[meteorite-list] ANIMALS KILLED IN CARANCAS?

From: Sterling K. Webb <sterling_k_webb_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 02:13:01 -0600
Message-ID: <083501c81eba$852b7ff0$c944e146_at_ATARIENGINE>

Hi, List,

    Since there seems to be some debate about whether
the Carancas impact killed any animals, I am passing
along from Carl Esparza, who went to Carancas with
Bob Haag (and who can't seem to post to the List), a
statement from one of the Aquila-Condor organization
workers who went to Carancas on September 21-22,
Andalusia Apaza.

    I have done and neatened up a machine-translation of
the Spanish, which to be found below. It describes the
actual fall of the meteorite by those who witnessed it. It
covers much of the same ground as the previous statement
I posted a translation of. This statement is essentially a
clarification, made in late October.

    The statement addresses the question of animal deaths
directly. The gist is that there was the death of a sheep on
the property of the land owner and the death of a llama by
falling debris on a neighbor's land.

    "Both animals were cut open and their galls were examined
to see if the meat was good or bad. In both cases, the meat
was good." It appears that the sheep was killed by the impact
shock wave (ruptured internal organ) and the llama by flying
debris.

    I am also including, at the bottom of this post, the text of
the Spanish original document. If you find any real clunkers
in this translation, let me know or post a correction. This is a
long language path, from Aymara, which is then translated to
Spanish, then the Spanish is translated to English by an online
program, and puzzled out from there, so pretty much anything
is possible.


Sterling K. Webb
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The Narative of Andalusia
Of a Trip to Carancas, September 21-22, 2007,
the travelers being Joel Torrez, V?ctor Castro
and Andalusia Apaza.

    We came in the afternoon to the Community Carancas
Hito 41. We stayed at the house of Jos?, son of Valentina
Pari Sarmiento, who lives with his daughter, both very
kind persons.

    They have told us of the events that they saw in the sky:
a fire falling down that penetrated the ground, and in a few
seconds more, there was a very strong explosion, deafening,
so much so that all of them were scared. The noise was so
strong that it lasted half an hour, and the ground shook just
as in an [earth]quake in. The sky was filled with a very blue
dust; it was dust, and not particles [literally seeds or grains].

    The sky was filled with this dust, so that one might neither
breathe nor see anything. At that time, they thought that it was
the Chileans with a bomb attack, or that a plane had crashed to
Earth. So strong was their fright that the Se?ora Valentina
remained in one place and would not move for anything,
right there out on the pampa, but later [soon] they moved
to the shelter of the house.

    Senora Semiana told us of her ewe [female sheep] who was
pregnant: after the explosion, that is, on the following day, she
found the ewe dead. She cut open the sheep, and its gallbladder
had burst. The meat seemed normal, and had no burnt odor.
They were told by their neighbor of one of his llamas which had
been killed by the flame of the explosion in the ground, which
had cast boiling mud on the head of the animal, and the animal
fell down dead.


Spanish Original:
Relato de Andalucia
Viaje a Carancas 21-22 de Septiembre
Viaje Joel Torrez, V?ctor Castro y Andaluc?a Apaza

Llegamos un en la tarde a la Comunidad Carancas Hito 41
Nos hospedamos en casa del Jos? hijo de Valentina Pari
Sarmiento que vive con su hija, muy amable las personas.

Ellos nos ha contado lo sucedido, vieron en el cielo un fuego
cayendo que perfor? la tierra y unos segundos m?s hubo
una explosi?n muy fuerte ensordecedor, que todos se
asustaron, el ruido fue tan fuerte que dur? media hora igual
que el temblor en la tierra, de tan azul que estaba el cielo ya
estaba cubierto de polvo no se podr?a respirar ni ver nada,
en el momento pensaron que eran los chilenos con un ataque
de bomba, o que un avi?n se precipit? al suelo, tanto fuerte
fue el susto que la se?ora Valentina se quedo est?tica y no
se movi? para nada all? en la pampa y poco despu?s se fue
corriendo a refugiar a su casa.

La se?ora Semiana nos cuenta de su oveja hembra que estaba
pre?ada, despu?s de la explosi?n al d?a siguiente la encontr?
muerta, y corto la oveja, su calculo biliar hab?a reventado y
no ten?a olor a quemado solo carne normal, cont? que la vecina
su llama se muri? por la explosi?n la tierra con barro hirviendo
le dio en la cabeza y cay? muerta, despu?s de que la cortar?n
la carne no ten?a olor a quemado si no carne normal.
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Received on Sun 04 Nov 2007 03:13:01 AM PST