[meteorite-list] Twice Blessed Yankee Lobsterman

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 14:19:07 +0200
Message-ID: <003f01cb6162$d912ac40$8b3804c0$_at_de>

You princes of Maine, you kings of New England,

perhaps David is referring to that article?
http://www.scarboroughcrossroads.org/slct/referen/a03/rp1003.html

Well, it's an old article of 1985 and if you check below, the author wasn't
directly a specialist.

Dave, it's very common, that people believe or even claim, that they have
found a meteorite.
And that afterwards no denial is published. That happens till to our times,
if you remember e.g. last year, the story who made it into the media around
the world, from a German pupil, who claimed to have been hit by a meteorite.
That was published everywhere and it was taken for granted, that the pebble,
which had hit him, was a meteorite, although any collector and specialist
easily saw, that regarding the circumstances it was definitely nothing. Was
btw later tested at MHN in Berlin and was of course terrestrial.
Nevertheless no disclaimer was found in press.

If all the list members, who have a webpage about meteorites, would forward
the emails they get from people claiming, to have found a meteorite, then
this list would explode.
Perhaps one-tenth of a per mill of such finds are in the end a true
meteorite.

Maine has five meteorites - Nobleboro, Castine, Searsmont, Andover and
Walnut Hill. All were observed to fall, respectively Walnut Hill was found
on a roof, while repairing it. That is very normal for a non-dry state, that
no finds else are made, except if the stones fall in front of the feet of
the people.

Seen the surface of Maine and the population density, five is already a very
good number.

Most known is Andover, because the meteorite dealer Ward had cared for it.

(Addendum for Randy to my recent post on the IMCA-list: For the display,
Ward brought to the Columbian exhibition and with which the Chicago Field
museum started its famous meteorite collection,
Marshall Field paid an equivalent of 2.4 million USD).

Best!
Martin



-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Bob
Loeffler
Gesendet: Freitag, 1. Oktober 2010 04:23
An: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] Twice Blessed Yankee Lobsterman

Hi Dave,

I was only trying to tell you that those are not official meteorites, but if
you were "well aware that the two Round Pond meteorites had not been
mentioned with official citations", I would think that you would be well
aware that they then cannot be considered meteorites (since they have not
been officially classified).

Regarding wasting our time and what your style is, I have not seen too many
postings from you, so I have no idea what your style is or whether you were
wasting our time. From what you said in your e-mail, I assumed you were a
meteorite "newbie", not just a newbie to this list. Like I said above, I
was just trying to let you know that they aren't official (so you probably
won't find many details about them).

If you had told us that the Maine Geological Survey mentioned them on their
website, maybe that could've helped us research it, don't you think? And
next time, you might want to say that you have already done some research
and therefore others who want to help you won't repeat what you have already
done.

Regards,

Bob



-----Original Message-----
From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of David
Gunning
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 10:05 AM
To: Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Subject: [meteorite-list] Twice Blessed Yankee Lobsterman


Hi Rob & Elton,

Believe it or not, guys, I was well aware that the two Round Pond
meteorites had not been mentioned with official citations. You think I
would want to waste peoples time without first getting the factual lay of
an issue? That's not my style.

I first learned about the Round Pond meteorites on a web site hosted by
the Maine Geological Survey. Unless I'm mistaken that information is
offered by the Maine Geological Survey without qualifiers. Because of
the source, I took the information at face value, "statistically
improbable" or not.

There is another Maine meteorite report that references a "321 lb.
metallic stone" having been found on the shore of Great Chebeague Island
in Casco Bay, in 1973. As I lived on a neighboring island in Casco Bay
for five years and never heard of it PLUS the lack of mention by the
Maine Geological Survey in any of their public literature, I did not make
mention of that particular meteorite in my original query to the list.

I mean, how on earth could an islander hide a "321 lb. metallic stone
meteorite". . .without half the other islanders knowing about it?
Talk about your "statistical improbabilities". . . !

Now, if it turns-out that the story of the lobsterman meteorite finder
was either factually incorrect or a creative fabrication on the part of
the State of Maine and the Maine Geological Survey I would suggest to all
interested parties, from the Governor on down, that the citizens of
Maine, myself included, deserve better than to be fibbed to in such a
bald faced manner.

I'd like to know the Maine peat bog location you've referenced, Elton, if
it's not too much trouble.

Best wishes,

Dave Gunning






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Received on Fri 01 Oct 2010 08:19:07 AM PDT