METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 493 



material throughout the mass of iron, such as troilite, only in this case its disappearance would be due to decompo- 

 sition rather than erosion. 



This great meteorite has shown itself to be quite unique in the distinct and essentially diverse phenomena which 

 it presents. On the one hand, it offers the most extensive case of aerial erosion helped by fusion. No other meteorite, 

 whether stone or iron, offers such extensive holes and furrows caused by aerial attrition. On the other hand, it affords 

 a case of discrete decomposition due to aqueous causes, far beyond anything ever before noted on these celestial bodies. 



In the presence of these two marks of cosmic power, all other features of the meteorite seem to dwindle. Even 

 its great size loses some of its impressiveness. How great and dazzling and wonderful must have been the illumina- 

 tion within a radius of many hundred miles when this mass fell. With what aerial commotion, explosion, and pyro- 

 technics must it have traversed the atmosphere and with what unearthly screeching sought its final home, "losing 

 itself in the continuous woods where rolls the Oregon." 



The weight of the mass remains to be determined. The mean of several careful computations, based upon num- 

 erous measures of its dimensions, and upon the known specific gravity of the iron, makes the meteorite weigh about 

 27,000 pounds, or 13.5 tons. 



An examination of the etching figures of the iron made by Preston is further reported by- 

 Ward as follows: 



An etched section of the Willamette iron shows it to belong to the octahedral group and to that division (No. 56) 

 which is designated as broad octahedrite (Og). But this structure is somewhat dimmed by numerous small flakes of 

 a very much brighter and more lustrous iron than that of the kamacite blades, and seeming to have no regular or defi- 

 nite form — the largest of them having a diameter of not more than 6 to 7 mm. These plates, at least in part, are 

 apparently hexahedral, as some of the larger ones show Neumann lines on their etched surfaces. The patches of pies- 

 site are decidedly small, but occasionally show the alternating layers of kamacite and plessite formerly known as Lap- 

 ham markings. The taenite lines are plainly visible along the edges of the kamacite plates. There are numerous 

 small troilite nodules from 1 to 3 mm. in size scattered promiscuously throughout the section, and a few rod-shaped 

 ones 1 mm. in width, and in some instances up to 15 mm. in length. The largest troilite nodule found in several sec- 

 tions was 28 mm. in diameter. It incased several small patches of the nickeliferous iron. No schreibersite is appar- 

 ent to the eye, nor would it be expected irom the small amount of phosphorus found in the analysis of the iron. The 

 exterior of the mass in our possession is of a dull reddish-brown color, much oxidized, with a tendency to scale in 

 small flakes. The fractured surface of this iron is much more coarsely granular in structure than that of any other 

 iron with which the present writer is familiar. 



Two analyses of the iron are given by Ward, one (1) by Davison, the other (2) by Whitfield: 



Specific gravity, 7.7. 



Winchell 3 gave an account of a suit regarding the ownership of the meteorite and some of 

 the traditions concerning it as follows: 



It was decided by the Iowa supreme court, in the case of the Winnebago meteorite, that the meteorite belongs to 

 the owner of the land on which it falls. The tenant found the stone and sold it. The owner brought suit to regain it and 

 after some years of litigation and delay the court assigned the meteorite to the owner of the land. 



The Oregon meteorite case is somewhat different. A metallic mass is admitted by both parties to be of meteoric 

 nature and origin, and as such, according to the Iowa decision, it belongs to the owner of the land on which it fell. 

 The date of its fall, however, is unknown and there is evidence tending to show that it was a piece of personal property, 

 separate from the land on which it was found, for many years prior to the date of discovery. The issue and the attendant 

 conditions have been stated as follows by the Oregon Journal: 



The Oregon City meteorite case was argued before the supreme court yesterday. This is an action brought by the 

 Oregon Iron & Steel Company to obtain possession of the metallic meteorite found by Ellis Hughes in November, 1902, 

 on the land of the Oregon Iron & Steel Company, about 2.5 miles west of Oregon City. The interesting subject of this 

 controversy was found standing upright on a slight knoll. It is of metallic composition with a dull, rusty surface, its 

 top or flat surface being gouged out into huge pot holes or washbowls. As it stood it resembled very much in appearance 

 a mammoth mushroom or inverted bell, in size, 7 by 10 feet across at the top and 4.5 feet thick, its weight being esti- 

 mated at from 3 to 4 tons. It has the specific gravity of soft iron, and in composition is 90 per cent soft iron, 10 per cent 

 nickel, with a trace of cobalt. 



nughes alleged that this was an abandoned Indian relic and that he was the first white discoverer of it, and believing 

 he had a right to it he constructed a rude wagon and hauled it to his own home, about J of a mile distant. He alleged 

 that this meteorite was the property of the Clackamas tribe of Indians (now disbanded and nearly all dead), and that 

 they had a tradition that this magic rock, called by them "Tomanowos," came from the moon and possessed super- 

 natural influence. He claimed that it was fashioned, erected, maintained, and used by them to hold the fluid in which 

 they were wont to dip their arrows before engaging in battle with their Indian foes, and that their young warriors were 

 compelled to journey over there and visit this spirit being on the darkest nights. To substantiate these claims two 



