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NOTE |
Throughout 1897 American newspapers frequently reprinted an undated and vague story about a Belgian man who claimed to have been injured by a falling meteorite containing hieroglyphics. Later that year a physician and astrologer in Binghamton, New York named James MacDonald claimed to have found a similar meteor. This produced a bit of a media frenzy as quack earthquake-predicting scientist E. S. Wiggins agreed with MacDonald that the object contained writing from Martians. The story eventually died with the space invader frenzy of 1897-1898, and nearly a decade later historian Walter George Bell explained the flap as deriving from naturally occurring markings. In truth, it was most likely a hoax by MacDonald to gain publicity for his astrological almanac and patent medicine businesses. The articles below document the strange case of the Egyptian messages from Mars.
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LOGANSPORT (INDIANA) PHAROS-TRIBUNE
January 23, 1897, p. 7
An aerolite fell in Belgium, injuring a man who was working in the fields. It weighed thirty pounds, one side being smooth and covered with what resembled hieroglyphics cut by means of an instrument. Some try to think it may be a message from Mars.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
November 14, 1897, p. 1
MESSAGE PERHAPS FROM MARS
Strange Characters Found in an Aerolite Which Struck the Earth Near Binghamton
Strange Characters Found in an Aerolite Which Struck the Earth Near Binghamton
BINGHAMTON, Nov. 13. -- Scientists in this city are puzzling over an aerial visitor that dropped in this vicinity early this morning. Prof. Jeremiah McDonald, who resides on Park Avenue, was returning home at an early hour this morning when there was a blinding flash of light and an object buried itself in the ground a short distance from his premises. Later it was dug up. and found to be a mass of some foreign substance that had been fused by intense heat. It was still hot. and when cooled off in water was broken open. Inside was found what might have been a piece of metal, on which were a number of curious marks that some think to be characters. When opened, the stone emitted a strong sulphurous smell.
Prof. Whitney of the High School declared it an aerolite, but different from anything he had ever seen. The metal had been fused to a whitish substance, and is of unknown quality to the scientific men who have examined it. Several have advanced the opinion that this is a message from another planet, probably Mars. The marks bear some resemblance to Egyptian writing in the minds of some. Prof. McDonald is among those who believe the mysterious ball was meant as a means of communication from another world.
Prof. Whitney of the High School declared it an aerolite, but different from anything he had ever seen. The metal had been fused to a whitish substance, and is of unknown quality to the scientific men who have examined it. Several have advanced the opinion that this is a message from another planet, probably Mars. The marks bear some resemblance to Egyptian writing in the minds of some. Prof. McDonald is among those who believe the mysterious ball was meant as a means of communication from another world.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
November 18, 1897, p. 5
WIGGINS ON THE AEROLITE
Thinks It Was a Message from Mars—Sacred Books Received from Heaven of Old Make It Possible
Thinks It Was a Message from Mars—Sacred Books Received from Heaven of Old Make It Possible
E. S. Wiggins in 1888
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OTTAWA, Ontario, Nov. 17.—Prof. [Ezekiel Stone] Wiggins believes that the aerolite that fell near Binghamton a few night ago, and is alleged to have contained a piece of iron with hieroglyphics, was really a message from Mars. “My opinion is that stones have for many thousands of years fallen from space upon the earth which actually contained written characters. The ancient Jews and other nations speak of their sacred books as having fallen from heaven. As the earliest important records were preserved in stone, it seems probable that the idea originated with aerolites, like that of Binghamton. There is no doubt in my mind that there are thousands of these stones that have fallen to our planet since man arrived here and are messages from another planet.”
“But how could a body be projected from one planet to fall on another?” was asked. “If we lived on Mars,” said Prof. Wiggins, “and possessed the scientific knowledge of those people, we might accomplish the feat without difficulty—in fact in a few hundred years more we may be able to generate and so control electric force that we can throw a projectile beyond the moon’s orbit, so that would either fall satellite or move toward and fall upon another planet. Suppose the Martians were to throw a stone highly electrified into the orbit of their nearest satellite, which is only about 7,000 miles away, so that it would be in advance of it in its orbital motion. I have no doubt it would repel the stone in a line of a tangent and with such force as to send it to our planet’s orbit, or, suppose a comet were passing near Mars and toward the earth, stones thrown near it would follow in its trail and fall to the earth like the stones which fell to the earth in November, 1872, after the comet of that year had crossed our planet’s orbit.” |
THE (NEW YORK) WORLD
November 21, 1897, p. 39
IS THIS METEOR A MESSAGE FROM FAR AWAY MARS?
A Blazing Aerolite Falls from the Skies at Binghamton, N.Y.
Strange Characters Found on the Metal Found Inside of It
A Blazing Aerolite Falls from the Skies at Binghamton, N.Y.
Strange Characters Found on the Metal Found Inside of It
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Binghamton, Nov. 18.
A message in the heart of a meteor, sent from Mars, is believed by many persons to have been delivered at Binghamton, N. Y., a few nights ago. The people who live on the planet of Mars may have been making efforts, from time to time through the centuries, to establish talking relations with the people who live on this planet. Some of the most thoughtful astronomers and scientists have declared it to be possible. M. Flammarion, the famous French astronomer, has pointed out some things that are seen through the telescope on the surface of our planetary neighbor which justify the supposition that there are people living there, and that they have been trying to attract our attention by a system of geometric signals. He has observed certain luminous points on the surface of Mars which appear to have been placed very regularly, as if they were intended to mean something. |
Mr. Gallon, excited the curiosity of the civilized world by his proposition, made many--years ago, to attempt communication with Mars by Interplanetary signals. The signals would have to be on an enormous scale. A huge triangle traced in luminous lines on the lunar surface, each side of the triangle being perhaps twelve kilometres long, would be visible here on the earth with the aid of telescopes.
Some astronomers have, therefore, inferred that if such triangles, or circles, or squares, were constructed on the surface of one of the large plains of the earth, made luminous by day by solar rays and at night by electricity, people on the Moon, if there are any, could see them, provided they have telescopes as good as we have. Seeing them, it follows that they could answer them with other luminous geometric signals. Soon afterward, we should be able to talk with them, and exchange all our information for theirs.
Mars, however, is much further off than the Moon. Yet through their telescopes our scientists have already made out that Mars’s surface is intersected with what they call “canals.” Five of these immense “canals” have been more than once telescopically seen to be divided into two parts by two straight lines, absolutely parallel to each other. It Is only as yet conjecture, of course, that these geometric lines were displayed on the surface of Mars for the express purpose of attracting the notice or astronomic observers on the earth’s surface. But it is a most interesting conjecture, and it Is a fact that, whether so intended or not by the Martians, they have more than once rivetted the attention of our astronomers.
The idea that meteors may be used by our fellow beings on Mars as messengers to the earth is a new one. The meteor that fell at Binghamton a week ago last Friday night carried in its interior a metallic plate or tablet on which appears characters, not in our language, to be sure, and yet apparently made on some method of sign-writing, and placed there by design.
The thought that far away in a world which, at its nearest approach, is thirty-five millions of miles away from the globe on which we live, there are intelligent beings who have surmised that t we are here, and have found a way to hurl through the vast interval of space that separates our respective planets a flashing mass of molten matter, with a message of greeting inclosed in its fiery bosom, is one to dazzle the imagination.
The Binghamton meteor came in a blaze of blinding light and a screaming sound as of a shell bursting on a battlefield.
Prof. Jeremiah Macdonald, an astronomer and astrologer, was sitting in the office of his residence, when his attention was attracted by a blinding flash that he first thought was lightning. He waited with his nerves at great tension for the accompanying crash of thunder. It did not come. Then he realized that it was a phenomenon of another sort.
The next morning he went to the spot and uncovered a spherical mass of molten metal that was still at almost a white heat, and strongly resembled a cinder. It was about one foot in circumference, and required several hours in a water pall to cool off sufficiently to handle. Then the mass was broken open and in its heart was found a triangular substance that resembles metal, on which were marks that, some people think, were made by inhabitants of another world.
The substance is pliable, and has evidently, been submitted to a great heat. What the nature of it is local scientists are unable to determine. Some who have examined it say it is platinum, while others declare it a metal not known to science.
The meteor itself is composed of a porous substance that is also a stranger to scientists.
Prof. Whitney, of the Binghamton Central High School, declares it is different from anything of the kind that has come under his observation. When the aerolite was broken open it emitted strong sulphurous smell, that still clings to It, though subjected to all kinds of innovating processes.
Prof. Macdonald joins with several others in thinking this may be a message from another planet, probably Mars, whose inhabitants have found some manner of launching a projectile into space, and have, perhaps, hurled forth thousands of these spheres, hoping some would land on the earth.
Some of the marks form a perfect cross, and this, it is said, shows that religion exists in other planets. Others say the metal was fused from the rock during Its superheated condition, and the marks are simply accidents. It Is said the marks bear resemblance to ancient Egyptian and Hebraic signs, demonstrating that the idea of writing is similar to that of the ancients. Traces of iron pyrites, nickel and asbestos have already been found in the composition.
In a signed statement to The World, Prof. Macdonald says:
I had just finished some writing and was looking out of my office window last Friday about 10 P. M., when I saw a streak of fire resembling a rocket coming out of the clouds, which were very low. It was raining at the time. I knew it could not be a streak of lightning, as the line of lire was perfectly straight and of a reddish color, while a streak of lightning Is forked, is more rapid and is of a bluish color.
I thought it a very strange circumstance, and if it had not been raining I should have gone out and investigated the matter then. In the morning I went over to the spot where the bolt seemed to have fallen, and found a hole in the ground about as deep as my cane. I returned to the house, procured a spade and dug very carefully until I came to what I supposed was a stone. On removing it from the hole I found it to be some sort of a cinder.
The Idea then occurred to me that It was a meteorite of some kind. I wrapped it up carefully and carried It to the office of the Sunday Record, telling the editor, Mr. Richardson, of my find. He at first thought I was joking and that the meteor was a piece of slag from the glass works. To convince him that such was not the case we procured a hammer and with some difficulty broke the meteoric mass into several pieces.
That it was not a piece of slag was fully demonstrated by the strong smell of sulphur. This smell was so strong that we had to open the doors and windows to get relief. Upon examining the meteor more carefully we found it to be of some kind of porous substance, with light and dark streaks through it, and here and there some red sots. There was also a triangular-shaped substance in the mass of a bluish-gray color on which were marks of some kind, but which could not be made to resemble anything on account of, the condition of the substance.
The broken pieces were submitted to Prof. Whitney, of the High School, an expert in minerals. He said it was undoubtedly a meteorite, and that it contained iron, copper, nickel and probably some cobalt. The triangular-shaped piece he could, not account for in any way, neither had he any Idea of the kind of metal or substance it was. He had never seen anything like it.
The meteor was about a foot in diameter and weighed about ten pounds. It was more or less glazed on the surface, probably from the heat, developed by its rapid descent through space.
Some astronomers have, therefore, inferred that if such triangles, or circles, or squares, were constructed on the surface of one of the large plains of the earth, made luminous by day by solar rays and at night by electricity, people on the Moon, if there are any, could see them, provided they have telescopes as good as we have. Seeing them, it follows that they could answer them with other luminous geometric signals. Soon afterward, we should be able to talk with them, and exchange all our information for theirs.
Mars, however, is much further off than the Moon. Yet through their telescopes our scientists have already made out that Mars’s surface is intersected with what they call “canals.” Five of these immense “canals” have been more than once telescopically seen to be divided into two parts by two straight lines, absolutely parallel to each other. It Is only as yet conjecture, of course, that these geometric lines were displayed on the surface of Mars for the express purpose of attracting the notice or astronomic observers on the earth’s surface. But it is a most interesting conjecture, and it Is a fact that, whether so intended or not by the Martians, they have more than once rivetted the attention of our astronomers.
The idea that meteors may be used by our fellow beings on Mars as messengers to the earth is a new one. The meteor that fell at Binghamton a week ago last Friday night carried in its interior a metallic plate or tablet on which appears characters, not in our language, to be sure, and yet apparently made on some method of sign-writing, and placed there by design.
The thought that far away in a world which, at its nearest approach, is thirty-five millions of miles away from the globe on which we live, there are intelligent beings who have surmised that t we are here, and have found a way to hurl through the vast interval of space that separates our respective planets a flashing mass of molten matter, with a message of greeting inclosed in its fiery bosom, is one to dazzle the imagination.
The Binghamton meteor came in a blaze of blinding light and a screaming sound as of a shell bursting on a battlefield.
Prof. Jeremiah Macdonald, an astronomer and astrologer, was sitting in the office of his residence, when his attention was attracted by a blinding flash that he first thought was lightning. He waited with his nerves at great tension for the accompanying crash of thunder. It did not come. Then he realized that it was a phenomenon of another sort.
The next morning he went to the spot and uncovered a spherical mass of molten metal that was still at almost a white heat, and strongly resembled a cinder. It was about one foot in circumference, and required several hours in a water pall to cool off sufficiently to handle. Then the mass was broken open and in its heart was found a triangular substance that resembles metal, on which were marks that, some people think, were made by inhabitants of another world.
The substance is pliable, and has evidently, been submitted to a great heat. What the nature of it is local scientists are unable to determine. Some who have examined it say it is platinum, while others declare it a metal not known to science.
The meteor itself is composed of a porous substance that is also a stranger to scientists.
Prof. Whitney, of the Binghamton Central High School, declares it is different from anything of the kind that has come under his observation. When the aerolite was broken open it emitted strong sulphurous smell, that still clings to It, though subjected to all kinds of innovating processes.
Prof. Macdonald joins with several others in thinking this may be a message from another planet, probably Mars, whose inhabitants have found some manner of launching a projectile into space, and have, perhaps, hurled forth thousands of these spheres, hoping some would land on the earth.
Some of the marks form a perfect cross, and this, it is said, shows that religion exists in other planets. Others say the metal was fused from the rock during Its superheated condition, and the marks are simply accidents. It Is said the marks bear resemblance to ancient Egyptian and Hebraic signs, demonstrating that the idea of writing is similar to that of the ancients. Traces of iron pyrites, nickel and asbestos have already been found in the composition.
In a signed statement to The World, Prof. Macdonald says:
I had just finished some writing and was looking out of my office window last Friday about 10 P. M., when I saw a streak of fire resembling a rocket coming out of the clouds, which were very low. It was raining at the time. I knew it could not be a streak of lightning, as the line of lire was perfectly straight and of a reddish color, while a streak of lightning Is forked, is more rapid and is of a bluish color.
I thought it a very strange circumstance, and if it had not been raining I should have gone out and investigated the matter then. In the morning I went over to the spot where the bolt seemed to have fallen, and found a hole in the ground about as deep as my cane. I returned to the house, procured a spade and dug very carefully until I came to what I supposed was a stone. On removing it from the hole I found it to be some sort of a cinder.
The Idea then occurred to me that It was a meteorite of some kind. I wrapped it up carefully and carried It to the office of the Sunday Record, telling the editor, Mr. Richardson, of my find. He at first thought I was joking and that the meteor was a piece of slag from the glass works. To convince him that such was not the case we procured a hammer and with some difficulty broke the meteoric mass into several pieces.
That it was not a piece of slag was fully demonstrated by the strong smell of sulphur. This smell was so strong that we had to open the doors and windows to get relief. Upon examining the meteor more carefully we found it to be of some kind of porous substance, with light and dark streaks through it, and here and there some red sots. There was also a triangular-shaped substance in the mass of a bluish-gray color on which were marks of some kind, but which could not be made to resemble anything on account of, the condition of the substance.
The broken pieces were submitted to Prof. Whitney, of the High School, an expert in minerals. He said it was undoubtedly a meteorite, and that it contained iron, copper, nickel and probably some cobalt. The triangular-shaped piece he could, not account for in any way, neither had he any Idea of the kind of metal or substance it was. He had never seen anything like it.
The meteor was about a foot in diameter and weighed about ten pounds. It was more or less glazed on the surface, probably from the heat, developed by its rapid descent through space.
J. MACDONALD
The meteor had all the exterior characteristics of a celestial visitor. It is rarely that meteors are seen to strike the earth. Only 620 meteors have been found of all the countless bodies that are constantly passing through our atmosphere. Of these 142 have fallen in the United States, but only 37 of the total number have ever been seen to strike. A meteor is supposed to be perfectly cold when travelling through space, but when it strikes the atmosphere of the earth it becomes heated by friction.
The last large meteor seen to fall was in November 1887, at Mount Joy, Adams County, Pa. It weighed 847 pounds.
Prof. Wiggins, of Ottawa, believes the aerolite that fell near Binghamton was really a message from Mars. “My opinion Is that stones have for many thousands of years fallen from space upon the earth which actually contained written characters. The ancient Jews and other nations speak of their sacred books as having fallen from heaven. As the earliest important records were preserved in stone, it seems probable that the idea originated with aerolites like that of Binghamton.”
“But how could a body be projected from one planet to fall on another?” the professor was asked.
“If we lived on Mars,” said Prof. Wiggins, “and possessed the scientific knowledge of those people, we might accomplish the feat without difficulty.”
The last large meteor seen to fall was in November 1887, at Mount Joy, Adams County, Pa. It weighed 847 pounds.
Prof. Wiggins, of Ottawa, believes the aerolite that fell near Binghamton was really a message from Mars. “My opinion Is that stones have for many thousands of years fallen from space upon the earth which actually contained written characters. The ancient Jews and other nations speak of their sacred books as having fallen from heaven. As the earliest important records were preserved in stone, it seems probable that the idea originated with aerolites like that of Binghamton.”
“But how could a body be projected from one planet to fall on another?” the professor was asked.
“If we lived on Mars,” said Prof. Wiggins, “and possessed the scientific knowledge of those people, we might accomplish the feat without difficulty.”
THE ACADEMY
December 11, 1897, p. 525
Fiction is continually giving Nature hints, of which she avails herself. No sooner is Mr. Wells’s Martian story, The War of the Worlds, finished, than the report reaches us from America of an aerolite which has been found at Binghamton, New York. According to the story, Prof. Jeremiah McDonald was returning home at an early hour, when there was a blinding flash of light, and an object buried itself in the ground a short distance from his premises. Later it was dug up, and proved to be a mass of whitish metal that had been fused by heat. It was still hot. When cooled and broken open, inside it was found a piece of metal on which were a number of curious marks like written characters.
The theory is, that the written characters form a message addressed to us from another world, probably Mars. We regret that the projectile fell in a land so prodigal of tall tales as America, but we congratulate Mr. Wells.
The theory is, that the written characters form a message addressed to us from another world, probably Mars. We regret that the projectile fell in a land so prodigal of tall tales as America, but we congratulate Mr. Wells.
WINDSOR MAGAZINE
Vol. 22 (1905), p. 421
THINGS THAT FALL FROM THE SKY
Walter George Bell
Walter George Bell
Some time ago we were excited by news that a message had come to earth from Mars. It took the form of an aerolite, and dropped conveniently near the garden of Professor Jeremiah McDonald, at Binghampton, New York State. The professor was making his way home in the early morning hours, when, in a blinding flash of light, an object buried itself in the ground near him.
On being dug out it proved to be a metallic mass which had been fused by intense heat. When cooled and broken open, we were told, “inside was found what might have been a piece of metal, on which were a number of curious marks like written characters”—which characters, it was interesting to learn, “bore some resemblance to Egyptian handwriting.”
Mars is our neighbouring world. A popular belief has grown up in the existence of intelligent beings on Mars. So here, indeed, was a message from Mars!
A delightful story, certainly; but attempts to read this “message” can only be so much time wasted. It was the “metal inside" which racked the brains of the Yankee reporter, and suggested to him that the message had been wrapped by careful Martians in a casing of another metal, black in colour; but both are one and the same. A black casing, or rind, is common to all aerolites, and is created by fusion of the surface by the intense heat set up by friction with our atmosphere, as the aerolite dashes through to earth. As to the “message” in unreadable hieroglyphics, figures of the kind are not uncommon, and are largely due to crystallisation.
On being dug out it proved to be a metallic mass which had been fused by intense heat. When cooled and broken open, we were told, “inside was found what might have been a piece of metal, on which were a number of curious marks like written characters”—which characters, it was interesting to learn, “bore some resemblance to Egyptian handwriting.”
Mars is our neighbouring world. A popular belief has grown up in the existence of intelligent beings on Mars. So here, indeed, was a message from Mars!
A delightful story, certainly; but attempts to read this “message” can only be so much time wasted. It was the “metal inside" which racked the brains of the Yankee reporter, and suggested to him that the message had been wrapped by careful Martians in a casing of another metal, black in colour; but both are one and the same. A black casing, or rind, is common to all aerolites, and is created by fusion of the surface by the intense heat set up by friction with our atmosphere, as the aerolite dashes through to earth. As to the “message” in unreadable hieroglyphics, figures of the kind are not uncommon, and are largely due to crystallisation.
