190 REPORT — 1877. 



Robert Farnesworth, lying on a hillside, where it had been used probably by the 

 first settlers to support a corner of a rail fence since rotted away. (A similar 

 block, weighing about 40 lb., was discovered about a mile further west, " before 

 the war, perhaps about 1857," but has since been covered over and lost.) 

 The mass above referred to originally weighed some 25 lb. ; but specimens 

 have been hammered off it, and it now weighs 21 lb. and measures 9 x 6^ 

 X 3| inches. It has the usual coating of magnetite, and from various points 

 of the surface bead-like drops of iron chloride exude. When polished and 

 etched " the usual markings appeared, though rather indistinct," and when 

 the action of acid was prolonged distinct particles of Schreibersite were seen 

 to protrude from the face of the metal. The meteorite has a specific gravity 

 = 7'4G and the following composition: — ■ 



Iron 94-21 



Nickel 5-17 



Cobalt 0-37 



Copper Trace 



Phosphorus - 14 



ltesiduc 0-15 



100-05 



Found 1S74. — "Waconda, Mitchel Co., Kansas*. 



This meteorite was found in 1S74, lying above ground upon the slope of 

 a ravine about two miles from the village of Waconda. Fragments amount- 

 ing to about one half of the stone were removed at the time ; the remainder, 

 weighing about 58 lb., is partially covered with a black crust. The freshness 

 of the original fracture, at the time when the stone was submitted to ex- 

 amination, points to the fall being one of recent date. 



It closely resembles the stone of Searsmont (21st May, 1871) in colour, 

 but is less choudritic, and only exhibits this characteristic of certain meteorites 

 in a very imperfect manner. Crystals of what appear to be augite are ob- 

 served imbedded in an amorphous whitish ground-mass ; nickel-iron is present 

 thickly scattered throughout the stone in minute rounded lustrous grains ; 

 while troilite is now and then met with in grains of considerable size or ag- 

 gregations of imperfect-crystals. A fragment partially covered with crust was 

 found to have a specific gravity =3-81; that of another fragment without 

 crust was =3-58. 



Mechanical separation of the ingredients was attempted and 5-66 per cent, 

 of nickel-iron and 1-34 per cent, of troilite were isolated. Of the remaining 

 siliceous portion rather more than one half gelatinized with acid and was, 

 presumably, olivine ; the remainder, according to Prof. Shepard, consists of 

 " augite, some felspathic species, and chladnite," by which last mineral en- 

 statite presumably is meant. There exists a rumour that a second meteorite 

 has been met with twelve miles distant from the above. 



1874, April 10th, 7 h 57 m p.m. (Prague meau time). — Bohemiaf. (See 

 Appendix II. Large Meteors, p. 146.) 



A detonating meteor ; conforms in radiant-point with that of 1876, April 

 9th. 



* O. U. Shepard, ' Arner. Journ. 8c' 1876, vol. xi. p. 473. 



t Prof. G. von Nicssl, ' Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien,' vol. lxxv., April 19tff , 1877. 



