[meteorite-list] NPA 11-21-1966/68 Syracuse Herald, NY Meteor? Crater

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Dec 8 10:21:16 2005
Message-ID: <BAY111-F172F938A7E65E44361708AB3420_at_phx.gbl>

Paper: Syracuse Herald-Journal
City: Syracuse, New York
Date: Thursday, November 21, 1966 (or 1968)
Page: 65

Crater mystery confounds experts

     What caused the crater at the Henry Lacey farm in Poplar Ridge a week
ago still remains a mystery. The opinions vary, but the consensus is the
same: "We have no conclusion as to the cause of the Venice crater."
     Statements revealed yesterday that neither the Air Force, the Cornell
University investigation team, nor State Police have found any conclusive
evidence to indicate what caused the crater.
     Speculation by the public has run rampant throughout the area
surrounding the crater site, and there are varying opinions as to the cause
of the crater.
     Some people think that the crater was caused by an unidentified object
from outer space; others think that the crater was caused by a meteorite,
while still others think that the whole episode is just a hoax.
     Army investigators from the Seneca Depot in Romulus have definitely
concluded that the crater was not caused by any man-made explosive device.
     Lt. Edward Schollian of the 143rd Ordinance Det., said that "there was
no evidence of any remains of any explosive devise in or around the crater.
If there had been a man-made device set to make the hole, some remains would
have been present."
     Lt. Jerry Robinson, information officer of the Air Force unit at
Hancock Field in Syracuse, said that as far as the Air Force is concerned,
"the crater was not the result of an extra-terrestrial or celestial force."
     On the basis of their findings, the Army terminated its part of the
investigation once it had been determined the crater was not the result of
an explosive device, and Lt Robinson stated that the Air Force has also
completed its investigation of the site.
     Lt. Robinson did say, however, that it appeared to him to be a
meteorite crater.
     He further stated that on the night of the incident there were no jet
aircraft in the area, so that speculation that the house-shaking reports
which have been reported were definitely not caused by sonic booms.
     State Police investigation is still continuing, although spokesmen have
indicated no conclusions have been made at this time. The spokesman did
indicate, however, that he didn't feel that the crater could have been dug,
as there was no physical evidence which would indicate such digging.
     The Cornell University investigating team have not as yet concluded
their analysis of the soil sample they took from the crater. William
Scherffius, one of the team, did state that the sample did not reveal any
radioactivity, and there were no fragments of a meteorite upon a physical
examination of the crater. Ron Taylor, an undergraduate from Cornell, also
part of the investigation team, state virtually the same thing, but added
that the team would return to the site to obtain a larger sample of the dirt
from the crater for microscopic study.

(end)

Mark Note: Paper is dated 1968, but if references a news event two years
earlier. Perhaps a misprinted date? The day Thursday, does match up with
1968 and not 1966.

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
Wichita, Kansas
http://www.meteoritearticles.com
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PDF copy of this article, and most I post (and about 2/3'd of those on my
website), is available upon e-mail request.

The NPA in the subject line, stands for Newspaper Article. The old list
server allowed us a search feature the current does not, so I guess this is
more for quick reference and shortening the subject line now.
Received on Thu 08 Dec 2005 10:21:11 AM PST