HUNTINGTON. — SMITH VILLE METEORIC IRON. 251 



XII. 



CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE CHEMICAL LABORATORY OF 



HARVARD COLLEGE. 



THE SMITHVILLE METEORIC IRON. 



By Oliver Whipple Huntington, Ph. D. 



Presented February 14, 1894. 



In the early part of last summer Mr. Herman Meyer sold three 

 new masses of meteoric iron from Smithville, De Kalb County, 

 Tennessee, to Professor Ward, of Rochester, New York. After the 

 largest mass had been sawed into slices these were kindly sent by 

 Professor Ward to the writer for examination, and with it was sent 

 the following letter describing the find : — 



Smithville, De Kalb Co., Tennessee. 



Three siderites, weighing about seven, fifteen, and sixty -five pounds each. 



In November, 1892, Mr. John D. Whaley ploughed up the medium-sized 

 meteorite. In a few days thereafter Mr. Berry Cantrell on the adjoining 

 farm of James Beckwith ploughed up the large one at about two hundred 

 feet distance from the first. These meteorites were carefully kept in the 

 families of the respective finders. During December, after diligent search 

 of some weeks, the third meteorite and the smallest was discovered and 

 kept in the family of J. D. Whaley. On February 25, 1893, 1 obtained the 

 medium-sized meteorite, and asked for thorough search of all their fields 

 during the spring ploughing. This was done. Several pits were dug cov- 

 ering nearly the entire space of three hundred feet in all directions from 

 the spots where the siderites had been found. The ground was looked 

 over after each rain, and I myself looked over the ground well on two 

 occasions, and no piece was found. Only after being sure the three pieces 

 were all that fell did I announce the meteorites to the public, which I did, 

 after purchasing the other two, on July 12. 



The spot where found is three eighths of a mile south from Smithville 

 and Lebanon Pike, two miles from Smithville, and on extreme south- 

 west field of J. D. Whaley and adjoining field of James Beckwith. I 

 satisfied myself that the meteorites were original and distinct, and that 

 all was as represented. Since in my possession they have been strictly 



guarded. 



Herman Meyer, 



August 18, 1893. Cashier Bank of Carthage, Tennessee. 



