WILLAMETTE METEORITE. 



139 



coming spring, but it may likely be delayed. Public opinion is divided 

 as to the probable outcome ; but sympathy lies mainly with Hughes, 

 the finder of the mass, and the only man recorded in common life or 

 among scientific collectors as having run away with a 14-ton meteorite. 

 The newspapers of our country had for several months of the 

 past autumn and winter noted this Oregon meteorite in a desultory 

 manner, but their stories seemed exaggerated, and were not generally 

 credited. In February I decided to visit the distant locality and 

 investigate the matter. A four days' railroad trip put me upon the 

 ground. To make my further description more clear I must say that 

 before my arrival Mr. Hughes had unloaded his car, tipping off the 

 great meteorite over upon its side. Thus the first three cuts in this 

 present article are from photographs which were taken when the 

 meteorite was in its vertical position, still standing upon the car. I have 

 every reason to believe that they were accurate in every way. Not- 

 withstanding every favor extended to me by Mr. Hughes, the fullest 

 scrutiny of the great mass was attended with great difficulties. The 

 weather was wet, a cold rain falling every day that I was there. The 

 mass was in the woods without shelter, and the deep mud and slush 

 around it made kneeling to examine the lower surfaces almost impos- 

 sible. My first work was to take full measures. These I will give 

 in connection with its general outline as shown in the several cuts 

 which illustrate this paper. Plate 13 (frontispiece) presents well the 

 general truncated cone, or dome-like form of the mass. The meas- 

 ures which I took, and which apply to this, are as follows : 



The extreme length of the mass, 10 ft. 2j4 inches. 



The extreme breadth across base, 7 ft. 



The extreme vertical height from base to summit of dome, 4 ft. 



The total circumference of the base is 25 ft. and 4 inches. 



It will be seen by noting plate 13, that while the upper dome is 

 a circle in its section, this is not true of the lower part, which from 

 mid-height expands before and behind into an oval form. This is 

 observable in plate 14, where the lengthening of the base into an oval 

 becomes quite clear, with the rapid slope of the right-hand end and a 

 more gentle slope of the left. But regarding the mass at a right 

 angle to this, or an end view, the sides of the central dome part are 

 seen to come to the base almost vertically, and with very little 

 enlargement or flaring. 



