Paper: Arizona Republican City: Phoenix, Arizona Date: Tuesday, February 26, 1907 Page: 4
Progress of the Novel Operation of the Standard Iron Co. in Northern Arizona
S. J. Holsinger, superintendent of the Standard Iron company, was interviewed yesterday concerning the operations of the company which as many people know is engaged in a novel occupation having two important objects in view. One is the development of the most unique iron mine in the world and the other a scientific study of the largest meteor known to man. The scene of the operations is in northern Arizona no great distance from the railroad and about three and a half miles from Canyon Diablo. An immense depression or crater-like formation is found there, its greatest depth being about 600 feet. Opinion differed in the past concerning it. Some believed it was a volcanic crater and some thought it was the hole left by a monstrous meteor which had struck the earth some time in past ages. Mr. Holsinger so reported it to the land office when he when he was in its service, and later a company of capitalists was formed for its exploitation, Mr. Holsinger being made the superintendent. Explorations have been going on now for two or three years, and Mr. Holsinger says the results have been most satisfactory, although final success has not been achieved. The gentlemen furnishing the money are interested in scientific things and have published a number of works on this meteor of one kind and another. They hoped first to demonstrate that it was the work of a meteor, and second, it was believe that if a meteor itself could be found it would be most valuable deposit of iron. Operations were suspended last September on account of a deficient water supply, but since then a dam has been put in Canyon Diablo and water is pumped to Meteor. Work will be resumed about April 1st.
Four holes have been drilled in the bottom of the crater to the depth of 1000 feet, making a total depth of 1600 feet below the surrounding country. At this depth the crew of the diamond drills have shown the penetration of the original unaltered sandstone. Scientific men say this proves conclusive that the crater was made by a meteor, or at least was not of volcanic origin for if it were the formation below would have been disturbed. Drilling will be continued, not to greater depth but in other directions, for the location of the immense meteor that it is believed is somewhere imbedded on one side or another of the crater. And it must have been a monster to have torn a hole through the solid line and sandstone of that immediate section.
The theory is that the meteor struck the earth at something of an angle and therefore did not go straight down. It naturally follows that it would be found on one side of the crater. Some contend that when found it will prove to be a solid mass of iron. Others believe it is considerable shattered or broken up. The last hole sunk was the nearest to the outside of the crater and the results were more encouraging than previously, that is more iron specimens were recovered. This leads to the belief that they are prospecting in the right direction. Altogether, since the beginning of operations about 4000 fragments of meteoric iron have been found, varying in weight from a few pennyweights to 300 pounds.
Professor Fairchild of Rochester, secretary of the Geologica Society of the world, who recently visited the place said it was undoubtedly the eighth wonder of the world in point of discovery, but was the first in point of interest, scientifically and otherwise. Many other scientific men have visited the crater, in fact they are coming and going all the time, and they all agree to the sentiment of Prof. Fairchild.
It is fortunate indeed for Arizona, that this wonder came into the possession of the men who became deeply interested in it and who at the same time had money and pluck enough to exploit it. They will feel repaid even if they never get their money back but it is sincerely hoped they will also made a financial success of their investment.
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Clear Skies, Mark Bostick Wichita, Kansas http://www.meteoritearticles.com http://www.kansasmeteoritesociety.com http://www.imca.cc
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