122 Field Columbian Museum — Geology, Vol. III. 



« 

 be able to find a number of these the next morning, but on searching 

 succeeded in discovering only one. 



Mr. McDonald heard sounds like the firing of a machine gun, and a 

 few days later found a small stone about ioo feet from his house. 



Mr. J. K. Freed heard sounds like those of a machine gun. 



Inhabitants of Scott, about four miles east of the place of fall, gen- 

 erally described the sounds as like those of a wagon traveling over a 

 bridge. 



An account of the occurrence published in the local paper, the 

 Scott County Chronicle, Sept. 8, 1905, six days after the fall, was as 

 follows : 



" Last .Saturday night about 10 o'clock a remarkably bright meteor 

 was seen in the heavens west from this city. It was almost as light as 

 day. The explosion occurred in the vicinity of Modoc and was heard 

 clear across the county. T. D. Marshall had a piece of the meteor in 

 town Wednesday which he found near his house, which is black on the 

 outside and gray on the inside, and is heavily charged with metal 

 indicating silver and gold. It is reported that W. E. Curtis and a 

 man named Pence have found pieces that show that the remnants 

 were scattered over several miles of territory. Mr. Marshall says 

 the commotion in his territory was simply terrifying." 



Under Modoc items an account was given in the same paper as fol- 

 lows : 



"Last Saturday night about 9 o'clock a meteor passed over this 

 locality. It was followed by a roar that sounded like thunder. It 

 probably bursted, as fragments were heard falling by several persons 

 and T. D. Marshall and W. E. Curtis each found one. The parts found 

 were dark lead color, almost black, and give a metallic sound when 

 struck. They are checked by small cracks indicating an extremely 

 heated condition while passing 'through the air. They weigh but a 

 few ounces, yet are prized by the finders as they probably represent 

 part of some planet far away, and have traveled for millions of miles 

 through space before finding a resting place on Earth." 



The difference in time of these two accounts is accounted for by the 

 fact that in Modoc, Mountain time is used, but in Scott, Central time. 



The area over which the meteoric stones were found was one about 

 seven miles by two, the longer distance extending east and west. The 

 region is a rolling prairie, rather thinly inhabited. Much of the area has 

 never been plowed. The native sod, or "buffalo sod," as it is often 

 called, proved comparatively impenetrable to the stones which fell 

 upon it. A slight indentation in the sod showed plainly where a stone 

 weighing 7 pounds, found by the writer, had struck. The ground also 



