[meteorite-list] NPA 06-25-1930 Nininger Buys the Paragould Meteorite

[MARK BOSTICK]

Paper: The Ironwood Daily Globe
City: Ironwood, Michigan
Date: Wednesday, June 25, 1930
Page: 9

SMALL COLLEGE HAS METEOR IN MUSEUM
Professor at McPherson, Pays $3,600 For World's Finest Specimen.

     McPherson, Kan., June 25 - These are happy days for Professor H. N. 
Nininger of the faculty of McPherson College, a school of a few hundred 
students in this central Kansas prairie town.
     Professor Nininger, small of stature and peer through thick glasses, is 
gloating over a prize he snatched away from buyers representing the Field 
Museum of Chicago.  The scientist outbid the Chicago Institution and 
obtained for his country college the world's finest meteorite specimen - the 
largest that ever was observed falling from the skies.
     The prize looks like a common rock and weighs 820 pounds.  The Kansan 
paid $3600 of the little college's funds for the specimen, obtaining it by 
offering and even $100 more than a representative had been authorized by the 
Chicago museum to offer.

Startled the Farmers

     It was about 4:15 in the morning of Feb. 17 that farmers living 14 
miles southwest of Paragould, Ark., were awakened by a deafening roar.  
Among those who ran to doors and windows to look out were Mr. and Mrs. 
Joseph H. Fletcher.
     Almost dazed by three load reports, holding themselves erect only by 
holding to the casing of a door as their house shook and trembled as in an 
earthquake, they saw a large fiery substance strike the earth near their 
home.
     Clouds of clay hurled 100 yards by the impact of the object with the 
earth's surface.  When they hastened to the spot, they found only a hole in 
the ground.
    But at the bottom of that hole was what seemed to be a stone.  It had 
embedded itself about nine feet in the ground when it struck after falling 
through space.

Was Offered $3,500

     Mr. Fletcher dug out the object and hauled it to a newspaper office in 
Paragould.  There it was examined by hundreds of curious persons, including 
Professor C.C. Wylie of the department of astronomy of the University of 
Iowa.  Dr. Wylie for years has specialized in the study of meteors.  He 
spent several days obtaining statements from person who saw the object fall.
     It was then that the Field Museum in Chicago authorized an offer of 
$3500 to the farmer for the meteorite.  Just as that offer was about to be 
accepted, however, Professor Nininger arrived from McPherson.
     He, like the University of Iowa scientist, had made a life study of 
meteors and meteorites.
     Professor Nininger was enthusiastic about this stone.  He announced it 
not only the largest of its kind ever seen to fall but was of unusual 
composition.
     The Kansas professor did some hasty telegraphing to the management of 
his college and then surprised everybody by outbidding the Chicago museum.  
Within a few hours, Professor Nininger had the meteorite in an express car 
en route to McPherson.

May Sell-at a Profit

     Professor Nininger, proud of his college's possession, indicates enough 
profit might cause surrender of the meteorite to a higher bidder.
     "It is possible that we may yet dispose of it to some large 
Institution," he added.

(end)

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
Wichita, Kansas
http://www.meteoritearticles.com
http://www.kansasmeteoritesociety.com
http://www.imca.cc

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PDF copy of this article, and most I post (and about 1/2 of those on my 
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The NPA in the subject line, stands for Newspaper Article. The old list 
server allowed us a search feature the current does not, so I guess this is 
more for quick reference and shortening the subject line now.