METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 423 



STAUNTON. 



Augusta County, Virginia. 



Here also Augusta County. 



Latitude 38° 14' N., longitude 79° 1" W. 



Iron. Medium octahedrite (Om), of Brezina; Caillite (type 18), of Meunier. 



Found 1858 or 1859; described 1871. 



Weight, 121,614 grams (270 lbs.), divided among six masses which have the following weights: 

 No. 1, 25,429 grams; No. 2, 16,441 grams; No. 3, 1,644 grams; No. 4, 68,950 grams; No. 5, 

 not stated, but dimensions indicate about 2,000 grams; and No. 6, 7,150 grams. Brezina 10 

 separated the fourth mass, found in 1858 and described in 1878, from the remaining masses 

 on account of its differences of structure. In his statement, however, that it is from an 

 unknown locality, he is not corroborated by the original description. 



The first three masses of this iron were described by Mallet, 1 as follows : 



Nearly two years ago I learned that a lump of iron, which, from the description given of it, I supposed to be 

 meteoric, had been turned up by the plow in Augusta County, in this State, and soon afterwards I obtained possession 

 of this specimen by the kind assistance of Hon. J. B. Baldwin, of Staunton. It proved to be beyond question a 

 meteorite, weighing about 56 pounds. A few months later I saw at the annual fair of the State Agricultural Society, 

 in Richmond, a second mass of smaller size, weighing about 36 pounds, which had come from the same county and 

 was exhibited along with some iron ores by Maj. Jed Hotchkiss, of Staunton. Learning from me that I was about to 

 examine and analyze my own specimen, and was anxious to compare it with the other found in the same part of the 

 country, Maj. Hotchkiss was obliging enough to lend me the latter and to permit me to cut off enough for analysis. 



Quite recently, he has placed in my hands a third specimen, also from Augusta County, weighing but about 3.5 

 pounds. I shall speak of these three masses as No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, in the order in which they are mentioned 

 above, No. 1 being ni}' own specimen and Nos. 2 and 3 those of Maj. Hotchkiss. 



All three present quite the same general appearance. They are of a very irregular pear Bhape, one end of each 

 mass being larger and more rounded than the other. The smaller end of each is somewhat flattened, but by concave 

 surfaces, in one direction. No. 1 was more massive and rounded than the others; No. 2 was the most flattened, hav- 

 ing some rude resemblance in shape to a shoulder of mutton. The dimensions of the masses before cutting were aa 



follows: 



No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. 



Maximum length 28 cm. 27 cm. 11 cm. 



Maximum width, at large end 21cm. 10 cm. 9 cm. 



Maximum width, at small end 17 cm. 19 cm. 5 cm. 



Maximum thickness, at large end 13 cm. 13 cm. 8 cm. 



Maximum thickness, at small end 11cm. 5 cm. 3 cm. 



The exact weights before cutting were: No. 1, 25,429 grams; No. 2, 16,441 grams; No. 3, 1,644 grams; the masses 

 being entire, nothing having been previously detached from any one of them. 



The surface of each of the masses is rough and irregular. At some points, which have been rubbed, the iron 

 exhibits its metallic luster, and traces of its crystalline character may be observed, but nearly the whole surface is 

 covered with a dark-brown crust, consisting essentially of hydrated ferric oxide, which varies from about an eighth 

 to a third of an inch in thickness. This crust is hard and pretty firmly adherent. On exposure to moist air a rusty 

 liquid exudes in drops from numerous points on the surface, and in this watery liquid, chlorine, iron (chiefly as fer- 

 rous chloride), and nickel were detected. The masses are, of course, magnetic, and on examination give evidence of 

 feeble magnetic polarity, with multiple poles. 



The union of hardness and toughness in the iron makes it quite difficult to cut, and in attempting to obtain, with 

 the planing machine, a slice of considerable size the ordinary cutting tools were blunted and broken. It was found 

 necessary to drill a row of holes and connect these by a cut made with the planer. 



The specific gravity was taken for Nos. 1 and 2 with solid pieces of about 140 grams and 0.95 grams, respectively, 

 cut from the interior of the masses, and for No. 3 with about 10 grams of clean shavings (from the planer) in a spe- 

 cific-gravity bottle. The results were: 



No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 



Specific gravity at 15° C 7.853 7.855 7.839 



The interior structure of the iron is compact and highly crystalline, of much the same general character throughout, 

 but a few small grains and streaks of a brownish-yellow mineral were noticed, which on being picked out and examined 

 proved to be troilite. There are, however, minute fissures running through several portions of the metal. 



Traces of the Widmannstatten figures may be detected upon a polished surface even without the aid of acid, and 

 when the iron has been etched by nitric acid the markings are exceedingly beautiful and distinct. The general appear- 

 ance is a good deal like that of the iron from Lenarto in Hungary and some of the Mexican specimens. In the mass 



