[meteorite-list] re Swedish meteorite story fossils from 100 years ago

[chris aubeck]

> I think he was talking about the fossil meteorites Brunflo, Osterplana and others found in Sweden rather than fossils in meteorites.
>
> Look here:
>
> http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Mar04/fossilMeteorites.html
>
> Best regards,
> Jörn
>



Hi Jörn,

I did wonder whether that was the case as a Google search produced
nothing else, but have a look at my notes below about an Italian
report from 1884. When Göran used the word "debunk" it did, and does,
sound as if he was referring to something else.

Many thanks,

Chris


**************************************************************
In its November 13th-14th 1884 issue (no. 262), "L'Eco di Bergamo"
reported that a loud explosion had been heard in the sky over Bergamo
just after 11:00am on October 24th. When a group of peasants said that
they had observed a red fireball on the same day both this and the
explosion were immediately assumed to have been caused by the same
meteoric phenomenon.

The newspaper article, entitled "Lo scoppio di un bolide," was written
by a naturalist called Ferruccio Biazzi. In the report Biazzi
expressed his opinion that "aerolites bring with them traces of
primitive flora and fauna similar to those of earth." No doubt this
gave people reason to expect that the discovery of the object or
objects was going to be a dramatic affair, especially as "the
meteorites are said to have (and are certain to have) fallen in the
Bazerem Valley, or adjacent to it, after the explosion, and they have
yet to be recovered." Biazzi ended his article with the comment that
Dr. O. Hahn of Tübingen, "in studying the intimate structure of
meteorites," had "been able to demonstrate that they are composed
almost exclusively of fossil organisms," and that Dr. O. F. Weinland
had catalogued some fifty species of polyps and algae in them. (These
two scientists' books are in the list given above.) "If the meteorites
are found," he concluded, "I will find out what the devil they contain
and communicate it to you."

In issue 283 of the same newspaper, that is, in its December 9th-10th
edition, another brief news item was published concerning the bolides.
It reported that a shapeless black mass some 2.74 metres in diameter
had been found by a group of scientists and students. The object was
apparently a mere fragment of a larger spherical shape. "The finding
has already been communicated to various [scientific] organizations
because it is wished that it should be studied…It seems to be a highly
important specimen because it also contains some curious fossils." The
item ended by saying that Mr. Biazzi would doubtlessly like to know
more and inform the readers of the latest developments as soon as
possible.

The news sounded very exciting; many believed it could lead to a
scientific breakthrough. However, two days later, in its 285th issue,
dated December 11-12th, L'Eco di Bergamo was forced to admit that it
had been the victim of a hoax. Biazzi had written to them to set the
matter straight: there had been no group of scientists, no find and
certainly no extraterrestrial fossils. Another newspaper, La Gazetta
di Bergamo, published the same hoax report on December 11th, printing
Ferruccio Biazzi's rebuttal the following day.
On the 15th of December it mentioned the bolide story again, but just
to point out that the original event had actually occurred as
reported, though "only God knew when the artefact would be found…"