Hello Svend,
You might find the following two newspapers interesting. The first is very long and I do not have it transcribed yet, the second is posted on my website. I have PDF's copies of each available via e-mail upon request (~800kb. each). Mazapil will get a direct newpsaper article link on the site later tonight.
I will be leaving here by the time your read this (on vacation), however I have hired helper now, she has worked with me before and seems to have a good handle on things and should be able to handle almost all inquiries.
Clear Skies, Mark Bostick www.meteoritearticles.com
Paper: Washington Post City: Washington, D.C. Date: Sunday, October 31, 1909 Page: Magazine Section, Page 1
(Part of a long article on meteors)
Meteors Like Little Pebbles
The former of these was a bolide which came to earth in France on Aprl 4, 1905, a shower of Lyraids simultanesouly attracting the heavens the wondering gaze ofthe people of western Europe. Of this hot visitand the Saxon Chronicle records that one of the eyewitnesses "cast water upon it, which was raised in steam with a great noise of boiling."
The later instance was observed at Mazapil, in Mexico, during the Andromede rain of November 27, 1885. That which was described asa ball of fire struck the ground, and when cool was found to be a piece o firon weighing 8 pounds, and containing nodules of graphite. These two bodies came into reach during a display of shooting stars. But they lack observation concerning their radiant point; therefore there is no ground for associating them with the simultaneous phenomenon..
Paper: La Porte City Progress City: La Porte City, Iowa Date: October 5, 1887
IS IT A PIECE OF A COMET!
A Metallic Fragment from Another World
(W.E. Hidden, in the Century.)
There has recently come into my possession the ninth iron meteorite whose fall to the earth has been observed. It is, moreover, the first meteorite which seems to evidence a direct connection with a star-shower. The mass acquires still further interest from the fact that it is presumably a fragment of the famous comet of Biela.
A brief account of this celestial wanderer will doubtless be of interest to the readers of - The Century, in which magazine the essays of the astronomer Langley have recently appeared.
Astronomers have waited patiently for the fall to the earth's surface, at the time of the periodical star-showers, of something tangible, but until now that have waited in vain.
In looking over a considerable amount of astronomical literature only one record can be found of the falling of a body to the earth at such a time; this war near Paris, on the 10th of April, 1094, when "many shooting-stars were seen and a very large one was said to have been found on the ground as a glowing substance.
From the 24th to the 29th of November, 1885, the earth was passing through a train of meteors that proceeded from the constellation Andromeda, and once formed a part of Biela's comet. These meteors are now known to astronomers as Andromedes or Bielids. The maximum of this shower occurred on the 27th, while it was yet broad daylight over America, and at an hour corresponding to 11 a.m. at Mazapil, Mexico. Thus, at this time of the fall of this meteorite, ten hours after the maximum number of meteors was observed, the earth was meeting with only the stragglers of the train. It cannot be doubted that the cosmical dust proceeding from the disintegration of Biela's comet wholly enveloped the earth and was seen as meteors from every part of it. Such was the magnificence of the celestial phenomenon that in some parts of the Eastern continent uneducated people believed there would be no stars left in the sky.
Of the countless host of meteors which crossed the earth's path on this 26th of November, only one is as yet known to have reached the earth's surface, and this fell near the village of Mazapil, in the State of Zacatecas, Mexico, at about 9 o'clock in the evening. It is of the rare iron-nickel variety, and weighs ten and a quarter pounds troy.
This meteorite was presented to me by Sir. Jose A. Bonilla, Directory-Professor of the Zacatecas Observatory, who received it, five days after its fall, from the ranchman who was it descend from the heavens. This ranchman related the strange occurrence as follows (translated from the Spanish):
"It was about 9 o'clock on the night of November 27, when I went out to the corral to feed certain horses; suddenly, I heard a loud sizzling noise, exactly as though something red hot was being plunged into cold water, and almost instantly there followed a somewhat load thud. At once the corral was covered with a phosphorescent light, while suspended in the air were small luminous sparks as though from a rocket. I had not recovered from my surprise before I saw this luminous air disappear, and there remained on the ground only such a light as is made when a match is rubbed. A number of people came running toward me from the neighboring houses, and they assisted me in quieting the horses, which had became very much excited. We all asked each other what could be the matter, and we were afraid to walk in the corral for fear of being burned. When, in a few minutes, we had recovered from our fright, we saw the light disappear, and bringing lanterns to look for the cause, we found a hole in the ground and in it a ball of light. We retired to a distance, fearing it would explode and harm us. Looking up to the sky, we saw from time to time exhalations or stars which soon went out without noise. We returned after a little, and found in the hole a hot stone which we could barely handle; this on the next day, we saw, looked like a piece of iron. All night it rained stars, but we saw none fall to the ground, as they all seemed to be extinguished while yet very high up."
Upon further inquiry we learn that there was no explosion or detonation heard, and that the mass penetrated the earth only to a depth of twelve inches.
This very circumstantial account leads us to believe that this meteorite is the first one to be secured and preserved that has come to earth during a star-shower.
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