[meteorite-list] Nininger to Perry Letter, May 5, 1953 (New Museum)

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat Jun 5 13:37:06 2004
Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV94sJuq0W4nI00017b0f_at_hotmail.com>

(American Meteorite Museum Letterhead)
AMERICAN METEORITE MUSUEM
OPPOSITE METEOR CRATER ON HIGHWAY 66
POST OFFICE BOX 1171
WINSLOW ARIZONA

May 5, 1953

Dear Stuart:
We are now working with the architect on plans for our new building in the wonderful Oak Creek Canyon where we shall continue our museum, making a much more attractive exhibit and one more readily usable by scientists who may wish to study it. The plan for exhibition is one that I believe will have quite an appeal. We have been working on it for years. We had almost decided to close our program and put the collection in storage; but now we see how we believe we can make it pay off and have bought the property and will begin building right away.
In order to complete the structure in a manner to suit us we are going to reduce the number of specimens by selling off some duplicates which up to now we have been holding back. Among these are some which I recall you have inquired about from time to time. Hence I am enclosing a list for you to look over.
However, there are three special Canyon Diablo irons which I think you and Henderson should interest yourselves in. These are from definite locations on three sides of the crate and several miles from the crater. We have now been working some years on the project of recovering specimens that would be definitely labeled as to location for comparative study.
I wonder if it has ever occurred to you that no one or institution has even made a real comparative study of the meteorites of this fall except the one I made of those collected on the rim. That study of mine has yielded several new facts that seem to be very significant.
One of these facts is that there is definite difference between the heat-treatment received by the fragments on the rim and that received by the fragments that are gathered from the plain.
Now, there remains to be made a study of the irons from the several widely separated concentrations of irons on the plain. We have been preparing the ground work on which such a study can be made by promoting an expensive search for these irons during the past six weeks.
We now have a representative group of irons of good size for study. The recovery of these is an expensive and tedious operation and we have found only one man who would stay with it long enough to get results. We pay in actual case $2.00 per pound for small ones and $1.00 per pound for large ones besides all of the expenses connected with making such a survey. Each of these specimens is labeled when brought from the field as to section, township and range and any other specimen information.
So far as I know these are the only specimens that have ever been collected with such data and I think the U.S. Mus. should have such material for research now, or for preservation until such time as a proper study can be made.
This morning Dr. Blackwelder was here again. He is tremendously interested in my new discovery of dolomite-silica glass in and on the crater rim. He also agrees with most of us that it is nothing short of tragic that this crater is not a National Monument and he proposed that something be done about it.
I think unquestionable that is what will come about sooner or later. When it does there will no doubt be a program of research set up but it will probably be too late for successful collecting of such material as I speak of unless at very great expense.
I am listing three of these irons which I think you will want to present to the U.S. Museum and I can supply a few more from other locations if you wish them.
Right now is when we need the money from these specimens. Otherwise they would not be offered because in our new building we shall have room for all we have.
Sincerely,
(signed)
H.H. Nininger
HHN: AN


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