorded depth
of penetration of a meteoric stone
is that of knyahinya, Hungary, where
a 660-pound stone penetrated to
depth of eleven feet. On the other
hand still heavier masses have been
found under such conditions as to LEAD
one TO infer that they scarcely buried
themselves.
All statements relative to the tenn
perature of meteorites Immediately
after reaching the ground must be &C
copied guardedly, owing to their ex-
trernely contradictory character. Some
stones which fell in Syria in 1859 are
stated to have remained I'm state or
incandescence for more than five sec
onds and for a quarter of an hour
were too hot to be handled. On the
other hand. the Dhurmsala stone is
said to have been intensely cold when
picked up Immediately after falling.
Some Persons Struck.
The possibility of human beings and
animals being struck by these falling
bodies has been discussed, and several