Riches From The Skies — Giant Mass, Precious Metals Fell From Sky

1877

Riches From The Skies

THE GIGANTIC MASS THAT FELL IN DIAMOND VALLEY, NEV. — A QUEER STORY

[Eureka, (Nev.) Sentinel.]

About four o'clock on the morning of the 7th of January, an immense body, glowing with intense brilliancy, came rushing across the face of heaven illuminating the earth with the light of day. It traveled in an oblique direction, from the southwest to the northwest, and instantaneously a shock was felt that almost threw the few spectators at that early hour from their feet.

About ten days ago Mr. Wheeler, who cultivates a ranch in Diamond Valley, and who is also in the stock business, came into town and left a most remarkable substance with an assayer. Mr. Wheeler had a smattering of metallurgical knowledge and, it seems, had tested the compound with a blow-pipe and other means within his reach, and detected the presence of the precious metals, but was unable to determine the value.

The piece submitted to the assayer was about as large as a hen's egg, and immediately attracted his attention by its unusual weight and peculiar color, it being of a purplish-black shade, and where it had been broken off the main body presenting a luminated stratification that he failed to recognize. Mr. Wacke expended the whole night in a series of experiments, applying every known test to the article, and detecting the presence of iron, nickel, cadmium, lead, silver, gold, zinc, cobalt, silica and phosphorus. There was also a residuum to each assay, of which Prof. Wacke was unable to determine the properties, but he hopes by the use of the spectroscope to classify it.

A surprising feature of the ore is excessive malleability aud ductility, a small portion of it being reduced by hammering to a fllm not exceeding one-hundredth of an inch in thickness. He has sent a portion of it to the San Francisco Academy of Science, and also to Prof. Silliman of New Haven, and in the meantime is prosecuting his researches. Prof. Wacke has found that the substance will reach $887 in silver and $42 in sold per ton.

The strangest part of the story remains to be told; and, now that Mr. Wheeler has duly recorded his claim and perfected the title, we feel at liberty to disclose the facts. On the morning of the 7th of January, Mr. Wheeler was almost thrown from his bed by a violent shock. Getting up and looking out of the window, he observed at the foot of the mountain an immense mass glowing at a white heat and of intense brightness. Hastily dressing he approached as near as possible, and found that the object lay just at the foot of the Diamond mountain range, but the heat was so great that he could not go within 1,000 yards of the spot.

He kept his own council, and made repeated attempts to reach it, but did not succeed until the 14th instant, when it had cooled sufficiently to allow him to break off the portion brought to town. The main body will measure about sixty feet in height, eighty-seven feet in width, and is 313 feet in length. These are the proportions of the body visible, and it is probable that as much more is imbedded in the earth. Mr. Wheeler calculates that there are at least 2,000,000 tons in sight, and if it will work anywhere near the assay he will extract an immense sum from the mass.

Atmospheric Phenomenon Startles Jersey Folks

1922

Asbury Park, N. J., April 23. — Gaseous odors flashed through space to the south of this place at 9 o'clock tonight, disappearing in a thunderous roar and frightening residents of many coast towns.

Window panes in residences at Toms river were shattered by the explosion and the gas, polluting the atmosphere for more than a quarter of an hour, compelled the residents to hold dampened handkerchiefs to their nostrils.

In Lakehurst, many of the buildings were shaken, as if by an earthquake, but the gas was not noticed.

A party led by two town officials has set out for the spot at which the meteor fell. It is believed the spot is near Brown's-Mill-in-the-Pines, a village 30 miles from here.

The atmospheric phenomenon, according to many of the persons who witnessed it, lasted for about a minute. But a tiny streak of light at first, it became beautifully colored as it neared earth and at times it seemed to halt momentarily in space, adopted a new course, and then zig-zagged back again, witnesses declared.

The meteor fell in the sea, about a mile off shore at Seaside Park, 35 miles south of here, it is reported.

The celestial mass, as it struck the water, caused an explosion that shook the residences of the village and threw spray to a great height, residents say. Volumes of steam then arose and, drifting ashore, nauseated many.

Members of two coast guard companies say they believe the phenomenon was caused by a large explosive rocket. No trace of a giant rocket could be found, however.

—Oneonta Daily Star, Oneonta, New York, April 24, 1922, page 1.