[meteorite-list] Nininger to Perry, Feb. 19, 1952 (from Mexico)
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:14 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV27nV2d5twvN0000e5d1_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_0021_01C42196.C251FAA0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable (American Meteorite Museum Letterhead) AMERICAN METEORITE MUSUEM OPPOSITE METEOR CRATER ON HIGHWAY 66 POST OFFICE BOX 1171 WINSLOW ARIZONA Mexico City D.F. Dobler Courts Feb. 19 (Mark note: 1952 but the year was not written on letter) Dear Friend Perry: We returned last night from Xiquipilco after spending three days. That is= about the most primitive village you can find even tho it is only 30 mil= es (air line) from Mexico City. We had to drive about 90 mi. to reach it = and the last 2 miles took as much times as the other 88. Xiquipilco is not in the valley of Toluca; but rather on the slope of the= sierra which forms the continental divide and is about 500 to 800 feet a= bove the valley on a very steep rugged volcanic slope which is deeply dis= sected with gorges, canyons and narrow valleys. The central village stand= s on a loma or ridge which runs WSW to ENE. And the extreme village limit= s on this ridge range in elevation from 8860 ft to 9716 ft above sea leve= l. Toluca City is 20 miles away in the midst of the valley. We visited more than 40 locations where meteorites have been found, all w= ithin the village, and took elevation readings in most of these locations= These finds had all been made by those now living, and remember several= generations have preceded them, all finding meteorites in this village. We have not found any visible craters but took soil samples in 12 locatio= ns for later laboratory inspection. We also flew over the area but could = see no craters other than volcanic. The latter are numerous but mostly ba= dly deformed by erosion. The natives learned that we paid for meteorites and besieged us with spec= imens for sale. Naturally we brought them, not only because we think they= shall be preserved; but also because it was the only way to ascertain th= eir distribution. We bought about 400 lbs and now hope to obtain a permit= to remove them to the U.S. We carried letters from Univ. of Mex. and were accompanied by Dr. Mullerr= eid who will do the interceding for a permit. He is the Prof. of Paleonto= logy and a prince of a inon(?). Now we are running out of money and I hope you will advance us $300 and w= e'll pay it back after the research fund has been arranged for. We go to = Vera Craig(?) tomorrow. Will look up two supposed meteorites on the way. = We return Fri. in time to give a lecture in the Instituto Geologica that = evening, and shall start for U.S. some time next week. Address C/O Case Dobler Calle Geral Cano 20 Tocubaya, Mexico D.F. Sincerely, (signed) H.H. Nininger Mark note: Parts of this letter were very hard to read, however I am fair= ly confident in the translation with the exception of the description giv= en by Nininger of Dr. Frederick K. G. Mullerreid. In which it appears Nin= inger writes what appears to be that Mullerreid is the prince of somethin= g. In "Find a Falling Star", Nininger recounts the above and notes Muller= reid as a "short, stocky German geologist was a great field investigator = who had traveled all over Mexico and later explored New Guinea. He had di= scovered a hitherto unknown volcano and a new species of fossil in Chiapi= s, a Mexican state bordering South America. =20 Another spot on the letter I can't make out well is the location in the l= ast paragraph, Vera Craig (?). ------=_NextPart_001_0021_01C42196.C251FAA0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><FONT size=3D2= > <P>(American Meteorite Museum Letterhead)</P> <P>AMERICAN METEORITE MUS= UEM</P> <P>OPPOSITE METEOR CRATER ON HIGHWAY 66</P> <P>POST OFFICE BOX 11= 71</P> <P>WINSLOW ARIZONA</P> <P> </P> <P>Mexico City D.F.</P> <P>Do= bler Courts</P> <P> </P> <P>Feb. 19 (Mark note: 1952 but the year wa= s not written on letter)</P> <P>Dear Friend Perry:</P> <P>We returned las= t night from Xiquipilco after spending three days. That is about the most= primitive village you can find even tho it is only 30 miles (air line) f= rom Mexico City. We had to drive about 90 mi. to reach it and the last 2 = miles took as much times as the other 88.</P> <P>Xiquipilco is not in the= valley of Toluca; but rather on the slope of the sierra which forms the = continental divide and is about 500 to 800 feet above the valley on a ver= y steep rugged volcanic slope which is deeply dissected with gorges, cany= ons and narrow valleys. The central village stands on a loma or ridge whi= ch runs WSW to ENE. And the extreme village limits on this ridge range in= elevation from 8860 ft to 9716 ft above sea level. Toluca City is 20 mil= es away in the midst of the valley.</P> <P>We visited more than 40 locati= ons where meteorites have been found, all within the village, and took el= evation readings in most of these locations. These finds had all been mad= e by those now living, and remember several generations have preceded the= m, all finding meteorites in this village.</P> <P>We have not found any v= isible craters but took soil samples in 12 locations for later laboratory= inspection. We also flew over the area but could see no craters other th= an volcanic. The latter are numerous but mostly badly deformed by erosion= </P> <P>The natives learned that we paid for meteorites and besieged us = with specimens for sale. Naturally we brought them, not only because we t= hink they shall be preserved; but also because it was the only way to asc= ertain their distribution. We bought about 400 lbs and now hope to obtain= a permit to remove them to the U.S.</P> <P>We carried letters from Univ.= of Mex. and were accompanied by Dr. Mullerreid who will do the intercedi= ng for a permit. He is the Prof. of Paleontology and a prince of a inon(?= ).</P> <P>Now we are running out of money and I hope you will advance us = $300 and we'll pay it back after the research fund has been arranged for.= We go to Vera Craig(?) tomorrow. Will look up two supposed meteorites on= the way. We return Fri. in time to give a lecture in the Instituto Geolo= gica that evening, and shall start for U.S. some time next week.</P> <P>A= ddress C/O Case Dobler Calle Geral Cano</P> <P>20 Tocubaya, Mexico D.F.</= P> <P>Sincerely,</P> <P>(signed)</P> <P>H.H. Nininger</P> <P>Mark note: P= arts of this letter were very hard to read, however I am fairly confident= in the translation with the exception of the description given by Nining= er of Dr. Frederick K. G. Mullerreid. In which it appears Nininger writes= what appears to be that Mullerreid is the prince of something. In "Find = a Falling Star", Nininger recounts the above and notes Mullerreid as a "s= hort, stocky German geologist was a great field investigator who had trav= eled all over Mexico and later explored New Guinea. He had discovered a h= itherto unknown volcano and a new species of fossil in Chiapis, a Mexican= state bordering South America. </P> <P>Another spot on the letter I can'= t make out well is the location in the last paragraph, Vera Craig (?).</P= ></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_0021_01C42196.C251FAA0-- Received on Tue 13 Apr 2004 09:34:46 PM PDT |
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