Iowa's Roswell: The Wreck of 1277

Ivan Seeking

From the fringe of the fringe. I had never heard of this story.

Marion: With all the national hoopla over events that occurred in Roswell, New Mexico half a century ago, people have quite forgotten a similar event over 115 years ago just twelve miles outside of Ely in Marion County. Here, a beautiful meadow beckons amidst a stretch of old abandoned railroad line.

http://www.yawp.com/3rd-i/vol4/vol4No7/1277.html

Jonathan

What are the chances of a ufo hitting a train? Why would the aliens not try to miss the train (assuming they could steer, and were therefore crashing because of a power or propulsion problem)?

Ivan Seeking

This reminds me of a report that I saw on television. It was claimed that the first collision in the US between two automobiles involved the only two cars in the state [Oklahoma I think].

selfAdjoint

Could this be a meteorite? The size of the crater suggests it.

zoobyshoe

Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
This reminds me of a report that I saw on television. It was claimed that the first collision in the US between two automobiles involved the only two cars in the state [Oklahoma I think].

This is a true story. The zinger, also true, is that the drivers of both vehicles were drunk.

zoobyshoe

Originally posted by selfAdjoint
Could this be a meteorite? The size of the crater suggests it.

This is what it probably was. The only trouble is the old man's recollection of it's attempt to pull up to abort the initial dive, which seems to be what set it on a new course into the train.

Possible "realistic" explanation for why a meteor might do this is the sudden release of gas trapped in a pocket exposed by atmospheric burning. I really do hope they dig down to the source of the reverberation and see what's there.

Jonathan

Well of course it envolved those two cars, could it have happened if it only envolved one? LOL, I'm so funny! Secondly, on a more serious note, what are the chances of a ufo coming a bazillion light years and hitting such a moving target as a train?

zoobyshoe

If it actually ended up happening then the chances had to be 100%. There wouldn't be any way of knowing this ahead of time, though.

selfAdjoint

Back in the 1970s a very small meteorite struck a parked car somewhere in upstate New York and drilled a hole right through it.

zoobyshoe

Hm. Now I wonder if my car insurance covers meteorite damage.

Jonathan

Of course! They cover everything except what will most likely happen!

Artman

If there was a sudden outgassing of the meteor to slow its desent and change its trajectory, it may have then been highly magnetic and attracted to the locomotive.

zoobyshoe

You are saying it might have been made of ferromagnetic metals?

wasteofo2

Originally posted by Artman
If there was a sudden outgassing of the meteor to slow its desent and change its trajectory, it may have then been highly magnetic and attracted to the locomotive.

Aren't magnets degaussed at a relatively low temperature, far below that which a meteorite would reach entering the earth's atmosphere?

einsteinian77

yes, it is common electromagnetic physics that a magnet loses its strength as it is heated and a meteor entering the earths atmosphere is blazing with fire.

wasteofo2

Originally posted by einsteinian77
yes, it is common electromagnetic physics that a magnet loses its strength as it is heated and a meteor entering the earths atmosphere is blazing with fire.

Woop, 1 point for me!

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Jonathan	What are the chances of a ufo hitting a train? Why would the aliens not try to miss the train (assuming they could steer, and were therefore crashing because of a power or propulsion problem)?

Ivan Seeking Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor Staff Emeritus	This reminds me of a report that I saw on television. It was claimed that the first collision in the US between two automobiles involved the only two cars in the state [Oklahoma I think].

selfAdjoint Recognitions: Gold Member Staff Emeritus	Iowa's Roswell: The Wreck of 1277 Could this be a meteorite? The size of the crater suggests it.

zoobyshoe	If it actually ended up happening then the chances had to be 100%. There wouldn't be any way of knowing this ahead of time, though.

Artman	If there was a sudden outgassing of the meteor to slow its desent and change its trajectory, it may have then been highly magnetic and attracted to the locomotive.

einsteinian77	yes, it is common electromagnetic physics that a magnet loses its strength as it is heated and a meteor entering the earths atmosphere is blazing with fire.