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Florence Texas Meteorite NotesShow simple item record

dc.creator
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-12T18:10:37Z
dc.date.available2024-02-12T18:10:37Z
dc.date.issuedn.d.
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/63110
dc.descriptionNotes on the individuals and area in the search of more meteorites related to the Florence Texas meteorite.
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, Florence, TX folder
dc.subjectMeteorite
dc.subjectFlorence meteorite
dc.subjectFlorence (Tex.)
dc.titleFlorence Texas Meteorite Notes
dc.typeDocument
dc.description.transcriptionFLORENCE TEXAS METEORITE Seelonsdale's article In American Mineralogist, Nov., 1927. He there states the met fell on the night of Jan. 21 abt [about] 8 p.m. after dark on T. H. Lindsey's farm 5 mi NE of Florence, Williamson County, later coming into poss. [possession] of Dr. F. W. Simonds. Fall was from the SW with a noise like thunder and a great light streak to the W. The stone fell on the edge of a dry water courseecovered [course covered] with cobbles and “did not knowk [know] much of a hole in the ground"; it was found next morning 10 or 12 hours after the fall. Black surface material is exceedingly thin, and the interior is light gray. A photograph shows one face which seems to be secondary, and might indicate another stone fell. The article classifies the stone as a chondrite with a great variety of chondrules. Metallic portion of stone, 17.6%. On a trip of Sep. 4-5, 1937, we found the Lindsey referredto [referred to] as “Red Tom” (not “Long Tom"); Leave Florence at 20.8 going due E past one slight jog; at 24.0 turn N across dry creek and continue north instead of taking turn here to Jarrell; at 25.9 Lindsey's house. This makes his house about 3 mi. E and 2 N. He says his land is in the Chas. Myers Survey. The Lindsey’s had a new phonograph which was engaging their attention, and heard nothing and saw nothing of the fall. 1100 to 1200 yrds. [yards] east of the Lindsey house was an old house (now tore down and rebuilt within sight of the Lindsey place, just NE of it) in which Sam Buchanan lived. Buchanan saw the light and heard the noise and found the met. Next morning. W. Hewitt Custard (old Custard-Duncan Mtr. Co.), now living and working in Austin, got the met from Sam and never told him what he done with it, claiming he sent it off and others never ack. receipt or some such excuse! There was a story of the fall in the Florence Vidette. The met. hit in mesquite turf, somewhat flinty, and made a hole about 5” deep (indicated from tip of fingers to back of hand--perh. 4”); this print stayed there a year or two. It hit about 400 feet from Buchanan's nouse [house]. A. E. Casey, then living abt. [about] 1 mi W of Lindsey, saw the light and heard a “light shiver” or noise (piece hit his house?). He now lives in Florence. Herman Adkinson, who lived to the W probably saw the light but Lindsey was doubtful whether they heard the noise; Herman is a wanderer but his wife lives in Florence and his f. is a doctor in town. J. W. Bryce, who now lives in the first house to the S of Lindsey's, was then about 10 mi due W of Florence, maybe 9, and when interviewed said as he recalled the night was partly cloudy (about .7?). He saw the light as three flashes of lightning, and got up and went outdoors; after a few minutes there were explosions and then a long rumbling which went west; the explosions were almost overhead. There were reports of a big one being found at Libert Hill (this was in Vidette article). Mrs. Atkinson says Dennis Atkins now lives on their old place, 1/2 a mi. W of Lindsey’s. Mr. Atkinson originally brought home a piece that was found in the Lindsey pasture, not quite as large as half a lemon and about that shape, bigger than thumb, black, burnt, charcoal-like. They saw the light and heard the shock—she doesn't recall whether single or not. Sam Buchanan says that he saw no light, but he says Lonnie (W. L. Wilson) was out with a hunting party that night and saw It; Wilson lives on the road to X Jarrell (go south out of Florence about 1 mile then abt [about] 4 mi east). Sam heard 4 or 3 explosions, one was pretty loud the others not so loud, and went outdoors. He heard it coming down and then thump. It weighed 8 1/4 pounds. The explosions were pretty much overhead, and he was (went out?) on the south side or his house; the main sound went off to the southeast (he doesn't think this was an echo effect). He heard the roaring before he got out, then it was gradually going off, but the rock got to the ground before the roaring had died away. The noise of the rock falling was fast, and it came whistling thru the air more like a wind. From the direction of the sound as it hit the ground, he knew where to search the next morning; Lindsey said he went too far at first. Sam said when he found the rock it had bounced out of the hole about la ft. to the SE because it was sidling in the hole (hit at a bad angle?). It was principally black but one side looked like it had been burnt (secondary crust of broken side?). You could crumble it off and he carried little pieces of it in his pocketbook for a year before they crumbled to nothing. R. W. Brown is County Agent at Georgetown; see also Judge Brewster and Jo. M Sharp, former editor of paper; Rountree Co. Surveyor from whom map may be secured; all recommened [recommended] by Mr. Cooper who now runs the paper. Mrs. ___ Nelson, Caskey’s daughter, was very young, but recalls her brother and others, including a cousin Lathel Caskey, were out hunting and those in the house thought that they were throwing rocks at them when one seemed to hit the root; it was found next morning on the north side of the house or yard and looked like a burnt rock; she thinks it was taken to town. The noise didn't sound like an explosion, but like a big stone hitting the house. Take the north road out to the place (turn north of the schoolhouse). It is now a big white house us a lane. Mrs. Caskey recalls it lighted up the room and then in a minute or two the stone hit the roof: the one they found was like burnt Iron, fist size, brown and black; the noise was like an airplane falling in a picture show--a shrieking or hissing. They were In bed and the light came from the West; they lived West of Lindsey. She thinks her husband brought the rock to tow and gave it to Stanton Gardner, then a student in the University: I did not get to see him but he lives at Florence. Mrs. Joe Nelson, 1405 Kenwood Ave., Austin, and her brother and others were out on a hunting trip about 2 miles to the north and saw the light. Some men were also out hunting (same or different party?), W. L. Wilson (see above) and lance McBride, on road towards Killeen. I did not try to see last and missed Wilson. The Mrs. Nelson above referred to is apparently another daughter of Mrs. Caskey’s. Mr. Caskey recalled seeing the light and "the awfullest roar" you ever heard; the roaring noise had ceased and then a rock hit the house; they thought the boys out hunting had thwon at them. They went out and looked to see what had happened: he thought it was clear. (Bryce's report of partial cloudiness above was volunteered and seems more reliable.) The noise was something between that of an airplane and thunder; the lived about 1 1/2mile ST of Buchanan, in the Edward lang Survey, then the old “Draper place,” now the fray place. I here talked to Lathel Caskey who now lives there, but he knew nothing about the rock.


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  • Records of the Monnig Meteorite Gallery [2825]
    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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