This is Throwback Thursday #69. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to [email protected]. Thanks!
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Something a little different this week, we have an interesting story of a meteorite that struck a car in a small town in Illinois back in 1938. It started when I saw this photo in the Field Museum Photo Archives blog and did a little research.
This meteorite crashed through the roof of the garage, the car roof, and the seat of the car before finally coming to a stop.
© The Field Museum, GEO79610.
Henry W. Nichols, Chief Curator of Geology, and Miss Caroline Ryder, examine the Benld meteorite, which fell in September, 1938, and is only the second such visitor from outer space on record in Illinois. Geology specimen ME2259
8x10 negative 9/29/1938
Watch for falling meteorites, they could ruin your car.
© The Field Museum, GEO79617.
Benld Meteorite. Ed McCain standing on the running board of the car that was hit by the meteorite. This 4 pound meteorite crashed through the roof of the garage, then back seat, and wooden floorboards of the car, before bouncing off the muffler and lodging the the seat cushion of the 1929 Pontiac Coupe. It was probably traveling at about 200 miles per hour when it hit. Geology specimen ME2259
8x10 negative 9/29/1938
As the description says, this is a meteorite that fell on Benld, IL on September 29th, 1938. It struck a car that belonged to Edward McClain of Benld, IL. Benld is a very small town located northeast of St. Louis, MO in southwestern Illinois. Astronomy Magazine did a story about this event in September 2020. There's a few more photos, including a closeup of the meteorite and of the damage done to the car's seat and muffler, all of which now reside at the Field Museum in Chicago.
Edward McCain of Benld, Illinois, drove a decade-old Pontiac coupe that he kept safely stored in his garage, which was a small wooden building with a tar paper roof. Well-worn ruts in the dirt floor marked the exact spot where he parked his car every day for years. Then, on September 29, 1938, by sheer cosmic chance, a speeding space rock tore through the roof of McCain's garage before burrowing itself into his Pontiac. The Benld meteorite indiscriminately nailed its target.
That same year, Ben Hur Wilson of the Joliet Astronomical Society poetically reported in Popular Astronomy that “a small stony-iron meteorite came crashing out of the battlements of heaven, aimed apparently with the precision of a crack artilleryman.”
The cosmic cannonball not only tore through the roof, seat, and floor of McCain's car — which he was fortunately not in at the time — but also rebounded off the Pontiac's muffler before bouncing back up into the springs of the seat. As you can imagine, McCain was quite astonished to discover the meteorite when he hopped in his car later that same day.Investigating the fall
Wilson first heard of the event from a radio broadcast two days later. He wanted to investigate — it was only the second recorded meteorite fall in Illinois — but the story seemed incredible, in the truest sense of the word.
Fearing a hoax, Wilson and fellow Astronomical Society member Frank M. Preucil nonetheless sent inquiries to Benld. They received replies from McCain and the principal of the local high school assuring them that the meteorite was genuine.
A few weeks later, Wilson made the 200-mile (322 kilometers) drive to Benld, where McCain showed him the object. A small piece had been broken off to reveal a thin layer of black, fused material coating the outside, a telltale sign of a meteorite. Examining the interior, Wilson noted round inclusions known as chondrules — molten drops of silicate minerals from the early solar system, which remain visible in material that later formed into space rocks.
The Benld Meteorite (ILLINOIS No. 2)¹
By BEN HUR WILSON
Someone once approached the late Dr. O. C. Farrington, noted meteorite authority and curator of the Field Museum of Natural History, calling his attention to a report that a meteorite had fallen in Illinois, and he was said to have replied naively, "That just isn't possible, no meteorite was ever known to fall in the State of Illinois."
Strangely enough, up until 1927, this remark was absolutely true. In every state adjoining Illinois, there had been a number of falls, of more or less importance, several of which came only a few miles from her borders. But alas! Poor meteorite-shy Illinois, in spite of the fact that there reposed in the halls of the Field Museum, one of the world's larg est and finest collections of meteorites, ironically had not a single native specimen of her own to exhibit.
However, on the afternoon of July 13, 1927, at about 1:00 P.M., this unique situation ended, for at that moment a meteorite, the first of authentic record in the history of Illinois, showered down to earth in the vicinity of Tilden, some forty miles southeast of St. Louis. This meteor exploded in the atmosphere with deafening detonations, and at least four stones weighing 110, 46, 9, and one less than a pound, respectively, were subsequently recovered and preserved for science.
At the convention the Earth Science News, under the editorship of Jean Reynolds, was named the Best Bulletin in the Midwest, Tom Cesario had the Best Junior Exhibit and Welter Kean had the best Faceting Exhibit. ESCONI received a Meritorious Service Award for the "Outstanding reproduction of a Pennsylvanian 'Coal Forest' which sets a new standard for life-like displays, and for excellence in Educational Exhibits." Dr. Ben Hur Wilson was awarded the title of Midwest Federation Honorary President and Verne Montgomery was elected Midwest Federation Vice-President.
BEN HUR WILSON
Death came suddenly to our honorary Esconi member early Saturday morning, August 20th. He was 78 years old last January 27th.
Dr. Wilson was a pioneer in the study and practice of geology and mineralogy among students and amateurs. Under the broad heading of "earth science" he encouraged adults and young people to study the natural world about them.
After graduation from Iowa Wesleyan University, Dr. Wilson engaged in engineering work for some time, then turned to teaching. For 25 years prior to his retirement in 1953, he taught earth science at Joliet High School and Junior College. He was the author of several articles and with H..C..Dake and Frank Fleener co-authored the book "Quartz Family Minerals."
Since 1953 he has been editor of the magazine EARTH SCIENCE.
With Professor Richard Pearl he founded the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies and was its first president. He also fathered the Midwest Federation and was instrumental in founding individual clubs throughout the Midwest. In more recent years he served as historian for both federations. He has been a constant source of help and inspiration to all clubs. The Midwest conferred the title of Honorary President on him in 1964,
Dr. Wilson followed in death his beloved wife, Martha, by only two months. ESCONI extends sincere sympathy to their two sons, James and Ben Hur, Jr.
