[Fwd: [meteorite-list] Helt Township???]

[Sterling K. Webb]

Hi, Everybody,

    I'm forwarding this explanation for the "Vermillion" meteorite, from an
authoritive source. It was a meteorite, sure enough, just didn't fall in
Indiana! Obviously, someone must have drug a Canyon Diablo back to Indiana.
Was it an intentional fraud? Or did the story just fuzz up over the years
until an Arizona souvenir was believed to have fallen on the farm itself? Is
this more a question for the folklorist than the meteoriticist?
    The LOUISVILLE (Kentucky) meteorite (Fall, January 31, 1977) was a
car-bonker, the third reported US car-bonker, I believe.


Sterling K. Webb
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"Shaffer, Nelson R" wrote:

>     I saw your note on the meteorite list. The vermillion (Indiana)
> meteorite was shown to be  a Canyon Diablo by Buchwald is his monumental
> Handbook of Iron Meteorites. I should modify our web site to reflect
> that.
>     Hangman's Crossing is a find from near Seymour, Indiana. Most of that
> stone remains in the hands of the finder Charles Miller who lives near
> Seymour. His son-in-law is Phil Bonneau who is a geologist working in
> Indianapolis. We have a slice on display but can not part with any at
> this time. If you wish I will send a paper about the meteorite. We also
> were involved with the Louisville meteorite. Thank you for your
> interest.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Nelson R. Shaffer
> Head, Coal and Industrial Minerals Section
> Indiana Geological Survey
> 611 N. Walnut Grove Ave.
> Bloomington, IN  47405
> Phone: 812-855-2687
> Fax: 812-855-2862
> E-mail: shaffern at indiana.edu
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of
> Sterling K. Webb
> Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 10:41 PM
> To: Dave Schultz; meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Helt Township???
>
> Hi,
>
>     The Catalogue of Meteorites lists only three irons for
> Indiana:
>
> KOKOMO  1862 Find  IVB Ataxite
> LA PORTE 1900 Find IIIAB
> PLYMOUTH 1893 Find IIIAB
>
> and nothing for VERMILLION
>
>     Gee, anybody got any HANGMAN'S CROSSING?
>     What a great name...
>
> Sterling Webb
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
>
> Dave Schultz wrote:
>
> >   Greetings. While checking out different web sites on Indiana
> > meteorites, I came across the Indiana University, Indiana Geological
> > Survey website, and they state that an Iron meteorite fell in
> > Vermillion, Indiana around 1883-84, which would make that 13 Indiana
> > meteorites. I have never heard of this meteorite and only thought that
>
> > there was 12 meteorites that fell or where found in Indiana. Any other
>
> > info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.
> >                                          Dave