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Meteor fall's destroying
John "Rantoul (KS) Citizen," 29 May 1897, page 4 column 1. Topeka Capital: the return of the John Brown anniversary recalls one of the most famous pieces of fake news that ever went the rounds of the American press. It was in regard to a mysterious happening at the monument to the anti-slavery leader which stands at Osawatomie. Three or four years ago a story appeared in the dispatches telling how a meteor fell one clear night and had struck the monument directly in the center and had not only demolished the structure but had buried itself in the soil and was the wonder of the community. It was represented as one of the greatest stones that had ever fallen, and there was on the part of superstitious people a feeling that it had come as a judgment on the life of the man to whom the stone stood in some manner reflecting on his life work. But it was most interesting so the scientists, who from the very full description of the stone, realized that it was of great value to the students of geology. Several eastern colleges wrote to the town for fuller particulars and made bids for the meteor. One of the largest New York colleges was not content with that but sent two of its professors on a hurried trip across the continent to bring the stone home at any cost. The people of Osawatomie were astonished when strangers began to appear and ask for the stone. In a few days the place was filled and the little hotel was making money by the wholesale. As the visitors went out to the monument they were all surprised to find it in perfect condition and not a trace of any celestial visitor visible. Furthermore, no meteor had ever been seen there and none had fallen in the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The whole thing was a fake. Investigation failed for many months to find the source of the story. The papers had started it from what they considered good sources, and would not reveal what the sources were. Finally there came a confession which, however, was never known outside a narrow circle. The originator was the engineer on a branch road running through the vicinity of Osawatomie. He was a studious young man and took a deep interest in astronomy. He watched the heavens closely on his night runs, and one evening was speculating on what might happen if a large meteor should fall and demolish some of the buildings or the monument which is the landmark for the vicinity. From that the step was easy to tell a newspaper friend that it had occurred, and the work was done. Many of the admirers of the Kansas hero still think his monument is a mass of ruins. Hundreds of letters and scores of visitors have come to Osawatomie concerning it- yet it never had the least foundation except in the imagination of a railroad man. |
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