394 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, VOL. XIII. 



The present color of the mass is a dull reddish brown, with patches of brighter iron showing here and there. By 

 slicing the mass into a number of sections, the surfaces of which are about 1 foot by 1 foot, 4 inches in diameter, there 

 were revealed troilite nodules, few in number and of small size (from 4 to 9 mm. in diameter), but which lacked the 

 border of schreibersite that so prominently surrounds these nodules in the majority of irons. 



The Widmannstatten figures are brought out by etching sharp and clear, and are of very even size and character 

 throughout the entire mass. They are typically octahedral. On the numerous plessite patches the alternating tsenite 

 and kamacite blades (Laphamite markings) are well developed, the tfenite standing out prominently in relief. The 

 chemical composition of this meteorite has been determined by J. Edward Whitfield. His analysis is as follows: 

 Fe Ni Co Si P O C Specific gravity 



91.58 7.98 0.29 0.023 0.20 trace none =100.073 7.756 



The main part of this great mass, weighing 106.56 kgs., has taken its final position in the Ward-Coonley Meteorite 

 Collection now on deposit in the American Museum of Natural History, New York City. 



Cohen 2 described the structure of the iron as follows : 



In the sections before me the lamella? are long, straight, much granulated, slightly puffy, and seldom, and then only, 

 slightly bunched, tsenite borders slightly prominent, fieldss ubordinate and indistinct. The kamacite has a twofold 

 structure. In one portion of the bands it shows distinct and sharp hatching and a few etching pits; the oriented luster 

 is lively, and the isolated, unusually large etching pits attain a diameter of 0.015 mm.; then, upon greater enlargement, 

 there often appears an irregular dark veining, which I consider to be etching rills. In other bands the pittings and 

 questionable etching grooves are more numerous, and there also appear black dustlike particles which finally, especially 

 in the central portion, hold the field alone. The bands are dull and dark colored, but under the microscope brighter 

 line systems are visible, which seem to be half-covered etching lines. Frequently there is a smaller border of this second 

 group composed of bright and glistening bands, since there are no dark inclusions and only isolated pittings here. The 

 plessite is composed of small lamellae of exceedingly various and irregular forms. These show the same structure as the 

 principal lamellae; that is, they are very granular and are in places free from the above-mentioned dustlike inclusions, 

 while again some places are filled with them, indeed, these occasionally increase to such an extent that the entire field 

 seems comparatively dark, except for a few small, isolated shiny places. Minor constituents were wanting entirely from 

 the sections examined. 



Characteristic for St. Genevieve is the alternation of dull and brightly glistening bands, plessite corresponding 

 with these bands and therefore but slightly prominent, and the occasionally smooth outer zone of kamacite, which 

 lends to the etching surface, in certain positions with reference to direct light, an irregular appearance. Not all of 

 these phenomena appear with equal distinctness upon all section surfaces. 



The principal portion of the meteorite is in the Ward-Coonley collection. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



1. 1901: Ward. The St. Genevieve meteorite: Proc. Rochester Acad. Sci., vol. 4, pp. 65-66. (With plates.) 



2. 1905: Cohen. Meteoritenkunde, Heft 3, pp. 372-374. 



Salem. See Smithland. 



SALINE. 



Saline township, Sheridan County, Kansas. 



Latitude 39° 22' N., longitude 100° 29' W. 



Stone. Crystalline spherulitic chondrite (Cck) of Brezina. 



Fell 9.30 p. m., November 15, 1898; found, fall of 1901; described, 1902. 



Weight, 31 kgs. (68 lbs.) 



This meteorite was first described by Farrington, 1 as follows: 



The Field Columbian Museum has recently received a meteorite seen to fall in Saline township, Sheridan County, 

 Kansas. The chief observer of the fall was Mr. S. A. Sutton, of Hoxie, Kansas, and he was also the finder of the mass. 

 The fall took place November 15, 1898, at about 9.30 p. m., the circumstances being thus described by Mr. Sutton: 

 On the date mentioned he was about to retire for the night when a great light seemed to flash in his house accompanied 

 by a rushing noise. He supposed a large lamp in an adjoining room was exploding, but on hurrying to the room 

 saw instead a great fiery mass passing the window near him. Its path was nearly horizontal and the direction of motion 

 northwesterly. The light given off was white and intense like that of an electric light, and a fiery trail several hundred 

 feet long with sparks of various colors followed in its wake. The whole made a beautiful as well as awe-inspiring spec- 

 tacle. The light was so intense as to illuminate the entire house and was noticed by other members of the family besides 

 Mr. Sutton. 



