[meteorite-list] Millville man treasures a fragment he found 70 years ago while taking a walk

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:43:17 -0400
Message-ID: <e51421551003230943i63cc9770ga882501f37cdd0b5_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Eric and List,

It's hard to tell from the photo, but combined with the state chemical
composition, it looks and sounds like slag to me.

Now I have to go write a nice gentleman from Mauritius and explain to
him that the "meteorite" he mailed me photos of is not a meteorite.
This was in his family for 60 years and a local expert already
declared it a meteorite - when it's an obvious piece of terrestrial
conglomerate. I hate having to do this, it makes me into the bad guy.

Maybe Randy Korotev's Meteorwrongs gallery should be required reading
before any news outlet carries a found meteorite story - or before
someone takes the trouble to mail a stack of 35mm prints (of a rock)
to my PO box.

Best regards,

MikeG


On 3/23/10, Meteorites USA <eric at meteoritesusa.com> wrote:
> Millville man treasures a fragment he found 70 years ago while taking a walk
> http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20100323/DW06/3230325
> By Mary Daisey Shockley ? Staff Writer ? March 23, 2010
>
> DAGSBORO -- Jimmy "Skeeter" Littleton was 11 years old when he stumbled
> upon a piece of history.
> Advertisement
>
> "I was walking along, throwing stones at a fence (in Millville), when I
> picked this thing up," he said, referring to the palm-sized, silver rock
> fragment that he kept in his mother's jewel box for 35 years. "Nobody
> knew what it was."
>
> But in 1974, while working for DuPont, a man offered to send the
> fragment away for testing.
>
> "I hesitated for a few minutes and then agreed to it," Littleton said.
> "Two weeks later, he came back with this long print-out confirming it.
> He said to me, 'Sir, this is a meteorite'."
>
> Along with the confirmation, Littleton discovered that his meteorite was
> made of chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt and nickel.
>
> "These materials can't be combined together here on earth," he said.
>
> Dr. Mata Chen, a geology professor at Salisbury University, said
> Littleton's story is unique.
>
> "That is quite interesting," she said. "It is an historic item."
>
> Chen said it is possible for small meteorites to break through the
> earth's surface in the Chesapeake region, but finding them is rare.
>
> A few years ago, when a piece of the meteorite broke off, Littleton
> decided to make a necklace for his wife.
>
> "It's definitely a conversation piece," he said.
>
> His wife, Hilda, said she loves the special gift her husband created for
> her.
>
> "I think it's unusual; I get a lot of compliments on it," she said. "I
> make sure I wear something plain so it stands out."
>
> Littleton said he plans to keep his meteorite in a safe place so he can
> pass it down to his children and grandchildren.
>
> mdaisey at dmg.gannett.com 302-537-1881, ext. 207
>
>
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-- 
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Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
http://www.galactic-stone.com
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Received on Tue 23 Mar 2010 12:43:17 PM PDT