HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM 



Meteorites. 



"Ahnighito." 



"Woman." 



"Dog." 



"Willamette" 

 Meteorite. 



from Iowa and Illinois purchased in 1878, and the Braun Collection of 

 fossil crinoidea, purchased in 1880. 



The Museum's collection of meteorites in 1896 represented twenty- 

 six falls and finds, thirteen of which were aerosiderites (iron meteorites), 

 seven aerosiderolites (iron-stone meteorites), and six aerolites (stone 

 meteorites), discovered in various parts of the world, and received 

 with the Bailey Collection of minerals, and through individual purchases 

 and gifts. 



The Ward-Coonley Collection of meteorites was deposited with the 

 Museum in 1901. This collection is said to be the largest in the world 

 and to be exceeded in value only by that of Vienna. It contains 1,600 

 specimens, representing 603 falls and finds. 



The meteorites now in the Foyer belonging to the Museum collec- 

 tion are: Canon Diablo, from Arizona, weight 1,087 lbs.; Brenham 

 (two masses, 75 and 52.5 lbs.), from Kansas; Forest City (75 lbs.), 

 from Iowa; and Long Island (86 lbs.), from Kansas. 



The Tucson meteorite is a reproduction in cast iron, the original 

 of which was found in Arizona and is now in the National Museum of 

 Washington. The model was presented by the Smithsonian Institution. 

 The weight of this cast is the same as that of the original, 1,400 lbs. 



The three meteorites from Cape York, Greenland, known as "Ahni- 

 ghito," or "The Tent," "The Woman," and "The Dog," were visited 

 by Commander Peary in 1894 and 1895, and brought to New York in 

 1895 and 1897. "Ahnighito," the largest and heaviest meteorite 

 known, weighs 36.5 tons and was obtained by Commander Peary in 

 1897. "The Woman," which weighs 6,000 lbs., and "The Dog," 1,100 

 lbs., were brought back in 1895. All were acquired by the Museum 

 in 1909 as the gift of Mrs. Jesup. 



"Willamette," the gift of Mrs. William E. Dodge, 2d (cost, $20,600), 

 is the largest meteorite ever found in the United States and one of 

 the three largest known. It weighs 31,107 lbs., and was discovered 

 in 1902 near Portland, Oregon. With the acquisition of "Willamette," 

 in 1906, the Museum's collection of meteorites became one of the finest 

 known to science. 



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