[meteorite-list] India report #2.

From: John Gwilliam <jkg_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:25 2004
Message-ID: <4.2.0.58.20031010125807.009cfae0_at_mail.theriver.com>

Mike,
Thanks for making the effort to post a report of your adventure in
India. News like yours makes wading through the garbage on the Meteorite
List worth the effort.

and........

Matteo,
I know there are several List members who have had to deal with your
unorthodox and questionable business ethics, including myself. Most have
kept quiet because they know it's good form to keep one's mouth shut most
of the time. However, when you provoke responses from the likes of good
characters like Dave Freeman and Dave Andrews, you're starting to step on
more than just people's toes.

  Brothers Andrews and Freeman have expressed their opinions concerning you
incessant whining and complaining, and there will be more to follow if you
continue your banal rhetoric. You certainly don't want more testimonials to
make their way to this List, do you?

  Your silence would be greatly appreciated,

John Gwilliam
At 09:52 AM 10/10/03 -0700, Michael Farmer wrote:
>Good evening everyone, it is 10 pm here in Bhubaneswar
>India. another rainy day, more flooding, lots of
>problems.
> I went back to Kendrapara today, and was able to
>break through the absolutely hopeless Indian
>beurocracy and see the meteorites.
>I had to go to their version of a state or city hall,
>the place in charge of the surrounding area. They are
>working on the flood emergency, and told me that over
>1000 villages are submerged and so many people dead,
>interestingly the Indian Government only reports 17
>dead, and according to the locals, it is in the
>hundreds.
>Anyway, after alot of talking, explaining who I was
>and liberal if not quite true use of the word
>University, and making formal request letters to see
>and photograph the stones, the convened a meeting,
>made alot of phone calls, and just at dark I finally
>got authorization to go to the finance department and
>open the vault and play with the meteorites.
>The two stones they still have here are 5.7 kilos and
>a 500 gram fragment. They are stored in a large metal
>lock box, sealed with cord and then sealed with a wax
>stamp to avoid tampering. They do not really know what
>they are, and with the government people all demanding
>the stones, they have refused to release them to
>anyone since they do not understand who they belong
>to. It seems that the local and federal government are
>about to fight over them.
>I got to fully examine them, and took about 40 photos,
>but since the sun had set and they had one tiny light
>in the building, I dont know how well they will come
>out. The large stone was very nicely regmaglypted, but
>one side was broken off, and already very badly
>weathered only two weeks after the fall. The wet
>climate takes it's toll on meteorites fast. The other
>piece was from another stone which the villagers had
>broken up, and the other pieces have all been taken
>already. It is a breccia, like I said nice
>slickensides, i could not see many chondrules, but
>clearly an H chondrite. There is no possibility of
>any acquisition of these pieces, they made a special
>file just for me that I opened the box and examined
>the stone. It seems that in India, a file is made for
>even the slightest thing, as I said, just to see the
>stones I had to make a formal letter, get it signed by
>about 20 people, and authorized by countless more by
>telephone.
>The local government people were absolutely fascinated
>though. they asked me so many questions, and one of
>them thought that this was the first time in history
>that a stone had fallen from space, hence the
>reluctance to even show them. They were all afraid of
>radiation or viruses, and all did not understand why
>the stone burned. I explained the super high velocity
>is the cause of the fireball and burning, but they
>could not comprehend a stone burning because it was
>moving so fast.
>there was also an armed guard there while I opened the
>box!
>I was reported to the police by the cheif of the
>Suniti village, where the large stone fell, he wanted
>me to give him money yesterday so that he could get me
>a stone, I refused so I guess he called the state
>police today and reported me stealing a large stone,
>the police were surprised when I showed up at the
>station today, as I could only be the American who was
>to be arrested on sight. Of course they laughed it
>off, I did not find it quite as ammusing.
>Overall, even though the extreme beurocracy is what
>seems to stifle the Indian government, they were all
>very nice and just wanted to cover their own butts as
>it was explained to me.
>
>I doubt I will get any other pieces, so tomorrow is a
>tourism day, beach and temples. I saw alot of very
>tame monkeys today, ad even fed a few some bananas
>from on top of my head! You put a little banana up on
>your head, and the monkeys run right up your back and
>sit on your head eating away!
>I must say, that I appreciate every single day of
>travel that meteorites have brought me, even though it
>seems I will lose my shirt on this trip, oh well, ill
>make it up next time when I get the next fall. I am so
>pleased that I got my own little piece of this fall,
>bought right from the tiny village where it smashed
>the edge of a hut. I will never part with that piece.
>I have tons of photos, and will make a nice web page
>when I get home.
>But hey, all is not over yet, we are waiting on a
>phone call from the villages, and if it comes Ill go
>get a large stone, it is out there, hiding from me for
>now, but I have two more full days here in the
>strewnfield to make up for lost time.
>
>For those of you who like these rambling emails,
>thanks for listening, for those who hate me, oh well,
>I will never apologize for being myself, I may say
>things that should not be said sometimes, and I am
>sorry for that, but to me I value a person who speaks
>their mind and lets their feelings be known much more
>than a coward who lies to your face.
>
>I am exausted again, driving at night here is the
>worst kind of Russian Roulette, and it takes it's
>toll. Until tomorrow.
>Another night away from my wife and home on the other
>side of the planet.
>Mike Farmer
>
>
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Received on Fri 10 Oct 2003 04:22:18 PM PDT