METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 51 



The dent in the road made by No. 1 had become obliterated, but from the accounts of those who saw it soon after 

 it was made it dipped eastward, and so is in line with the evidence afforded by the other fragments. 



Ward 4 gave a resume of the previous history of the meteorite and described as follows 

 the largest stone: 



The third piece was found near the middle of May, 1903, about 1.75 miles south of the other two pieces, by asquirrel 

 hunter, Jack Pegrim, whose attention was drawn to a scar on a white-oak tree, some 15 feet from the ground. Looking 

 around he found, a few yards farther on at the foot of a larger tree, broken roots and a hole beneath. Searching here, 

 he found the great aerolite buried less than 2 feet, its apex crowded in among the roots, 6ome of which had been cut 

 through by the impact. Two other saplings in this vicinity, respectively about 100 and 300 yards farther east, were 

 broken off by missiles coming from the west, and it is therefore probable that there were several other pieces besides 

 the three here recorded, although search for them has been unsuccessful. * * * All three of the original masses of 

 this aerolite are quite covered with a dense, black crust which is of two degrees, primary and secondary. The primary 

 crust covers the entire surface of mass No 1, two sides of No. 2, and all but one of the sides of No. 3, with the exception 

 of the parts where, as mentioned, pieces have chipped off. These last faces or scars have, indeed, a crust quite covering 

 them, but it is much thinner than the other, and through it appears the texture of the broken surface beneath. These 

 areas of secondary crust attest to a breaking of the stone in the air while it yet had great velocity and while it had 

 still so great distance to fall that there was time for a second crust to form. * * * 



The base of mass No. 3, the largest single surface, has the usual thick crust which characterizes the rear of all well- 

 oriented aerolites. It has been protected from the pitting and furrowing effect of the rushing air, while all the results 

 of melting have remained, not being swept away. On the opposite point or prominence of the front there is (as is 

 usual on this form of aerolites) a very thin crust and bare of all pittings. 



This third mass oi the Bath Furnace is one of the most completely furrowed and definitely oriented aerolites known 

 to science. We know no stone of American fall which equals it in this respect. The furrowing of the front side is most 

 complete. These furrows radiate from the apex in all directions, covering that surface and streaming back upon and 

 over all the sides. 



Farrington 5 gave a further account of the small stone as follows: 



Of the three known stones of this fall, one-half the smallest one, weighing 223 grams, came into the possession of 

 the Field Museum. This individual is of irregular disklike form, of 2J by 1J by f inches dimension. Though its 

 shape indicates that it was a scaling, it was completely incrusted and shows orientation. One of the broad surfaces 

 was plainly the front side, the opposite the rear side. The front side shows lines of flow radiating from an eccentric 

 point. These lines have under the lens the form of ridges of inverted V -shape, gradually branching and tapering out. 

 These ridges are of shining black glass and rise above a dull-black ground. The interior substance of the meteorite is 

 gray, with rusted spots about the metallic grains. It is of sufficiently firm texture to take a good polish. Under (he 

 microscope the crust is seen to be relatively thin, .2 to .3 mm. The zones of Tschermak are indicated, but are by no 

 means well marked. For the most part the crust appears as a black, opaque aggregate bordering the edge of the section, 

 with here and there transparent grains of various sizes seen in polarized light to be unaltered olivine. The remainder 

 of the section appears in ordinary light a confused mass of transparent grains considerably iron stained and interspersed 

 with metallic grains of very irregular but usually elongated shapes. Among these troilite is more numerous than 

 nickel iron. An opaque, black substance also occurs in small quantity connected here and there with the metallic 

 grains. It may be of ferrous or carbonaceous nature. Chondri are but occasionally and imperfectly outlined. In 

 polarized light the chondri can be more readily recognized. They are not numerous, however, the greater part of 

 the section being made up of anhedral grains of various sizes. Chondri where visible are for the most part sharply 

 outlined from the surrounding mass. Those composed of alternate lamellse of olivine and glass are the most common, and 

 next in number are those composed chiefly of fibrous enstatite. Large chondri composed of porphyritic anhedral 

 olivines or of olivine and enstatite also occur. These olivines frequently reach a length of .2 to .3 mm. and have well- 

 defined prismatic outlines. The interstices between the crystals are usually filled with a turbid glass. The outlines 

 of these chondri as a rule are less marked than are those composed of olivine and glass. Most of the chondri have 

 spheroidal outlines, though a few fragmental forms occur. Among the constituents of the general mass, lath-shaped 

 crystals of enstatite .3 to .5 mm. in length, with cleavage parallel to the direction of length, are the most conspicuous. 

 These and the enstatite chondri are sufficiently numerous to indicate a large proportion of this mineral in the constitu- 

 tion of the mass. Besides enstatite, grains of olivine of various sizes and outlines are to be seen in considerable quantity. 

 The meteorite in falling grazed a tree, leaving a scar the observation of which by a squirrel hunter led to the dis- 

 covery of the mass. Erection of a pole connecting the scar and the place of fall of the meteorite seemed to the writer 

 to indicate a nearly vertical direction of fall. Miller, however, estimated the angle to be 77° with the horizon, or 13° 

 from vertical. The large roots of the tree prevented the stone from going deeply into the soil, and it was found resting 

 on them. Considering the weight of the mass and the distance of its fall it is remarkable that it was not shattered by 

 the impact and that the roots on which it fell were not more deeply bruised. 



The large stone, and most of the 13-pound mass, are now in the Ward-Coonley collection. 



