[meteorite-list] McSween's Meteorites and their Parnet Planets

[Mark Crawford]

 >If you haven't had the chance to read McSween I highly recommend it as 
well as Richard Norton's Rocks From Space,
 >Harvey Nininger's book Find a Falling Star and there are a few others 
that are worthy of mention at a later date or
 >perhaps members will chime in and offer their suggestions. All my best!

I found McSween a little less 'readable' than Norton, but I think that's 
a reflection on Rocks From Space rather than MATPP. It is an excellent read.

Re the Ensisheim fall - listees may find this account interesting. I 
transcribed it from an 1803 article describing a sign which formerly 
lived in the church with the stone (ie, it had been removed before the 
start of the 19th century):

“THE STONE OF ENSISHEIM

On Wednesday, November 7, the night before St Martin’s day, in the year 
of our Lord 1492, a singular miracle happened: for between the hours of 
eleven and twelve a loud clap of thunder took place, with a 
long-continued noise, which was heard at a great distance; and a stone 
fell from the heavens in the Ban of Ensisheim which 260 pounds; and the 
noise was much louder in other places than here. A child then saw it 
strike on a field situated on the upper Ban, towards the Rhine and the 
In, near the canton of Gisgone[?], which was sown with wheat. It did no 
hurt, except that it made a hole there.

It was afterwards transported thence; and a great many fragments were 
detached from it, which the /land-vogt/ forbade. It was then deposited 
in the church, with the intention of suspending it as a miracle; and a 
great many people came hither to see this stone, respecting which there 
were singular discourses. But the learned said they did not know what it 
was, for it was something supernatural that so large a stone should fall 
from the atmosphere; but that it was a miracle of God: because, before 
that time, nothing of the kind had ever been heard of, seen, or described.

When this stone was found, it had entered the earth to a depth equal to 
the height of a man. What everybody asserted was, that it had been the 
will of God that it had been found. And the noise of it was heard at 
Lucerne, at Villing, and many other places, so loud, that it was thought 
the houses were all overturned.

And when king Maximilian was here, the Monday after St Catharine’s day 
of the same year, his royal excellency caused the stone which had fallen 
to be carried to the castle; and after conversing a long time with his 
lords, he said the people of Ensisheim should take it: and he gave 
orders that it should be suspended in the church, and that no person 
should be permitted to take any part of it. His excellency, however, 
took two fragments; one of which he kept, and the other he sent to Duke 
Sigismund of Austria. The people talked a great deal of this stone, 
which was suspended in the choir, where it still is, and many came to 
see it.”

Mark


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Mark's Meteorite Pages: http://meteorites.cc