350 0. C. Farrington — New Pennsylvania Meteorite. 



Art. XXIX. — A New Pennsylvania Meteorite: by O. C. 



Earrington. 



To the iron meteorites known from Pennsylvania, Bald 

 Eagle, Pittsburg and Mount Joy, a fourth is now added. This 

 last cosmic accession was found in 1907 on a farm about seven 

 miles north of Shrewsbury, York County, Pennsylvania. It 

 was discovered by being struck by a plow while plowing and 

 attracted attention on account of its unusual weight. As the 

 region is one in which more or less brown limonitic iron ore 

 occurs, the meteorite was supposed by its finder to be an 

 unusually heavy specimen of such ore and as such was shown 

 to Mr. E. Justice Grugan of Philadelphia when in the vicinity 

 in June, 1909. Mr. Grugan, in whose possession the meteorite 

 now is and to whom the writer is indebted for the history 

 here given, at once recognized the meteoric nature of the mass, 

 and took steps for its preservation. He also instituted a 

 search for any associated specimens that might be in the 

 vicinity. In this he was successful to the extent of finding 

 several fragments that had been distributed as curiosities, but 

 no important additional individuals were found. The smaller 

 pieces obtained w T ere reported to have been found about 

 three-quarters of a mile northwest of the main mass. If this 

 distribution was a natural one, a southeasterly course of the 

 meteor is indicated. The fragments and mass placed in the 

 hands of the writer for examination had evidently all belonged 

 to a single individual. The main mass as received weighed 

 twenty-four pounds and the fragments three pounds more, 

 giving a total weight to the meteorite as now known of 

 twenty-seven pounds (12*2 kgs.). The form of the meteorite 

 as restored by adding the fragments is roughly rhombohedral, 

 with dimensions of about six inches (15 cm ) on a side. At the 

 same time there is much rounding of the solid angles and 

 there are many depressions and irregularities which make the 

 above characterization of the form only an approximate one. 

 Owing partly to decomposition from lying in the soil and 

 partly probably to rough handling, the appearance of the 

 original surface of the meteorite remains over less than half 

 the mass. Where seen it shows the usual rounded and smooth 

 exterior of iron meteorites with broad, shallow pits, the broad- 

 est being about three inches (7 cm ) in diameter. There has 

 been considerable alteration of this surface through weather- 

 ing, so that its substance has become more or less friable and 

 limonitic in character. This alteration appears to extend in 

 places to a depth of about half an inch (l cm ). Where the 

 original surface is not present the meteorite shows a jagged, 

 fractured appearance and exhibits typical octahedral structure. 

 It is probable that over such portions the original surface has 

 disintegrated and fallen away, though the appearance at one 



