Though
smaller and less imposing by its mass than the greatest of the Cape
York meteorites, that called "Willamette" from having been found two
miles northwest of the town of that name in Clackamas County, Oregon,
ranks as the fourth, or possibly the third largest iron meteorite in
the world, and is the largest discovered within the territory of the
United States ; remarkable peculiarities of form make it an especially
interesting object.48 It was a chance find, made in 1902 by
two prospectors in their search for gold or silver. Noting what
appeared to be a very slight rock projection they tapped this with
their hammers and the sound of the blow revealed the presence of metal;
digging down here and there, they ascertained the existence of a
considerable mass of iron. Although at first no one supposed that it
was a meteorite, before long this fact became known, and the finder, by
very primitive methods and by dint of tireless efforts, succeeded in
transporting the iron to his own land. His courageous attempt to
acquire possession of it was not, however, crowned with success, as the
courts decided that the company owning the land whereon it had
"Edmund
Otis Hovey, "The Foyer Collection of Meteorites," American Museum of
Natural History, Guide Leaflet No. 26, December, 1907, pp. 23-27.
"Henry A. Ward, "Willamette Meteorite"; Proc. Rochester Acad, of Sc, vol. iv, pp. 137-148, plates 13-18.
