[meteorite-list] NPA 03-15-1906 New Concord Meteorite, Recalled

[MARK BOSTICK]

Paper: The Cambridge Jeffersonian
City: Cambridge, Ohio
Date: Thursday, March 15, 1906
Page: 3 (of 8)

METEOR OF 1860

Is Recalled by New Concord Residents.  Parts of it are in the Famous Museum.

(THE ENTERPRISE.)

     At noon on the 1st day of May, 1860, while the farm men were busy 
planting corn and doing other farm work on the Jonas Amspoker farm just east 
of here, a sudden apparent thundering and awful roaring was heard in the sky 
above, which frightened not only the people of the farms but also the dogs 
and chickens.
     In an interview with Messrs. W. C. and J. E. Amspoker, who remember the 
day and the occasion very distinctly they saw they never heard such a 
roaring, hissing, buzzing sound before or since.  Upon hearing the sound, 
they all looked into the sky, only to be frightened by seeing two large 
bodies flying at lightning speed toward the earth.  In a moment the two 
great bodies of greyish silver ore were buried into the earth with a 
terrible roar and a thud that seemed to make the earth tremble.  One of 
these meteor stones was driven two and one-half feet deep into a plowed 
field about forty rods south of the Jonas Amspoker home and the other struck 
a rail fence about forty rods northwest of the home.
     The piece that struck the rail fence crushed it to the ground and the 
stone was broken into small pieces.  Many from far and near having their 
curiosity aroused by this wonderful phenomenon, came and carried away piece 
after piece of this valuable stone before Mr. Amspoker could realize that it 
was of great value to the scientific world.  The other which fell in the 
plowed field was dug up and found to weigh 51 pounds.  This piece was 
carefully kept by Mr. Amspoker for some time.  Later he took it with him on 
a visit to Steubenville, O., where he sold it to Mr. Hamilton for $50.  
Later it was sold in Marietta, Ohio, where it is at present.
     When the stones first fell they were found to be very hot and left some 
lasting impressions with those who first touched them.
     At the same time that these fell on the N. R. Morgan farm east of here, 
one on the Alexander McConaughy farm southeast of here, and another on the 
John Ralston farm still farther south.  Parts of these valuable stones which 
fell on that memorable day - the very day that the Democratic party divided 
into a North and South, and drove the entering wedge that divided the Union 
- are now scattered the world over, and are held by colleges and museums as 
very valuable specimens in their large collections.
     In a recent letter from London by Dr. L. R. Culbertson, he makes 
mention of pieces of this meteor as being the most prized specimens in the 
S. Kensington Natural History Museum there.

(end)

Mark Note: This article refers to the New Concord meteorite.  This meteorite 
fell in Muskingum county, Ohio on May 1, 1860 at 12:45 p.m.  More then 
thirty pieces, 227 kg., of this L6 stone chondrite was recovered. 
(Reference: Meteorites A to Z: Second Edition).

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

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