to
him for examination by Prof. A. E. Foote, of Philadelphia, who
obtained it at the locality in 181)1. The following is a summary of
this account: (a)
The
piece examined weighed about 16 pounds; it was one of a number, some
of which were very large. On attempting to cut it, remarkable hardness
was at once observed, and the edge of the half-inch chisel was
repeatedly broken. Presently an intensely hard spot was reached where a
black powder was produced instead of chips. This powder carefully
collected amounted to about four-tenths of a grain. The spot was found
to be a round cavity, about half an inch across, through which the
cutting machine had passed, leaving the halves on both sides lined with
a black mammillary coating, resembling black diamond. On attempting to
polish the sections of the meteorite on an emery wheel, the latter was
cut to pieces where it met with this cavity, and corundum was easily
cut into grooves by the black coating. The powder dissolves in nitric
acid, yielding a red solution resembling iron carbide and leaving a
black residue. The latter with sodium hydrate yields an intense amber
yellow or gold-colored liquid, from which acids give no further
precipitate. The residue, fused with hydrosodium sulphate, left a
substance in which the microscope revealed minute particles, some
black and others partially transparent, and one white spherical grain.
These had no effect on polarized light. Unfortunately, however, they
were lost by an accident before further examination could be made.
During
1891 work was carried on for a number of months at Isons Mills, Elliott
county, Kentucky, at the periodotite dikes previously examined by Dr.
Diller and the writer by direction of the TJ. S. Geological Survey. It
was supposed at that timethat as these dikes contained carbonaceous
shale under conditions similar to those at the south African fields
diamonds might also be found there. Although it was suggested
previously (b) that the paucity of the carbon in the Kentucky
shale precluded the possibility of its containing diamonds, yet a
number of gentlemen have carried on operations there during 1890 and
1891 with the hope that diamonds may at some time be obtained. These
efforts have not yet met with success.
Sapphire.—The
sapphire locality in Montana is being developed. The mineral is fouud
to be somewhat abundant in the gravel bars of the Missouri river for a
distance of some 6 miles. The principal points are those known as Euby
bar, French bar, Spokane bar, and Eldorado bar. Of these, the central
point is the Spokane bar, at Stubbs ferry on the Missouri, some 12
miles east from the city of Helena. Although these bars had been
partially sluiced for gold, no systematic attempt had been made to work
them for gems until 1891. Some of the sapphires had occasionally been
sent to large cities, but they never
