[meteorite-list] NP Article, 09-1955 La Paz and Ice Meteorites

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:27:45 2004
Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV116SYQvZTJc00005cb9_at_hotmail.com>

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Paper: Reno Gazette
City: Reno, Nevada
Date: Tuesday, September 13, 1955
Page: 24

Use of Ice Missiles in Test War Hinted
ALBUQUERQUE, Sept. 13. (AP) - A well known meteoritigist declared today t=
hat a "shrewd opponent" could wage an ice cube test war against this coun=
try with intercontinental projectiles made of ice.
The object of the ice missile would be to determine effectiveness of rang=
e for a missile of the more deadly variety.
Dr. Lincoln La Paz, director of the University of New Mexico's Institute =
of Meteoritics, the only one of its kind in the western world, said:
"In range-testing intercontinental ballistic missiles in peace time, a "s=
hrewd opponent for obvious reasons would seek t employ test objects leavi=
ng no tangible trace of their existence or use.
"It is for this reason that since 1948. representatives of the institute =
of meteoritics have habitually asked observers whether or not piece of ic=
e or drops or water were detected falling from the sky at the time of the=
 observed incident."
Some observers have reported drops of water.
But another meteoriticist, John Davis Buddhue of Pasadena, Calif., said i=
ce discovered in California which came from the sky was either from an ai=
rplane or may have been an ice-meteorite. The existence of ice meteorites=
 never has been proven.
Buddhue read a paper on his investigation before the International Meteor=
itical Society, which was to end its two-day meeting today at the institu=
te.
La Paz has said repeatedly he believed the mysterious yellow-green fireba=
lls - spotted expecially in the southwest during the past decade - were o=
f earthly origin. The fireballs make no sound as they zoom through the sk=
y and no portion of the fireball ever has been recovered, if they landed.
La Paz said an ice projectile could be shot from a plane at high altitude=
 many miles away from the United States. Moving at sufficiently high spee=
d, it would appear from the ground much like a meteor or shooting star.
The ice projectile, melting rapidly as it shot through the atmosphere, th=
en would be photographed or traced by radar. On a photograph, it would lo=
ok like any other meteor - a long string of light. The opponent than woul=
d have a fair idea of where the real thing would hit.
And the United States would be left with a puddle of water or a small pie=
ce of melting ice as the only trace of the projectile.
La Paz said the institute of meteoritics urged Buddhue to "carefully inve=
stigate the ice-falls reported in" California. He said of Buddhue's possi=
ble explanations:
"The prosaic explanation of the Los Angeles incident favored by Buddhue m=
ay, indeed, be the correct one; but whether it is or not, every unusual i=
ce-fall should be investigated with equal care."
Buddhue investigated two ice-falls - one Jan. 16, 1953 in Whittier, Calif=
., the other in Los Angeles Jan.29, 1955. The Whittier fall consisted of =
many pieces about two inches thick and totaling 20 pounds scattered over =
an area of about 300 feet, Buddhue was told.
The Los Angeles fall ended as an angular hump and weighed about 30 pounds=
. Position of breaks in a tree which the ice hit showed that the fall was=
 vertical, Buddhue said.
A major airline later investigated the Los Angeles incident and said, acc=
ording to Buddhue, there was a "possibility that one of their airplanes m=
ay have been involved." A tube to prevent ice from forming on the plane a=
s water was released through flush drains in the fuselage might have been=
 knocked off accidentally, the airline said. The lumps will not form if t=
he water is ejected into the air and does not hit the plane. The tube pre=
vents the water from landing on the plane and forming ice.
Buddhue said there was a possibility of an ice meteorite and cited two in=
stances in the later 19th century and early 20th century when big lumps o=
f ice fell from the sky. One fell in Kansas and the other in India.
"If ice meteorites exist, the scarcity of references to them is readily u=
nderstandable is consideration of their perishable nature." Buddhue said.


Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor=
 and meteorite articles.

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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><B><FONT size=3D=
2> <P>Paper: Reno Gazette</P> <P>City: Reno, Nevada</P> <P>Date: Tuesday,=
 September 13, 1955</P> <P>Page: 24</P></B> <P>&nbsp;</P><FONT size=3D2> =
<P>Use of Ice Missiles in Test War Hinted</P> <P>ALBUQUERQUE, Sept. 13. (=
AP) - A well known meteoritigist declared today that a "shrewd opponent" =
could wage an ice cube test war against this country with intercontinenta=
l projectiles made of ice.</P> <P>The object of the ice missile would be =
to determine effectiveness of range for a missile of the more deadly vari=
ety.</P> <P>Dr. Lincoln La Paz, director of the University of New Mexico'=
s Institute of Meteoritics, the only one of its kind in the western world=
, said:</P> <P>"In range-testing intercontinental ballistic missiles in p=
eace time, a "shrewd opponent for obvious reasons would seek t employ tes=
t objects leaving no tangible trace of their existence or use.</P> <P>"It=
 is for this reason that since 1948. representatives of the institute of =
meteoritics have habitually asked observers whether or not piece of ice o=
r drops or water were detected falling from the sky at the time of the ob=
served incident."</P> <P>Some observers have reported drops of water.</P>=
 <P>But another meteoriticist, John Davis Buddhue of Pasadena, Calif., sa=
id ice discovered in California which came from the sky was either from a=
n airplane or may have been an ice-meteorite. The existence of ice meteor=
ites never has been proven.</P> <P>Buddhue read a paper on his investigat=
ion before the International Meteoritical Society, which was to end its t=
wo-day meeting today at the institute.</P> <P>La Paz has said repeatedly =
he believed the mysterious yellow-green fireballs - spotted expecially in=
 the southwest during the past decade - were of earthly origin. The fireb=
alls make no sound as they zoom through the sky and no portion of the fir=
eball ever has been recovered, if they landed.</P> <P>La Paz said an ice =
projectile could be shot from a plane at high altitude many miles away fr=
om the United States. Moving at sufficiently high speed, it would appear =
from the ground much like a meteor or shooting star.</P> <P>The ice proje=
ctile, melting rapidly as it shot through the atmosphere, then would be p=
hotographed or traced by radar. On a photograph, it would look like any o=
ther meteor - a long string of light. The opponent than would have a fair=
 idea of where the real thing would hit.</P> <P>And the United States wou=
ld be left with a puddle of water or a small piece of melting ice as the =
only trace of the projectile.</P> <P>La Paz said the institute of meteori=
tics urged Buddhue to "carefully investigate the ice-falls reported in" C=
alifornia. He said of Buddhue's possible explanations:</P> <P>"The prosai=
c explanation of the Los Angeles incident favored by Buddhue may, indeed,=
 be the correct one; but whether it is or not, every unusual ice-fall sho=
uld be investigated with equal care."</P> <P>Buddhue investigated two ice=
-falls - one Jan. 16, 1953 in Whittier, Calif., the other in Los Angeles =
Jan.29, 1955. The Whittier fall consisted of many pieces about two inches=
 thick and totaling 20 pounds scattered over an area of about 300 feet, B=
uddhue was told.</P> <P>The Los Angeles fall ended as an angular hump and=
 weighed about 30 pounds. Position of breaks in a tree which the ice hit =
showed that the fall was vertical, Buddhue said.</P> <P>A major airline l=
ater investigated the Los Angeles incident and said, according to Buddhue=
, there was a "possibility that one of their airplanes may have been invo=
lved." A tube to prevent ice from forming on the plane as water was relea=
sed through flush drains in the fuselage might have been knocked off acci=
dentally, the airline said. The lumps will not form if the water is eject=
ed into the air and does not hit the plane. The tube prevents the water f=
rom landing on the plane and forming ice.</P> <P>Buddhue said there was a=
 possibility of an ice meteorite and cited two instances in the later 19t=
h century and early 20th century when big lumps of ice fell from the sky.=
 One fell in Kansas and the other in India.</P> <P>"If ice meteorites exi=
st, the scarcity of references to them is readily understandable is consi=
deration of their perishable nature." Buddhue said.</P> <P></FONT></FONT>=
<BR><BR>Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive o=
f meteor and meteorite articles.</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Fri 07 Nov 2003 10:45:21 AM PST