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Correspondence from Tim McCoy to David Lintz, October 16, 1994Show simple item record

dc.creatorMcCoy, Tim (Timothy J.)
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-12T18:09:52Z
dc.date.available2024-02-12T18:09:52Z
dc.date.issued1994-10-16
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/63062
dc.descriptionLetter from Tim McCoy to David Lintz discussing O. C. Farrington's records of the Bluff and Mart meteorite samples and possible histories of how the meteorites were traded and sold.
dc.relationOscar Monnig Papers (MS 124)
dc.rightsPrior written permission from TCU Special Collections required to use any document or photograph.
dc.sourceSeries III, Box 06, Fayette Co., Texas correspondence folder
dc.subjectMeteorite
dc.subjectFayette County meteorite
dc.subjectFayette County (Tex.)
dc.subjectBluff meteorites
dc.subjectCedar meteorite
dc.subjectArizona State University. Center for Meteorite Studies
dc.subjectMart meteorite
dc.subjectNininger, Harvey Harlow
dc.subjectLyndon B. Johnson Space Center
dc.subjectMcCoy, Tim (Timothy J.)
dc.subjectCharlton, O. C.
dc.titleCorrespondence from Tim McCoy to David Lintz, October 16, 1994
dc.typeDocument
dc.description.transcriptionNATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center Houston, TX 77058 Dr. David Lintz Strecker Museum Baylor Univ. Waco, TX 76798 Dear Dr. Lintz, Oct. 16, 1994 Enclosed you will find copies of information on Bluff and Mart from the "Catalog of Meteorites of North America" by O.C. Farrington (1915). Farrington's catalog summarized the literature on meteorites, as well as listing locations of masses. The information on Bluff is not particularly helpful or new, since Farrington was apparently unaware of Charlton's report of three new stones. The Bluff section only discusses the original 320 lb. Bluff #1 stone, not the Cedar stones reported by Charlton. Of greater interest to you is probably the section on Mart. In Charlton's note, he reports that a slice had been cut for the Smithsonian and a report was in preparation. Farrington reprints the publication of Merrill (1900, Proc. Washington Acad. Sci., 2, 51-53), which is almost certainly this report. Merrill reports cutting the meteorite in half and retaining a slice of 456 g. This is almost certainly the 454 g slice currently held by the Smithsonian and reported in the 1985 Catalog of Meteorites entry which I sent earlier. It then appears that the two remaining pieces were returned to Waco. At a later date (~1900), Ward visited Waco and bought one of these pieces and made a slice from the other for Charlton to keep. It seems likely that the piece Ward bought (which Charlton reported as about 4 pounds) was divided between the Field Museum (who acquired Ward's collection), the American Mus. of Nat. Hist. in New York and the British Museum (the purchase of the British Museum sample of Mart from Ward's was confirmed by the current curator, Monica Grady). Another interesting point is that you had mentioned that the recovery of Mart was accompanied by a meteor. However, Merrill notes that the surface features of the Mart meteorite suggest that it is an old fall. This may be another instance of where a bright meteor encouraged people to look for a meteorite and, when one was found, they assumed the two were related. If I am remembering your story of a fireball correctly, do any records exist of this event. As it now appears from our conversations, part of the Cedar stone and the slice from Mart were probably traded to Nininger in exchange for the Brenham slice currently on display. The Nininger catalog in 1950 listed a 563 gram sample of Cedar and a 473 gram sample of Mart. These pieces are now at Arizona State University. It will be interesting to see if the records provided by Margaret Huss (Nininger's daughter) can confirm this belief. It will also be interesting to see if Nininger acquired the 2.5 lb. Cedar stone from your museum and subsequently traded it to someone. If this is not the case, I think we can safely consider the 2.5Ib. stone lost. I will let you know how this turns out. Thank you once again for all of your help. I think it is safe to say that you have probably learned as much about your small collection of meteorites since my visit as you had since your arrival in Waco. Sincerely,Tim McCoy Code S4 NASA/Johnson Space Center Houston, TX 77058


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This item appears in the following Collection(s)
  • Records of the Monnig Meteorite Gallery [1905]
    The files are arranged alphabetically, usually according to the location of discovery of the meteorite. The files contain correspondence and research material on the meteorites in the collection.

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