[meteorite-list] Newspaper article, 07-02 1922 Life in Meteorites

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:53:38 2004
Message-ID: <OE140wOOIHBMcjyItfF00014997_at_hotmail.com>

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Paper: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL =20
City: CHARLESTON =20
Date: Sunday, July 2, 1922

Amazing Proof From the Sky of Life on Other Planets
The Astounding Discovery by French Scientist of Animal and Vegetable Form=
s Preserved in the Meteorites Which Fall to the Earth
Fossilized Crinoids, Small Forms of Animal Life Imbedded in a Meteorte
By Dr. W. H. Ballou
Does life exist on other planets? This fascinating problem of the univers=
e, which has intrigued the mind of man for thousands of years, has at las=
t been answered definitely in the affimative, according to the belief of =
leading scientists.
The astonishing discovery has just been communicated to the world by Dr. =
Galippe, the distinguished laureate of the French Academy of Science and =
Academy of Medicine.
Aided by his famous colleague, Dr. Soufflaud, has has completed a series =
of experiments which he believes yield convincing proof of the existence =
of fossil forms - of both animal and vegetable life - imbedded in certain=
 meteorites which have fallen to earth from the sky.
All children know what a meteorite is. They have a more picturesque name =
for it. They call it a "shooting star." Dozens of times you have seen one=
 of them shooting earthward through the Summer night. Of course, it isn't=
 really a shooting star. It isn't a star at all. It is a chunk of black r=
ock which ahs been flung off from some celestial body and which comes hur=
tling through space for millions of miles. During the first part of its j=
ourney it would be invisible, even if you were close enough to think you =
might catch a glimpse of it - for it is cold and dead. It is only when it=
 enters the earth's atmosphere - composed of oxygen and hydrogen - that i=
t takes fire from the friction caused by its ummense speed and blazed int=
o view as a ball of fire. =20
Friction ceases when it strikes the earth and it becomes black and cold a=
gain. While it is falling it is called a meteor. After it has hit the ear=
th it is called a meteorite. There are thousands of them. You can see the=
m in any natural history museum.
When meteors first began to be examined scientifically, observers were co=
ntent to discover that they were composed of "igneous rock" - that is, mi=
neral matter which had been fused by subjection to intense heat.
But meteors were too interesting for observers to be long content with th=
at simple fact. they were - and still are - the only "messages" which the=
 earth receives from the other stars or planets (with the exception of li=
ght waves), and for several generations the best scientific minds have be=
en engaged in the fascinating pursuit of further desciphering these "lett=
ers" from other worlds.
For a long time the subject of just how much could be learned from these =
meteorites have been controversial - and to some extent is still so - but=
 the latest discoveres by Galippe and Soffland are, in the writer's opini=
on convincing proof that life acutally exists, or did exist, somewhere ou=
t there in illimitable space.
The experiments have involved the most exacting microscopic and chemical =
analyses. Under these the meteorites have revealed not only the mineraliz=
ed forms of such lower animals as the crinoids - to which the star-fish a=
nd sea-urchin belong - corals and sponges, but peat and coal, as well. Pe=
at and coal, as you know, are of vegetable origin. Furthermore, in some o=
f these meteorites traces of water have been found and in others oxygen.
These discoveries imbedded in the stony masss form a message compact, une=
quivocal and startling. They show not only that life exists somewhere "ou=
t there" in the world they have been torn from, but also that the world "=
out there" must have been, in some respects, like our own.
The crinoids, spongers and corals, much like the same formations we still=
 have on this earth to-day, prove that this other world possessd an ocean=
; the peat and coak, that it had vegetation and probably forests; the wat=
er and oxygen, that it possed an atmosphere.
Where rolled the world of which the meteorite was a part? What ruled it -=
 creatures comparable to man, lower forms, higher forms, or strange shape=
d produced by processes of evolution unknown to us here? And what happene=
d to that world? =20
Such things can be guessed at only.
As to what its life forms were, two things seem reasonably sure. One is t=
hat they resembled in some degree those we know on earth. This is indicat=
ed by the similarity of the criniold fossils to our own crinoid forms, an=
d by the presence of water and oxygen showing that the conditions were to=
 some extent like our own. The other thing we can believe with reasonable=
 certainty is that while they differed widely in others, for the conditio=
ns in which they underwent their long evolutionary processes much have be=
en alike in some ways, different in others.
The artist who has made the large drawlings on this page gives you an ide=
a of what you might expect if you visited another of these inhabited plan=
ets. You would probley see forms which reminded you of things you had see=
n on earth, but weirdly and fantastically different, as in a nightmare or=
 fairy-tale. You would almost certainly see forms of life that resembled =
to some extent our vegetables - living things fastened by their roots - a=
nd living things with power of locomotion that would remind you in a fant=
astic way of our own animals. You might or might not need the helmets and=
 oxygen tanks which the artist has provided his men in the drawling - dep=
ending on whether the atmosphere was like our own or different from it. S=
ome kind of atmosphere there would have to be, else there could be no lif=
e. The exact detail, of course, is purely imaginative.
The most extraordinary and most discussed single meteorite that ever came=
 to earth is the famous "Knyahinua" - so called from the name of the Hung=
arian town near where it fell. It is also known as the Hahu meteor, becau=
se of the exhaustive study of it made by Dr. Otto Hahn, geologist and phy=
sicist of the University of Vienna. According to his views and those of o=
ther German scientific men, this meteorite was largely composed of fossil=
 animals and plants. This, of course, was in a part generation. The great=
est minds of the ninteenth century were divided in this blazer. On it and=
 other siderites, Lord Kelvin based his hypothesis that all life was orig=
inally brought to this earth from other planets in meteor forms which bro=
ught not only fossils but living germs cells.
I have no brief to hold for Hahn or his meteorite. In that particular cas=
e the subject was, and still controversial. Many leading scientists have =
refused to accept his thesis and have insisted that the alleged fossil fo=
rms described were merely peculiar crystalizations of silicate minerals.
But a repidiation of Herr Hahn does not dispose of the subject. Galippe a=
nd Souffland, in France, working to-day with much more modern laboratory =
facilities and with meteorites which are in no way connected with the one=
 which fell in Hungary, have come to conclusions even more startling than=
 those of Hahn. =20
These conclusions, which have been for mally communicated to the French A=
cademy of Science, are the basis on which leading sceintific men to-day -=
 though not all scientific men - now accept the belief that some form of =
life actually exists on other planets than our own little earth.

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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><B><FONT size=3D=
1> <P>Paper: THE CHARLESTON DAILY MAIL </P> <P>City: CHARLESTON </P> <P>D=
ate: Sunday, July 2, 1922</P></B> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Amazing Proof From the=
 Sky of Life on Other Planets</P> <P>The Astounding Discovery by French S=
cientist of Animal and Vegetable Forms Preserved in the Meteorites Which =
Fall to the Earth</P> <P>Fossilized Crinoids, Small Forms of Animal Life =
Imbedded in a Meteorte</P> <P>By Dr. W. H. Ballou</P> <P>Does life exist =
on other planets? This fascinating problem of the universe, which has int=
rigued the mind of man for thousands of years, has at last been answered =
definitely in the affimative, according to the belief of leading scientis=
ts.</P> <P>The astonishing discovery has just been communicated to the wo=
rld by Dr. Galippe, the distinguished laureate of the French Academy of S=
cience and Academy of Medicine.</P> <P>Aided by his famous colleague, Dr.=
 Soufflaud, has has completed a series of experiments which he believes y=
ield convincing proof of the existence of fossil forms - of both animal a=
nd vegetable life - imbedded in certain meteorites which have fallen to e=
arth from the sky.</P> <P>All children know what a meteorite is. They hav=
e a more picturesque name for it. They call it a "shooting star." Dozens =
of times you have seen one of them shooting earthward through the Summer =
night. Of course, it isn't really a shooting star. It isn't a star at all=
. It is a chunk of black rock which ahs been flung off from some celestia=
l body and which comes hurtling through space for millions of miles. Duri=
ng the first part of its journey it would be invisible, even if you were =
close enough to think you might catch a glimpse of it - for it is cold an=
d dead. It is only when it enters the earth's atmosphere - composed of ox=
ygen and hydrogen - that it takes fire from the friction caused by its um=
mense speed and blazed into view as a ball of fire. </P> <P>Friction ceas=
es when it strikes the earth and it becomes black and cold again. While i=
t is falling it is called a meteor. After it has hit the earth it is call=
ed a meteorite. There are thousands of them. You can see them in any natu=
ral history museum.</P> <P>When meteors first began to be examined scient=
ifically, observers were content to discover that they were composed of "=
igneous rock" - that is, mineral matter which had been fused by subjectio=
n to intense heat.</P> <P>But meteors were too interesting for observers =
to be long content with that simple fact. they were - and still are - the=
 only "messages" which the earth receives from the other stars or planets=
 (with the exception of light waves), and for several generations the bes=
t scientific minds have been engaged in the fascinating pursuit of furthe=
r desciphering these "letters" from other worlds.</P> <P>For a long time =
the subject of just how much could be learned from these meteorites have =
been controversial - and to some extent is still so - but the latest disc=
overes by Galippe and Soffland are, in the writer's opinion convincing pr=
oof that life acutally exists, or did exist, somewhere out there in illim=
itable space.</P> <P>The experiments have involved the most exacting micr=
oscopic and chemical analyses. Under these the meteorites have revealed n=
ot only the mineralized forms of such lower animals as the crinoids - to =
which the star-fish and sea-urchin belong - corals and sponges, but peat =
and coal, as well. Peat and coal, as you know, are of vegetable origin. F=
urthermore, in some of these meteorites traces of water have been found a=
nd in others oxygen.</P> <P>These discoveries imbedded in the stony masss=
 form a message compact, unequivocal and startling. They show not only th=
at life exists somewhere "out there" in the world they have been torn fro=
m, but also that the world "out there" must have been, in some respects, =
like our own.</P> <P>The crinoids, spongers and corals, much like the sam=
e formations we still have on this earth to-day, prove that this other wo=
rld possessd an ocean; the peat and coak, that it had vegetation and prob=
ably forests; the water and oxygen, that it possed an atmosphere.</P> <P>=
Where rolled the world of which the meteorite was a part? What ruled it -=
 creatures comparable to man, lower forms, higher forms, or strange shape=
d produced by processes of evolution unknown to us here? And what happene=
d to that world? </P> <P>Such things can be guessed at only.</P> <P>As to=
 what its life forms were, two things seem reasonably sure. One is that t=
hey resembled in some degree those we know on earth. This is indicated by=
 the similarity of the criniold fossils to our own crinoid forms, and by =
the presence of water and oxygen showing that the conditions were to some=
 extent like our own. The other thing we can believe with reasonable cert=
ainty is that while they differed widely in others, for the conditions in=
 which they underwent their long evolutionary processes much have been al=
ike in some ways, different in others.</P> <P>The artist who has made the=
 large drawlings on this page gives you an idea of what you might expect =
if you visited another of these inhabited planets. You would probley see =
forms which reminded you of things you had seen on earth, but weirdly and=
 fantastically different, as in a nightmare or fairy-tale. You would almo=
st certainly see forms of life that resembled to some extent our vegetabl=
es - living things fastened by their roots - and living things with power=
 of locomotion that would remind you in a fantastic way of our own animal=
s. You might or might not need the helmets and oxygen tanks which the art=
ist has provided his men in the drawling - depending on whether the atmos=
phere was like our own or different from it. Some kind of atmosphere ther=
e would have to be, else there could be no life. The exact detail, of cou=
rse, is purely imaginative.</P> <P>The most extraordinary and most discus=
sed single meteorite that ever came to earth is the famous "Knyahinua" - =
so called from the name of the Hungarian town near where it fell. It is a=
lso known as the Hahu meteor, because of the exhaustive study of it made =
by Dr. Otto Hahn, geologist and physicist of the University of Vienna. Ac=
cording to his views and those of other German scientific men, this meteo=
rite was largely composed of fossil animals and plants. This, of course, =
was in a part generation. The greatest minds of the ninteenth century wer=
e divided in this blazer. On it and other siderites, Lord Kelvin based hi=
s hypothesis that all life was originally brought to this earth from othe=
r planets in meteor forms which brought not only fossils but living germs=
 cells.</P> <P>I have no brief to hold for Hahn or his meteorite. In that=
 particular case the subject was, and still controversial. Many leading s=
cientists have refused to accept his thesis and have insisted that the al=
leged fossil forms described were merely peculiar crystalizations of sili=
cate minerals.</P> <P>But a repidiation of Herr Hahn does not dispose of =
the subject. Galippe and Souffland, in France, working to-day with much m=
ore modern laboratory facilities and with meteorites which are in no way =
connected with the one which fell in Hungary, have come to conclusions ev=
en more startling than those of Hahn. </P> <P>These conclusions, which ha=
ve been for mally communicated to the French Academy of Science, are the =
basis on which leading sceintific men to-day - though not all scientific =
men - now accept the belief that some form of life actually exists on oth=
er planets than our own little earth.</P></FONT><BR><BR></DIV></BODY></HT=
ML>

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Received on Sun 29 Dec 2002 07:43:15 AM PST