[meteorite-list] Canyon Diablo & nomenclature...was (Is Amgala Official?/NewBulletin)

From: MexicoDoug_at_aol.com <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed May 11 12:51:30 2005
Message-ID: <192.3fbc6022.2fb391fe_at_aol.com>

_markf_at_ssl.gb.com_ (mailto:markf@ssl.gb.com) escribe:

>> Canyon Diablo, what was the reasoning for that name
>Tom, Canyon Diablo = Valley of the devil
 
Tom, Mark, Jeff, List: Canyon Diablo vs. Meteor Crater is an interesting
case in nomenclature. It is sort of a chicken or egg first story because how
could you name a meteorite after the crater it produced is you want to name it
AFTER a topographical feature. If a meteorite wiped out a city, could you
could it Chicago Crater instead of just Chicago? Well maybe the chicken and
egg rules can be bent for finds (like Canyon Diablo) vs. falls...someone must
have debated this a some time in the MetSoc:)
 
Mark, "Valley of the Devil" may be where they grow your favorite wine, but
Canyon Diablo's name would seem to have a different story (A canyon isn't quite
 a valley)...here's the story I pieced together from several interesting
websites (I would say the translation is more true as "Sin City")
 
The canyon had earlier been given its name by Lt. Whipple during an 1853
army 35th parallel land survey after the Northamericans took the land from
Mexico. Due to the extensive detour to cross it, he first cristened the canyon
"Devil's Canyon".
 
The railroad had an equally difficult time building a bridge to cross the
canyon in 1880, and it became the de facto railroad terminal. Originally named
for the devil of a canyon to cross, the new town borrowed the railroad's
designation and earned its name and raised it one by translating the word Devil
into the Spanish word "Diablo" the latin-blooded naughtier counterpart of the
meat and potatos Devil. Surpassing Flagstaff in size and somewhat like a
modern day Las Vegas, Canyon Diablo was more dangerous than than the Earps and
Holidays could ever hope to control. Many competing houses of prostitution,
gambling and drinking and other parlors and dance halls offering similar
opportunity lined the (only) street proudly named Hell Street, and business was
brisk around the clock in the town that never slept. There was no law in the
town.
 
The blissful misery of the town got a cold shower and practically vanished
when the bridge over the canyon was completed in 1890, when there were other
reasons to pass through and have the Army keep it safe...and Arizona was on the
 way to becoming a State (which happened in 1912).
 
Saudos, Doug
 
Received on Wed 11 May 2005 12:51:10 PM PDT