FIFTY-TON METEOR IN AFRICAN DESERT.

Shannon News, 6 September 1929, Page 4

FIFTY-TON METEOR IN AFRICAN DESERT.

ONE-THIRD PURE NICKEL. An American astronomer, Dr W. L. Luyten, stationed at the observatory established by the Harvard University in Bloemfontcin, South Africa, has just reported a most extraordinary meteorite, which he discovered amid fhe desolate G.ootfontcin district of the Mandated Territory that adjoins' this ' dominion, writes Eric Rosenthal in the San Francisco Chronicle. In the infertile soil of a very sparsely peopled countryside he found a block of nickel iron that is larger, by a goodly margin, than any other meteorite hitherto known. Although one or two stones of even larger size are rumoured to exist in Arizona and Mexico, the Grootfontein specimen has the merit of being definitely exposed to the air and it has been photographed. Dr Luyten estimates the weight as fifty tons, which is nearly- twice as -much as that of the famous shooting star brought by Admiral Peary from Greenland, and which hitherto constituted the largest authenticated example. Rumours about the existence of this massive relic have ( been told in the Kaffir kraals for many years, but it was not until this year that a qualified investigator, in the pcrs'on of Dr. Luyten, set out from the railhead in waggons and motor ears for the farm, "Hoba West," miles away from the nearest settlement. On the occasion of this trek the Americans took' careful photographs and caused a small fragment to be filed off the mass in order that it might be analysed. The Transvaal Chamber of Minos at Johannesburg offered its laboratories at the Witwatcrsrand Co-operative Smelting Works for the purpose of a metallurgical test,-and the result shows that

irhe meteorite held a third pure nickel, 'whereas meteoric iron usually only contains a tenth.

Several other unique features characterise the Grootfontein stone, and retails have been forwarded not only co all experts in Africa, but also to museums in America and Europe. When this great metal lump crashed through thte heavens to the desert is unknowns but in all likelihood it was not long ago by geological standards. The meteorite is not hidden bolow the soil as would be the case if it were very ancient.

Being a patriotic American. Dr Luyten would, of course, like to take this specimen to his country, but he now finds that the Government of South West Africa ,which has- jurisdiction in the Grootfontein district, some time, ago passed a law forbidding the export of such subjects, smaller specimens of shieh are by no means uncommon in that region. Even should the removal be attempted, \it will be ex tremely difficult, as • there are no facilities for lifting or shifting the great, block. Eventually it is expected one of the South African museums will send an expedition to bring it away.