Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-07
STAR JELLY HELD
EARTH SUBSTANCE
Smithsonian Institution Pub
fishes Research Findings
of Late Or. Merrill.
What is "star jelly?

ton of meteors just published by the
Smithsonian Institution. The study
was made by DR.. George P. Merrill, one
of the foremost of American biologists
and probably the worlds foremost au-
tl1ority on meteors, who died last
Summer.
Star jelly is a strange, apparently or
ganic material which is persistently re-
ported to have been found on the sur
face Of the earth after showers of
shooting stars and which some have
tried to identify with the biblical
mamma" which descended upon the
famished Israelites in the desert.
The first instance reported in Amer
lea followed the fall of a meteor at
Amherst, Mass, in 1919. The next
morning upon the spot where the shoot
ing star was observed to strike the
earth an Amherst professor found a
mass of unknown material, about eight
inches in diameter and an inch thick
1t was of a bright buff color, had about
the consistency of soft soap and ex-
uded suffocating and very offensive
odor Shortly afterward it changed to
the color of blood and began to liquefy.
In few days the liquid evaporated,
leaving a small amount of ash-colored
powder without taste or smell.
Insists Material Is FUNGUS.
WllIlOuI tic ODS6INdIlOIlS,
Dr. Merrill insists that the material,
from its chemical behavior, must have
been some queer fungous growth and
holds that it is practically impossible
to conceive of such a delicate substance
being conveyed at enormous speed from
outer space.
similar jellylike substance was re-
ported in the same year in Germany,
where it was examined by eminent
re .k,sr
organic structure could be found and
that the queer jelly could not be either
plant or animal, although it might be
an organic product.
DR.. Merrill refers also to the observa-
tions of Spanish soldier who, while
on sentinel duty at night, would watch
the shooting stars and try to note
where they fell. The next morning he
would go TO the spot and find white,
geletlnouS masses soon dissolved There
Is also recorded the observation of John
Treat, soldier in the Revolutionary
army who found a similar mass in a,
wet meadow where he thought he had
seen shooting star strike the earth.
First Noticed in Spain,
The earliest instance, DR.. Merrill re-
counts, was reported from Spain in
1888 and the material was described as
very light, like sea froth, In Spain
u
In 1875, was found on the ground a
mass having the consistency color and
odor of brown varnish. Near Hessle
In Germany in 1869, following shower
OF meteorlc stones, there was found a
strange coffee-colored material, both in
powder form and in masses, as large
as mans hand. This was analyzed
and found to be about half carbon, the
rest being made up of hydrogen, oXy-
gen, silica, iron oxide, magneSia, lime,
soda and lithia.
In 1860 a French chemist reported
that during a thundershower he saw
issuing from a black cloud a luminous
body, almost white, which remained
visible for a short time and then re-
entered the cloud. But as it disap-
peared there separated from it a small
mass which fell vertically downward.
leaving luminous train, the edges of
which were manifestly luminous, spark
ling globules. The observer was unable
70 recover any of them after they
struck the ground.
Although some of these observations
seem well authenticated, DR.. Merrill
concludes: There would seem to be no
question but that these were in all
cases CT an organic nature and of
terrestrial origin. A large share of these
reported occurrences are doubtless due
70 the observers being mistaken in their |
xoentlf1cation. Within a few months / !
was interviewed by person who brought |
sample Of meteoric material seen to |
fall, which proved to be a fiat. wide |
spreading tungous growth. No amount |
OF argument could convince the finder |
that ne was In error"
Textiles Prove Mystery.
Regarding the origin of small. gem
IKE stones In outer space, Dr. Merrill
textiles, have been found in Australia.
austria and the Malayan Peninsula
Whlle their composition bears little re-
semblance to that of known neteorite
material. if they did not originate in
outer space, nobody knows where they
did come from.
Those found in Australia are bits of
oense, plack glass The Austrian ones
are green, of extremely irregular form
ana CRASHED and pressed in a manner
70 suggest that they may have been.
IN plastic form, subject to maStication
IKE mass Of chewing gum" The
Malayan ones are of dense. OPAQUE.
vari-colored glass and are the most
mysterious of ALL
There can be little doubt, DR.. Merrill
says, that diamonds, or material very
close to diamonds, exist in nneteorites
Carbon with the form and hardness of
diamonds was found in Russian me-
teorite in 1888, and in 1891 Philadelphia
chemist found bits of black material, !
harder than sapphire, and which he be- |
neved TO be diamond. The same ma
terial afterward showed minute, color |
less diamond crystals, of the identified |
ton OF which there could be no ques-
ton.
While many Of the chemical materials
and compounds composing meteorites !
are found in rocks on earth, he points |!
out there are about II substances which |
are practically unknown outside the sky |
stones, although they are combinations |
OF elements which are known in other I
rocks. This indicates that the meteor |
ties must have been formed under far |
uiherent conditions of heat and pres
sure than rocks on earth