METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 469 



inhabited nature of the country. It was brought to my attention only a few months ago by one living in a region not 

 far from where it fell. He sent me a small fragment which had been presented to him, and so identical was it in its 

 appearance to the Meno meteorite that fell in 1S61, that, not having heard of any fall at the period when this was said 

 to have been found, I considered it at first a fragment of that rare meteorite which had found its way to that part of 

 the country. But on further inquiry and search I was soon satisfied that it was a piece of an undescribed meteorite; I 

 have designated it as the Claywater meteorite. The following is the account I have been able to gather in relation to 

 its fall: 



In Vernon County, State of Wisconsin, about latitude 43° Z& N., longitude 91° 10 7 W., at 9 on the morning of 

 March 25, 1865, a body was seen by several persons passing rapidly through the atmosphere, accompanied with a loud 

 rumbling noise. It was luminous and showed flashes of light. Its course was from northwest to southeast, and it 

 exploded at a supposed altitude of 4 miles. At the time that the small fragments were thrown off from the main body 

 a noise like the rolling of musketry was heard. The main body seemed to have a rotary motion, making about one 

 revolution in two seconds of time. 



The observer from whom the above facts were obtained thinks that the main body did not fall but passed into 

 space. 



No fragments were found until about 5 days after the fall, when two were discovered weighing 1,500 grams. The 

 curves of the surfaces of these fragments would indicate that they pertained to a mass havingTa diameter of about 30 cm. 

 No data were obtained from which to calculate its velocity, but the observer already referred to says that it was variously 

 estimated at from 15 to 25 miles per second. Of the two fragments that fell one has been lost or destroyed, the other 

 has been placed in my possession by Mr. Claywater, who made the observations already recorded and to whom we are 

 indebted for the preservation of what we have of this interesting meteorite, for it differs in its physical aspects from 

 any yet observed in this country. The fragment in my possession and which is all that has been recovered from this 

 fall weighed 700 grams; about one-third of the surface was covered with a thick dull black crust; the fractured surfaces 

 are quite granular, and its structure porous; it belongs to the hard variety of meteoric stones. Examined with a glass 

 the grains are of a dirty-green color with a greasy aspect, and in some places have a globular structure. Particles of 

 iron are disseminated abundantly through the mass, and particles of troilite are also visible. Its specific gravity is 

 3.66 and it is composed of — 



Stony matter 78. 33 



Metallic particles 17. 07 



Troilite 4. 60 



100. 00 

 The stony matter treated with aqua-regia furnished — 



Soluble matter 47. 20 



Insoluble matter 52. 80 



100. 00 

 The composition of these two portions are : 



Soluble Insoluble 



Silica 32. 55 57. 41 



Protoxide of iron 30.40 9.50 



Alumina trace 4.00 



Magnesia 35.80 22. SO 



Lime 3. 70 



Soda 60 2.01 



99. 35 99. 42 



The metallic particles, completely separated from the stony portion are composed of — 



Iron 92. 15 



Nickel 7. 37 



Cobalt 28 



Copper 



99.80 



Phosphorus (minute, not estimated). 



In regarding the above analysis it is very evident that the meteorite is — 



Bronzite, with probably a little anorthite 41. 35 



Hyalosiderite (olivine) 36. 98 



Nickeliferous iron 17. 07 



Troilite 4. 60 



By Brezina 2 the meteorite was classified in 1885 as a crystalline chondrite, and in 1895 as 

 a veined crystalline chondrite with Pipe Creek. No further study of the meteorite seems to 

 have been made. 



It is distributed, the Harvard University collection having the largest amount — 200 grams. 



