50 



On the Iron Meteorite 



tes^ Pascual Saenz, Miguel Martinez, Justo Lopez, and some 

 whose names I have not obtained. 



•• Upon visiting the place of the fall, — (see map.) 



Fig. 1. 



JMap of Mazapil and vicinity. 



I was cjireful to examine the earth in and around the hole, and 

 by careful Avjishing 1 obtained a few small bits of iron which 

 must have i)ecome detached from the Uranolite when it pene- 

 trated the earth. The hole was 30 centimeters deep (one foot). 

 " Probably the light which was noted came from the volatili- 

 zation of the snrface of the celestial body, due to the high tem- 

 perature acquired by friction with the atmosphere and from the 

 volatilized matter falling to the earth as an incandescent impal- 

 pable powder." 



It is now proper to state the history of the meteors of Nov. 

 27th, 1885, which had their origin in the disintegration of Biela's 

 comet. 



As is well known, the comet of 1826 was discovered by the 

 Austrian Captain Biela, at Johannisberg, on the 27th of Febru- 



