An Account of the Detonating Meteor of February 12, 1875

Iowa City: Daily Press Job Printing Office, 1875 [1877]. Second Edition - revised & enlarged.. Original violet paper printed wrappers.. Fine.. Large 4to, 15, [1], x, [2 - errata] pp. + 2 inserted maps (one a large folding 16 x 20 inch township map with the track of the meteor hand-inked in red) and text illustrations. This copy signed in pencil by Ella Preston - granddaughter of the author - on the front wrapper.

On the evening of February 12, 1875, a meteor is said to have illuminated the entire southeastern portion of Iowa as bright as day and was seen clearly from Chicago to Omaha (from the east and west) and St. Paul to St. Louis (from (truncated) the north and south) for a period of time lasting around 10 seconds. Irish surmised that it had broken apart into two large sections, one exploding over Amana and scattering fragments (of which some 800lbs. worth are known to have been recovered) one coming apart near the Iowa-Benton County line just west of Iowa City. Many of the discovered fragments were quickly sold off to European collectors though the two largest known pieces, about 74 and 48 pounds, respectively, are held by The University of Iowa. Irish's work is notable for its significant input of primary source accounts and his studious field work. An accomplished civil engineer, he went on from Iowa to be named Surveyor General of Nevada by President Cleveland in 1886, and in the 1890's would lead the Bureau of Irrigation and Inquiry. The approximately 16" x 20" folding map is a copy of Cram's RAIL ROAD & TOWNSHIP MAP OF IOWA (1877) and is embellished by a hand-drawn track of the meteor's path in red ink. The appendix includes another 5 illustrated engraved figures, complimenting the two appearing on p.14 of the original edition done by the author's brother. This is the copy of Ella E. Preston, of Davenport, daughter of Ruth Irish Preston, and granddaughter to the author. It is a superb surviving example of a fragile production. We note two copies of this 1877 edition, one in Irish's papers at the University of Iowa and another at the Clements Library. Additionally four copies of the original from 1875, again in the Irish papers at Iowa, the Iowa State Historical Society, Michigan State, and the University of Oklahoma. His appendix notes the original run of 1875 as having been exhausted by 1877. This "second edition" is made-up from the original 1875 printing with the addition of the 10 page appendix with inserted maps and text illustrations not present in 1875. (Inventory #: 21166)