Paper: Lethbridge Herald City: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada Date: Saturday, June 18, 1977 Page: 9
$1 million claim delays meteorite research work
OLD WOMAN'S MOUNTAIN, Calif. (AP) - A U.S. Marine helicopter dropped into a crevice of this rocky desert moutain Friday and plucked out a three-ton meteorite, the second largest found in the United States. The find had scientists mouths watering as they waited to cut into the three-foot by four-foot rock that slammed into this wilderness hundreds of years ago. The Smithsonian Institution's curator of meteorite, Dr. Roy Clarke, was at one site 200 miles east of Los Angeles and called the meteorite "very important scientific material." But the Smithsonian and scientists may have to wait before cutting on the meteorite because three miners claim the rock is theirs and will go to court to keep it. The miners discovered the meteorite two years ago while searching for the legendary Lost Arch Spanish Gold Mine. They told reporters that they filed a claim in San Bernardino. "We always figured it was going to end up int he hands of the scientific community." said David Friberg of Twentynine Palms. Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor and meteorite articles. |
