[meteorite-list] NPA 03-06-1962 Odessa Crater Described in Historical Society...

[MARK BOSTICK]

Paper: Odessa American
City: Odessa, Texas
Date: Sunday, March 5, 1961
Page: 2

Meteor Crater Is Described To Historical Society Parley

By JERRY HAYNES
American Staff Writer

     At the third annual meeting of the Texas Permian Historical Society 
here Saturday, Glenn Evans, geologist in charge of a field project at Odessa 
meteor crater from 1939 to 1941, told the gathered historians that the 
crater was formed by an "explosion" when a huge meteor hit the earth.
     "Craters fall into two groups. The first is an explosion, caused when a 
meteor hits the earth at a terrific speed. The second is a concussion 
crater, caused when a meteor hits the earth but does not have the necessary 
speed to exploded. The Odessa craters fall under both types, but the 
principle crater was formed "around 20,000 to 25,000 years ago."
     "There is no meteor in the large crater west of Odessa. This meteor was 
destroyed in the explosion caused by it hitting the earth.  There are 
several large meteors buried around the crater, but they are only a part of 
the huge iron and nickel meteor that exploded." he said. The crater is 
located about 10 miles west and slightly south of Odessa.
     Evans was in charge of the University of Texas project that did 
extensive work on the meteor crater before World War II, and is now district 
manager for the Louisiana Land and Exploration Co. of Midland.
     Evans told the group that the Odessa crater was the second largest 
crater in the United States, second only to the crater in Arizona.
     "During our work at the crater," Evans said. "We found several meteors 
buried around the main crater. One of these meteors is now at the University 
of Texas."
     In his discussion about the crater, Evans said that in all the meteors 
found that no element had ever been discovered that was not found on the 
earth.
     "This leads us to the conclusion that the entire cosmos is made of 
principally the same elements," he said.
     "The Odessa crater is not one crater, but several. No one knows how 
many, because most of them have been covered up by dirt and sand, and are 
level with the surrounding formations."
     The historical meeting, held at the Wagon Yard Restaurant at Rimrock 
City, was opened with a discussion of the old Spanish trails through West 
Texas by Conrad Dunagan of Monahans.
     Dunagan gave a brief history of several Spanish expoditions through 
this area and in the 15th and 16th centuries, and explained some of the many 
difficulties these parties underwent.
     Mrs. Betty Orbeck of Odessa gave a talk on the U.S. Army expeditions 
that went through the Permian Basin.
     Mrs. Orbeck explained that the main trails in West Texas were formed by 
gold seekers passing through this area on their way to California in 1849.  
She also listed several army expeditions in this area that mapped and 
drilled for water during the 1800s.
     Carlysle Raht, Odessa author, presented a brief history of Jules Drew 
Henderson, pioneer resident who settled in Ector County in 1880.
     Raht, who listed his talk as "Sandhills Buckeroo-Life of Julious Drew 
Henderson" told of some of the experience of Henderson in his ranching 
career in West Texas.
     The final address of the day was from Barry Thompson, Andrews, who 
discussed the "Massacre at Willow Springs."
     The massacre took place in the sandhills in Winkler County in 1870. The 
remains, buried in the sand, were discovered in the early 1900s.

(end)

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
www.meteoritearticles.com