LARGE AEROLITE FALLS IN NEBRASKA.

Lake County Press, Issue 2134, 6 September 1906, Page 7

LARGE AEROLITE FALLS IN NEBRASKA.

Cattle men coining in from JWcPherson Comity are Idling talcs of a big meteoric stone which fell recently on the sand hills near Omega, and which struck (he earth with such force as to bury itself many feel in the ground. The meteor fell near where cowboys were lending cnlLiu and caused a stampede among the steers. The following morning, the cowboys searched for the aerolite and soon located it. samples of the material have been analyzed and the University of Nebraska is reported to be organizing an expedition to remove the great mass Lo the State Museum at Lincoln. The cowboys who first discovered the meteor were from the Spectacle Itaneh and saw the immense ball of fire as if sailed across the heavens in the night. With an incredible speed and accompanied by a. humming noise the giant stone whizzed through the air and struck on the side of a sandhill, burying itself in the loose soil. Dozens of other cowmen throughout. the county saw the great ball and many tried to trace its flight but failed, leaving it to the 'Spectacle .Hunch boys to find its exact position.

When the stone, struck the earth there was a distinct shock, so the cowboys say. A moment after the cowboys were in hot pursuit of a stampeded herd, frightened by' the brilliant meteor, and it was noon the next day before they were able to get the cattle back into the same neighbourhood and look up the mysterious visitor of the night before. On the side of the big brown sandhill the boys found a hole "big enough to put a camp outfit wagon in and about twenty feet deep," as told by them. Down in the. hple a great hot stone lay and from it there arose sulphurous gases. One of the cowboys attempted to go down on to the stone by using Ihe lariats of his comrades, but wa.s driven back by the gas.

The cowboys were unable to leave their herds for long and were forced to give up the investigation temporal- i I v.

They returned to the place three or four days later, leaving the cattle in the corals at the ranch and bringing hammers and ropes for use in making a closer inspection of the meteor. Tying their ropes to a nearby jackpine tree, one of the. cowboys was let, down to the meteor, which by that time had cooled off snil'irieiilly to stand upon and handle. With a hammer lite man knocked off several pieces alter great efforts, and these were brought to the surface. They were afterward sent to a chemist, at Omaha to be analyzed.

Although it. had been in the ground foul 1 days, the meteor was stitll hot—so much so that the soles worn by the man who climbed flown to it were scorched.

The analysis of the chips showed large (jtiiinlilies of iron, some nickle, ant imnny. copper, carbon, it trace ol silver, and a mysterious substance which the chemist was undecided tipmi. lie thinks it a new mineral altogether and has asked that new and larger pieces of the met nor be sent him at once.

The case has been reported to the State t'niversily, and an effort will !„. made to i-.Miil.ve the meteor, whole to Lincoln. In the meantime it lies at the bottom of its UU-foot well, protected by its size from anything short of a derrick and steam hoist,.