Doubt - No 45

Magazine Overview

Title: DOUBT
Subtitle: THE FORTEAN SOCIETY MAGAZINE
Volume: Vol. II
Issue: Whole Number 45
Date: May 25, 1954
Publisher: The Fortean Society
Price: 35c. (2/- in Great Britain)

This issue of DOUBT, the magazine of The Fortean Society, is a compilation of unusual, unexplained, and often bizarre occurrences, presented as a follow-up to previously reported data and to highlight ongoing Fortean phenomena. The magazine is edited by Tiffany Thayer and features a wide array of reports from various correspondents.

Contents and Key Articles

Bingo Advertisements

The cover and the first page are dominated by advertisements for various Bingo games, including "Universal Moose Bingo" in East Liberty and East Pittsburgh, and "Sacred Heart Bingo" and "B-I-N-G-O" at St. Bartholomew Hall. These ads detail game schedules, prizes, and costs.

Follow Up Section

This extensive section details numerous incidents categorized by type of phenomenon:

• Lightning Strikes: Reports on golfers being struck on courses in the UK and USA, with fatalities and injuries. One incident involved a lightning strike discharging dynamite.
• Bee and Wasp Stings: Accounts of fatal stings from wasps and bees, including a case where a wasp sting led to death within minutes, and another where multiple stings proved fatal. It also mentions a bee sting that led to a lorry driver's crash and subsequent death from a blood transfusion.
• Sleepwalkers: Incidents of sleepwalkers climbing and diving, including a boy who died after diving from a third-floor window and a housewife found in a tree.
• Hiccups: A report on a drug house sending hiccup remedies to Brazil due to a reported epidemic, though state health officials denied the severity. It also mentions a man who has been hiccuping continuously since 1948.
• Hitler's Survival: Mentions rumors of Hitler's survival and his sister Paula changing her name. It also notes the Austrian government's interest in his legacy, specifically a Vermeer painting.
• Nylons: Reports on nylons disintegrating in various locations.
• Tombstones: Incidents of tombstones toppling in several US towns.
• Lost Homing Pigeons: A report of over 900 homing pigeons getting lost on a flight from Nantes, France, to Yorkshire, with only 17 making it.
• Subsidences: Descriptions of sinkholes and ground subsidences in Pittsburgh, USA, and Switzerland.
• Displaced Beasts: Sightings of unusual animals in unexpected locations, such as a cobra in Lincolnshire, a South European lizard in Exmouth, a tortoise in a junk-man's truck, an alligator in Valley Stream, a brown bear in a Brooklyn ditch, and a boa in Minnesota.
• Civil Defense Flops: Criticism of the public's lack of engagement with civil defense shows, suggesting public awareness of the "fraud" foisted upon them.
• Manx Cats: Notes that Manx cats are considered marvels and have been documented in the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Fortean Coincidences

This section highlights seemingly improbable coincidences:

• Anchor Chain Knot: A description of an inexplicable knot in a ship's anchor chain, similar to a previous report.
• Jolly Roger: A report of a Jolly Roger flag seen floating over the House of Parliament.
• Dress on Flagstaff: A woman's green dress with the words "Equal pay for women" spelled out in red braid was seen flying from a flagstaff.
• Unconscious Periods: Cases of individuals remaining unconscious for extended periods after accidents, including a boy kicked by a horse, a woman after a road accident, and a boy struck by a car.
• Divorce Action: A divorce case in Sydney named "Fear versus Fear," with the correspondent named "Bogie."
• Simultaneous Names: Two individuals with the same name, James Williams, were involved in a stabbing incident, with one being questioned.
• Postal Helicopter Crashes: A report of a third postal helicopter crash in the Lynwood, California area.
• Atomic Energy Commission: Dr. Harold C. Urey's complaint about the lack of enthusiasm for peaceful atomic energy development among scientific advisors.
• Atomic Energy Plant: Description of the first central-heating plant powered by atomic energy in Harwell, England.
• H-Bomb Theories: Contrasting views on the possibility of triggering an H-bomb, with one scientist deeming it unlikely and another predicting its arrival within two years.
• Gas Incidents: A series of reports on gas-related accidents, including explosions in coal mines, carbon monoxide poisoning, and a "tank" explosion.
• Circus Accidents: Reports of high-wire falls and a flying horizontal bar breaking during circus performances.
• TV and Strangled Baby: A report of a baby strangled by its babysitter while watching television.
• Child Shootings: Incidents of children being shot, one by their father's pistol after expressing suicidal thoughts, and two mothers accidentally running over their own children.
• Simultaneous Births: Two women with the same maiden name, Shirley Weagle, gave birth to sons within six minutes of each other.
• Multiple Bodies Found: Two nude bodies were found floating in the Allegheny River.
• Disappearing Passengers: Reports of passengers disappearing from ships, including a sister on a honeymoon cruise and a woman on a voyage to Europe.
• Bus Crash: A bus carrying passengers crashed, with the driver's injuries called "minor" despite the severity of the crash.
• Simultaneous Street Incidents: Three incidents occurring within minutes in a single block in New York City: a woman jumped from a hotel, a painter fell from a scaffold, and a girl threatened to jump from a window.
• Strangled Babies: Reports of babies being strangled in their cribs.
• Collided Cars: A head-on collision between a father and son driving to visit each other, resulting in multiple fatalities.
• Mine Explosions: Explosions in mines in England and Italy, trapping and killing miners.
• Telephone Pole Collisions: Two separate incidents of cars losing control and striking the same telephone pole within hours of each other.

Fortean Ironies

This section highlights ironic or contradictory events, such as a hamburger who lost a case about the sun's temperature being killed in an auto accident, and a woman praying for prosperity being robbed.

Current Events and Society Issues

• Cur Enemies Run: A note on the effectiveness of raising awareness about tonsillectomy as a cause of polio. It also mentions the exposure of an anti-rabies racket in Chicago and effective cancer treatments gaining recognition.
• White Elephant of Palomar: A critical remark on the performance of the Palomar Observatory.
• Fluoridation: Notes that fluoridation of public drinking water is facing resistance.
• Colored Rain and Snow: Reports of unusual precipitation, including blood-red snow near Naples, blue rain and pink snow in Rensselaer, red snow in Greenland, beige-colored snow in the Midwest, and a "mysterious goo" spattering dwellings in San Jose.

First Prize: Mickey Mouse Problem

This section features a letter from Paul Kiepe, who solved a "Mickey Mouse problem" related to a "Disney machine name" and a "humanoid check-writer." The solution involves a coded message and an explanation of how the machine's "handle" influences its output, linking it to alcohol consumption and brain function.

Second Prize: Unusual Animal and Phenomenon Reports

• Lion Changing Sex: A young lion in a Cairo Zoo reportedly changing its sex and losing its whiskers.
• H-Bomb Photo: A report that a supposed "photo" of the H-bomb explosion was actually a drawing by a Walt Disney animator.
• Hippopotamus Deaths: Hundreds of hippopotamuses dying of suspected anthrax in Uganda.
• Hydrogen Peroxide Submarine: A new British submarine powered by hydrogen peroxide.
• Sea Lion Tonsillectomy: A sea lion in Cincinnati died during a tonsillectomy.
• Air Guard Marksmanship: The Illinois Air National Guard's accidental burning of a church with a wing tank.
• Rogue's Gallery Camera: A Denver police camera was discovered to be not working after all officers had their photos taken.
• Comet Discovery: The procedure for discovering comets involves painstaking examination of celestial telescopic photographs, not looking out a window at night.
• Studying the Sun at Night: A quote suggesting only nocturnal astronomers would study the sun at night.

Still the Pallid Data March

• AD-X-2 Battery Restorer: Reports that the AD-X-2 battery restorer, previously deemed fraudulent, is now considered effective.
• Mutilated Casper Hauser: An inquiry about a reported case of a "mutilated Casper Hauser" in Nova Scotia.
• Hybrid Bears: An Alaska brown bear and a polar bear mating to produce hybrids, with triplets born at the Washington D.C. Zoo.
• Flying Ashtray: A sea-shell ashtray in Kitchener, Ontario, that reportedly flew across a room multiple times.
• Sewage Sludge Vitamin B-12: The extraction of vitamin B-12 from sewage sludge for use as a supplementary diet for farm animals.
• Pigeon with Pince-nez Glasses: A pigeon wearing pince-nez glasses was reported to have visited an office window.
• Cats Following Girl: A girl in Derby, England, was followed by strange cats.
• Invisible Comet: An amateur astronomer found another invisible comet.
• Birds Playing with Matches: Birds setting fire to a tree in Jackson, Michigan.
• Water Age Requirement: A call for water that is more than 5 years old but under 20 years old for scientific purposes.
• Volcano Dies: The volcano Paricutin in Mexico was reported to have died at the age of nine years.
• Arsenic in Bread: Persons in Italy fell ill from eating bread containing arsenic.
• Big Toe-Print Identification: A legal case in Glasgow where a conviction was obtained by identification of a big-toe-print.
• Alien Refusing Fingerprints: A man in Cleveland refused to be fingerprinted, citing religious objections based on the "mark of the beast."
• Growth Removal: A "growth" removed from a man's back was identified as a "teratoma," possibly a Siamese twin.
• Embedded Baby Girl: An operation revealed a "growing baby girl" embedded in a railroad worker's lung in Osaka, Japan.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of DOUBT are the cataloging of unusual, unexplained, and often bizarre events, presented as "Fortean phenomena." The magazine's stance is one of skeptical inquiry, documenting these occurrences without necessarily providing definitive explanations, but rather presenting them for the reader's consideration. There is a consistent emphasis on coincidences, strange accidents, and phenomena that defy conventional scientific or logical understanding. The editorial tone is factual in its reporting of events but often implies a sense of wonder or bewilderment at the sheer volume and nature of these occurrences. The magazine encourages readers to submit their own observations and data, contributing to the ongoing "march of pallid data."

This document, titled "MORE NOTES of CHARLES FORT," appears to be a compilation of entries from the personal notes of Charles Fort, presented chronologically. The material spans several pages, numbered 293 through 297, and is published by The Fortean Society. The content focuses on unexplained phenomena, often referred to as 'Forteana,' and includes a wide array of strange occurrences reported from various locations around the world.

Content Highlights

Page 293

The issue begins with a collection of brief, often quirky, reports. These include an "intelligence quiz" sent to Congress that was refused, mass fainting spells among a high school girl choir, a theory that French Coelacanths are the source of the world's oil supply, and reports of ground groaning during Greek earthquakes. Footprints in the snow on the Isle of Wight are described, as are floods in Texas and a debate in New York about removing the day of the week from milk containers. A report from Pont St. Esprit, France, details people falling ill from bread contaminated with fuel oil. A tree in Centereach, Long Island, reportedly glowed phosphorescently after being cut. An undated report mentions a tree that inexplicably began bearing greengages instead of apples. Harvard announced the possible discovery of a 'tenth' planet. Reports of bubbles in English rivers and the Ohio River are identified as detergents. An Italian seismologist postulates four unknown planets to account for earthquakes. The French Navy reportedly beat Picard's bathysphere record, and UN attempts at rain-making are deemed 'inconclusive.' An underground fire in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, has been burning for 14 years, with a plan to stop it costing $3 million. A ewe in England gave birth to six lambs. An incident involving swallows returning early is mentioned, and a Hindu drug, Rauwolfia, is credited with beneficial effects on high blood pressure. The issue also notes a 'grey dust' problem attributed to power stations in England and a mass gathering in Rome anticipating the 'end of the world.'

Page 294

This section delves into the phenomenon of shattered windshields, particularly in Britain, with 55 data points on the subject. The distinction between 'laminated' and 'toughened' glass is discussed, with racing car drivers expressing concerns about 'toughened' glass. The possibility that the adhesive in laminated glass might be responsible for disintegration is raised. Reports of 'droplets' hitting windshields and causing stings are mentioned, along with similar incidents involving children. The spread of this phenomenon across the USA and Canada is noted, and the importance of identifying the type of glass is emphasized. The potential role of chemical composition is explored, with a quote from Dr. Frank Cox of Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. stating that any chemical attacking glass would also attack people. The section concludes by listing numerous contributors who provided data on this phenomenon.

Page 295

This page continues the 'More Notes of Charles Fort' section, starting with the year 1867. It details a 'tremendous invasion by moths' in New South Wales, Australia, with millions reported and some covering a ship 300 miles offshore. An entry from Clapham, London, describes an object 'directed by its apparent path, exactly from the moon.' A detonation in Bedaricux, France, was thought to be an exploding meteor. Multiple earthquake shocks were reported in Alpine, California, accompanied by darkness. Reports from New York and Philadelphia mention hailstones the size of hens' eggs and a deluge of hail. A 'detonating meteor' is reported in Margate, England. Several entries note 'Linne' as a faint nebulosity or a clear white spot. A shower of fire and sulphur found in puddles of water at Thames Ditton, Surrey, is described. Numerous meteor sightings are recorded across England, with details on their appearance and timing. Reports of dead birds falling in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, and partridges breaking their necks against school windows in England are included. Ducks falling dead in North Carolina and mass bird deaths in Oregon are also noted. Unusual 'seeds' and 'featherweight pellets' are reported in Oregon. Large curls of ash drifted over New York City, and giant snowflakes fell near Hood River, Oregon, attributed by one former weather official to airplane flights. A train wreck in Argentina was caused by a vast accumulation of locusts in their larva stage.

Page 296

This page continues the chronological notes, detailing hurricane and earthquake activity in St. Thomas. A 'night cyclone' in Bengal is reported, with significant destruction to boats and huts, and 1000 deaths in Calcutta. The 'Barisal Guns' phenomenon is mentioned. A significant entry describes 'Little Balloons' – numerous black discs seen in groups and scattered, passing rapidly through the air, some appearing like 'huge cannon shot' and leaving puffs of greyish-brown vapor. This phenomenon was observed by Captain James F. Beveridge and others. Other entries include reports of witchcraft in Warwickshire, volcanic activity in Iceland, and dense dark clouds, lightning, and earthquakes in Jamaica. Meteor showers are noted, including the Leonids and Geminids, with predictions and observations from various locations like Maidstone, Sydney, Shanghai, and Cape Argus. Reports of a house fire in Wales where a woman was suspected to have died from spontaneous combustion are detailed, along with a similar case involving her son. A 'dry fog' at St. Thomas accompanied an earthquake, and large flames of fire were seen on Guadeloupe.

Page 297

This page continues the detailed chronological notes, primarily focusing on meteor showers and volcanic activity. It lists numerous observations of the Leonids meteor shower across different years and locations, including predictions and comparisons to previous years. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius is mentioned multiple times, with references to its activity and associated phenomena. Reports of new craters and significant eruptions are noted. The 'Little Balloons' phenomenon is revisited with a reference to its observation in Trinidad and a description of light like a 'candelabrum.' Further reports of meteors are detailed, including those observed in Iowa City and the US and West Indies. The issue also mentions meteoric dust in Oran, Algeria, and a 'great hurricane' and 'great quake' in the West Indies. The page concludes with a list of various contributors and sources, including newspaper clippings and scientific journals.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this compilation are the documentation of unexplained phenomena, anomalies, and unusual occurrences across various domains: atmospheric, geological, biological, and astronomical. The editorial stance, as implied by the collection and presentation of these notes, is one of curiosity and a commitment to recording events that defy conventional scientific explanation, aligning with the principles of Charles Fort's work. There is a consistent effort to cite sources, often from newspapers and scientific journals, and to note the contributions of various individuals who reported these events. The tone is observational and factual, presenting the phenomena without overt judgment but with an underlying implication that these events warrant attention and investigation.