[meteorite-list] NP Article, 06-1977 Old Women Meteorite Disputed
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:19 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV16jkEqG0MBH000015b0_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_0004_01C38847.A4DDCA00 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Title: Color Country Spectrum =20 City: Saint George, Utah =20 Date: Sunday, June 19, 1977 Page: 2 Meteorite sent to Smithsonian RIVERSIDE, Calif. (UPI) - A three-ton meteorite, second largest ever foun= d in the United States, plunked onto the desert from outer space "hundred= s of years ago" and it may take another couple of years to determine who = it belongs to. The three miners who discovered it while searching for a gold mine says f= inders keepers - to them its worth "a million dollars." But the Smithsoni= an Institution also wants it, as does a scientist at UCLA. Marines, using a heavy duty helicopter from Santa Ana MCAS, dragged the h= uge nickel-iron object out of a rocky canyon in the Old Woman Mountains 1= 70 miles each of Los Angeles Friday. The meteorite, four feet high, three feet wide and 2 1/2 feet thick, was = placed on a flatbed truck and taken to the Bureau of Land Management offi= ces in Riverside, where it will be displayed for two weeks. Then it goes = to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., where scientists plan to slice it= open for study. "A meteorite is like a book." said curtor Dr. Roy S. Clarke. "it has to b= e opened before it can be understood." David Friburg, Mike Jendruczak and Hack Harwood, all of Twentynine Palms,= found the meteorite in March, 1976, while looking for a legendary Spanis= h Conquistador gold mine. Jendruczak said he was drawn to the reddish-brown and black rock because = it looked out of place among the tan and gray boulders littering the rugg= ed shopes. "I tapped it," he said, "and right away I knew what it was. I'd seen pict= ures of meteorites in school and I've seen them in museums. So I was pret= ty sure it was a meteorite." Friburg said the three contemplated hiring a comercial helicopter to lift= it out themselves, making a documentary film of the process which they w= ould sell. They sent chips to John T. Wasson, a UCLA chemist and meteorit= e expert. Wasson said the sample showed a rare type of meteorite. "Type IIB" If sub= sequent tests prove this it would be the 15th such type found in the worl= d. Eventually, Clarke came out to examine the meteorite and claim it for the= Smithsonian under the 1906 Antiquities Act. He said he discussed a finde= r's fee for the miners, which they refused. The miners are claiming the rock is theirs under the 1872 Mining Act. The= y say they could get a last 31 million by selling chips to scientists. (Article includes photo of people standing around Old Women Meteorite). Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor= and meteorite articles. ------=_NextPart_001_0004_01C38847.A4DDCA00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><B><FONT size=3D= 2> <P>Title: Color Country Spectrum </P> <P>City: Saint George, Utah </P>= <P>Date: Sunday, June 19, 1977</P> <P>Page: 2</P></B> <P> </P> <P>M= eteorite sent to Smithsonian</P> <P> </P> <P>RIVERSIDE, Calif. (UPI)= - A three-ton meteorite, second largest ever found in the United States,= plunked onto the desert from outer space "hundreds of years ago" and it = may take another couple of years to determine who it belongs to.</P> <P>T= he three miners who discovered it while searching for a gold mine says fi= nders keepers - to them its worth "a million dollars." But the Smithsonia= n Institution also wants it, as does a scientist at UCLA.</P> <P>Marines,= using a heavy duty helicopter from Santa Ana MCAS, dragged the huge nick= el-iron object out of a rocky canyon in the Old Woman Mountains 170 miles= each of Los Angeles Friday.</P> <P>The meteorite, four feet high, three = feet wide and 2 1/2 feet thick, was placed on a flatbed truck and taken t= o the Bureau of Land Management offices in Riverside, where it will be di= splayed for two weeks. Then it goes to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C= ., where scientists plan to slice it open for study.</P> <P>"A meteorite = is like a book." said curtor Dr. Roy S. Clarke. "it has to be opened befo= re it can be understood."</P> <P>David Friburg, Mike Jendruczak and Hack = Harwood, all of Twentynine Palms, found the meteorite in March, 1976, whi= le looking for a legendary Spanish Conquistador gold mine.</P> <P>Jendruc= zak said he was drawn to the reddish-brown and black rock because it look= ed out of place among the tan and gray boulders littering the rugged shop= es.</P> <P>"I tapped it," he said, "and right away I knew what it was. I'= d seen pictures of meteorites in school and I've seen them in museums. So= I was pretty sure it was a meteorite."</P> <P>Friburg said the three con= templated hiring a comercial helicopter to lift it out themselves, making= a documentary film of the process which they would sell. They sent chips= to John T. Wasson, a UCLA chemist and meteorite expert.</P> <P>Wasson sa= id the sample showed a rare type of meteorite. "Type IIB" If subsequent t= ests prove this it would be the 15th such type found in the world.</P> <P= >Eventually, Clarke came out to examine the meteorite and claim it for th= e Smithsonian under the 1906 Antiquities Act. He said he discussed a find= er's fee for the miners, which they refused.</P> <P>The miners are claimi= ng the rock is theirs under the 1872 Mining Act. They say they could get = a last 31 million by selling chips to scientists.</P> <P> </P> <P>(A= rticle includes photo of people standing around Old Women Meteorite).</P>= </FONT><BR><BR>Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line ar= chive of meteor and meteorite articles.</DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_0004_01C38847.A4DDCA00-- Received on Wed 01 Oct 2003 07:12:58 PM PDT |
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