Doubt - No 51

Magazine Overview

DOUBT, The Fortean Society Magazine, Vol. II, Whole Number 51, edited by Tiffany Thayer, is dated 1931 A D. The cover features a striking, dark illustration of a grimacing face and the headline "Joy To The World". The magazine is priced at 35c in the USA and 2/- in Great Britain.

Editorial and Subscription Information

The magazine is edited by Tiffany Thayer, Secretary of the Fortean Society, with its main office at Box 192 Grand Central Annex, New York City. It uses the Fortean 13-month calendar. Membership is available to all, with annual dues set at $2.00. For members in Sterling countries, dues are 8/-, and specific addresses are provided for England (Eric Frank Russell) and Italy (Prince Boris de Rachewiltz).

THE BOOKS OF CHARLES FORT are available in Great Britain from Markham House Press, 31 Kings Road, London, S.W. 3, for £2-11-6. The magazine is also available in principal cities worldwide for 35c per copy and can be found in many public libraries and universities.

Notable Articles and Reports

FIRST PRIZE

This section reports on an invention by Cornell's Prof. L. B. Darrah, a machine that takes eggs out of their shells and places them into individual plastic packets with carbon dioxide added to maintain quality. The report notes that the shells are saved to house artificial eggs. It also recounts the tragic death of Anton Schuessler, the father of three boys murdered in Chicago, who died after electric shock treatment administered due to a depressed state.

Miscellaneous News Items

A 14-year-old boy in Washington D.C., who previously set false fire alarms, began setting houses afire. Dr. J. Gordon Cook is quoted in the British magazine "Family Doctor" stating that "sparkling advertising signs and street lamps of London make starlings more mature sexually than starlings living in the country." An answering service for prayer, "UN-6181", is available in Dallas, Texas, operated by Dr. W. A. Welsh. In England, Mrs. Evan Haines is being assigned a telephone she does not want, despite a long waiting list.

A "dense cloud of chloroform gas" in Atlanta drove forty people from their homes. In Rome, a "sniper with an air rifle" wounded ten females. Rome also announced colored asphalt for paving. Dr. Walter M. Urban of Swift & Co. research laboratories stated that spent uranium fuel from atomic reactors could keep bread fresh. A herd of cattle valued between $240,000 and $280,000 was "rustled" in England. In New Jersey, toll gates on the Garden State Parkway operate on an "honor" system, with a high compliance rate.

RUSSELL'S BEST

Dr. Richard Scorer of the Imperial College of Science announced that "British bath water usually swirls down the plug-hole counter-clockwise." A warning about dangers in foods preserved by irradiation is noted from the "British Medical Journal." In Monmouthshire, England, houses shook and windows rattled with no audible bang or quake. Quinn Tamm of the FBI stated that about one in eighteen people in the United States belong to the criminal element, and the FBI has 71,000,000 prints on file. Prof. Sheldon Glueck described a system to identify potential juvenile delinquents at age six. The New Zealand Education Board ruled that bagpipes are not musical instruments.

GEE HAS FIELD DAY

Judith Gee of London reports that since antibiotics were introduced, lung cancer has increased tenfold. The article notes a correlation between the rise in cancer and the introduction of sulphanilamide therapy in 1935. An international conference on antibiotics in farming discussed how terramycin added to stock feed cut maturing time considerably for broilers and pork. A pearl was found inside an egg laid by a hen near Livingston, N.J.

FALLS

This section compiles various reports of unusual falls: fish rain in Tucson, Arizona (1933); red snow in Colorado (1935); and a clam-in-shell rain in Yuma, Arizona (1941).

BANGS

A series of unexplained "bangs" are reported from various locations, including Hampstead Heath, South London, Kent, Surrey, Vauxhall, Yeovil, Taunton, Moraga (California), San Francisco, and Atlantic City. These events are described as "explosions," "tremendous explosions," "mysterious bangs," "earth tremors," and "muffled blasts," with some causing broken windows and holes in the ground. The report notes that Raymond H. Rice of North American Aviation described sonic booms as "mileposts" in aviation progress.

ELSENDER'S BEST

A gem-rush occurred in the Hohen Tauern Alps of Austria after students found emeralds. Maria Grazia Gheller awoke after three months of sleep. The "world's first sun-powered telephone call" was made in Americus, Georgia. An unnamed Russian engineer suggested building a dam across the Bering Strait to create a warm current in the Arctic Ocean.

SHRIMPS

A cloudburst in the Mojave Desert filled "Bicycle Dry Lake" with shrimp, which Life magazine attributed to eggs present in the dry lake bed that hatched in the hot water. The Manchester Guardian editorialized on the resemblance of these "wigglers" to the extinct trilobite.

SOME DO NOT

MFS Banner from Orange, Calif., expresses a preference for "Fortean data" to comprise only events that conflict with accepted science or normal procedures, and deplores material on vaccination, militarism, medical rackets, conscientious objectors, and other societal issues.

NOMINATIONS

Russell nominates Pierre Poujade for Named Fellow. Other nominations include Mrs. Francis T. Supine, Mrs. Floyd Gallo, and Mrs. Victor Baker, all recognized for their defiance of authorities. Tom Leanord of Shepperton, England, is mentioned for his dramatic destruction of a television set. Mrs. Joan Burke of Tonbridge, Kent, expresses concern about her son Richard becoming a "moron" from watching too much TV.

ANGEL HAIR

In Whitsett, North Carolina, a fall of wispy stuff described as "like bite-sized chunks of cotton candy" occurred. Spider web was suggested, but "saucers" were also mentioned as "silvery steel balls moving in all directions." This event is compared to a similar phenomenon in Catrine, Ayrshire.

THE SCIENTIST (Cartoons)

This section features a series of satirical cartoons depicting various themes: "ORRIBLE POISON GAS MBS" and "NEW WEAPONS MUST AWAKE" (Sunday); "RADIATION" and "FUSION PROJECT" (Monday); "NERVE-GAS LAB 1" (Tuesday); and "WARNING!!! SUPER VORULENT GEMS" (Wednesday).

PEACE NEWS

"The Scientist" reproduced here appeared first in "Peace News," a weekly newspaper published in London. A trial subscription for USA subscribers is $1.00 for 3 months.

MEMBER GET A MEMBER

Forteans are encouraged to recruit new members, with incentives offered, such as a free copy of Malter's "Introduction to Errors of Thought." Dues are expected to increase next year.

HIS HONOR THE MAYOR

Mayor D'Alessandro of Baltimore is featured for giving a writer a key to the city and for calling a meeting of "distributors" to discuss "books termed objectionable." He provided a list from "Catholic Review." The author of "Battle Cry" returned his key to the city. The mayor also received "deeds" to a five-acre area on the moon for a municipal park from the Interplanetary Development Corporation.

HOW THE MONEY ROLLS IN

Three Christmas mailings from Catholic organizations are described, offering remembrance at Masses in Rome in exchange for donations. These mailings include printed letters, order forms, Christmas cards, and return envelopes.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of DOUBT Magazine, consistent with its Fortean origins, focuses on the collection and dissemination of unexplained phenomena, anomalies, and events that challenge conventional scientific understanding. The magazine acts as a clearinghouse for such data, encouraging readers to submit their observations. While primarily focused on the unusual, the magazine does touch upon societal and political issues when they intersect with its core mission, particularly in defense against what it terms "dogma." The editorial stance, as articulated by the Secretary, emphasizes individual thinking and discourages the Society from taking official political positions. The magazine aims to widen the scope of Fortean inquiry to all phases of life, as per the founders' aims, and defends this broad approach against criticism that some reported material is not "Fortean data."

This issue of DOUBT magazine, identified by its page numbers 390-393, is published by The Fortean Society and focuses heavily on historical anomalous phenomena through the "More Notes of Charles Fort" section. The cover features an illustration of a stylized, possibly mechanical, bird or creature.

Content Highlights

Annual Enrollment and Donations

The issue begins with appeals for "Annual Enrollment" and "Perpetual Enrollment," soliciting voluntary donations to aid the work of "your Order," particularly the education of young men for the priesthood. These sections include details on membership levels and premium offers, such as a "twin-picture Devotional Shrine." There is also a mention of a "Homo-sexual Magazine" being offered via mail order from Berea, Ohio.

MITCHELL'S BEST

This section includes a critique by MFS Mitchell of an article by Dr. Rudolf Pabst regarding "flying saucers," noting that it mentions Charles Fort and is considered "worthless to saucer fans" but "good material for students of semantics." It also reports on the dedication of a "heavy press" plant in Cleveland by Air Force Secretary Harold E. Talbott, a new volcano in Mexico, an X-rayed Egyptian mummy with unusual findings, the release of "flying Finn twins," and an expedition's altimeter failures in the Himalayas. Additionally, it notes Utah Governor J. Bracken Lee's call for the elimination of Federal income taxes and a peculiar incident in Manila where a house and its occupants vanished.

More Notes of Charles Fort (1869)

This extensive section meticulously transcribes Charles Fort's handwritten notes, presented chronologically starting from 1869. The entries detail a wide array of anomalous events reported in newspapers and scientific journals of the time. These include:

• Meteors and Atmospheric Phenomena: Numerous reports of meteors, some with unusual characteristics like gun-shot sounds, detached bodies, or leaving colored trains. Also noted are dust storms, hot winds, and peculiar atmospheric conditions.
• Precipitation Anomalies: Reports of colored rain (red and yellow), dust falls, and even a large block of ice falling in Queensland. A significant event in Melbourne involved a "tre-mendous dust storm" accompanied by a violent magnetic storm.
• Geological and Seismic Activity: Mentions of earthquakes, volcanic activity (a new volcano in Mexico), and a large explosion in Paris.
• Biological Anomalies: A report of numerous living larvae found in snow in the Haute Savoie region, and unusual insect activity.
• Celestial Observations: Notes on sunspots, auroral displays (including unusual shapes and movements), and lunar halos.
• Other Phenomena: Incidents of supposed sirocco, fog, and even a "body of fire" falling upon a church in Mexico, causing destruction and fatalities.

The transcription process is explained, noting the difficulty of Fort's handwriting and the use of symbols and codes. The notes are presented in series, alternating between records of non-human phenomena and records of persons.

FOR THE BIRDS

This section discusses the awarding of contracts for the first stage rocket to launch an artificial satellite for the International Geophysical Year, with the contract going to Glenn L. Martin Co. It questions the background of Dr. Joseph Kaplan, who is in charge of the U.S. National Committee for the International Geophysical Year.

Carriage Forward

An explanation of the British term "carriage forward," meaning "collect carriage charges from the recipient," is provided, referencing a previous incident involving a deceased infant's corpse.

While They Last

A mention of available copies of Russell's "Dreadful Sanctuary" (British edition) at $3.00, described as Eric's romance about an 18th attempt to reach the moon by rocket.

Memory Lapses

This section addresses inquiries about "Rosicrucians" and a story about two ladies transported back in time at Versailles. It refers readers to The Rosicrucian Foundation for more information and notes a Time-travel story by A. M. Phillips.

Books and Publications Advertised

The final page features advertisements for several books and publications:

• "Order Glacial Period and Drayson's Hypothesis" by John Millis.
• "America NEEDS Indians" by the author, copiously illustrated.
• A publication from "United Secularists of America" exposing religion.
• "Chakotin's RAPE OF THE MASSES" described as a blueprint for domination and mental enslavement.
• "The Books of CHARLES FORT" (4 volumes in 1, indexed).
• "The Book of the Damned," "New Lands," and "Wild Talents" by Charles Fort, with an introduction by Tiffany Thayer.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the documentation of anomalous phenomena, historical curiosities, and critical commentary on societal and scientific matters. The editorial stance, as represented by The Fortean Society, is one of skepticism towards conventional explanations, a deep interest in unexplained events, and a critical view of government and institutional pronouncements. There is a consistent effort to collect and present evidence of the unusual, often drawing from historical records and contemporary reports, while also engaging in commentary on current events and publications.