THE SHAKPS METEORITE, RICHMOND COUNTY, 



VIRGINIA.^ 



By Thomas L. Watson, 

 Of the University of Virginia. 



The meteoric stone described below was received by the writer 

 from Prof. Donald W. Davis, of the College of William and Mary, 

 Williamsburg, Virginia, to whom he is indebted for the privilege of 

 describing it. He is also indebted to Professor Davis for the in- 

 formation relative to the fall of the stone. Through the courtesy of 

 Dr. George P. Merrill, of the United States National Museum, Wash- 

 ington, D. C., the meteorite was photographed, three casts made of 

 it, and the stone sliced into three parts, one portion and cast each 

 being sent to Professor Davis, the other two casts and portions being 

 -deposited in the collections of the United States National Museum 

 and the University of Virginia. 



According to information furnished by Professor Davis, the stone 

 is reported to have fallen April 1, 1921, on the farm of F. W. Motley, 

 a resident of Sharps, Richmond County, Virginia. Its fall was 

 observed by Grant Yates, a colored resident of Sharps, who was 

 working at the time in a field on the Motley farm. It is reported 

 that Yates's attention was attracted by a whirring sound or noise 

 which he could not account for and which badly frightened him 

 but, on looking up, he observed " a falling body followed by a small 

 tail of fire." The stone fell about 90 meters (100 yards) from Yates 

 in ploughed ground and, according to his statement, was buried to 

 a depth of 38 centimeters (15 inches). When he dug it up, it is 

 reported to have " smelled strongly of brimstone." It will be 

 known as the Sharps meteorite, and is the second stone thus far 

 found within the State. 



The total weight of the stone as received was 1,265 grams or about 

 3.4 pounds (troy) ; the specific gravity as determined on the entire 

 mass was 3.53. The shape of the stone is shown in Plate 1, Figure 

 2. The dimensions are approximately 11.5, 7.5, and 6.5 cm. It is 

 bounded by eight irregular, smooth faces of unequal size, which meet 

 in edges that are well rounded. Three of the faces adjacent to each 



1 For the photographs produced as Plate 1, fig. 1, and Plate 2, figs. 1 and 2, the 

 writer is indebted to the United States Geological Survey, and Plate 1, flg. 2, to the 

 United States National Museum. 



No. 2492.— Proceedings U. S. National Museum. Vol. 64. Art. 2. 



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