Doubt - No 57

Magazine Overview

Title: DOUBT
Subtitle: THE FORTEAN SOCIETY MAGAZINE
Volume: Vol. III
Issue: Whole Number 57
Editor: Tiffany Thayer
Publisher: The Fortean Society
Country of Publication: USA
Original Language: English
Price: 35c. (2/- in Great Britain)
Issue Date: September 1958 (implied by content dates)

Editorial Content

The September 1958 issue of DOUBT, The Fortean Society Magazine, edited by Tiffany Thayer, presents a diverse collection of reports and observations on anomalous phenomena, scientific curiosities, and societal observations, reflecting the Fortean Society's interest in the unexplained and the unusual. The cover features a cartoon by Jules Feiffer, depicting a person looking through a telescope with the caption, "IT'S UP THERE ALLRIGHT. I CAN ALMOST SEE IT."

First Prize Section

The "First Prize" section, acknowledging contributions, highlights various news items. One report details the arrest of two teenagers in Redding, California, for "breathing," a bizarre incident attributed to an attempt to curb a perceived wave of breathing. Another significant piece discusses the revelation that British police routinely tap phones and open first-class letters, sparking protests against such infringements on privacy. The section also includes a satirical letter to Senator Goldwater regarding government payments for not raising hogs and corn, questioning the logic of such agricultural subsidies. A scientific report from Dublin mentions the synthesis of a new element, 102 (Nobelium), described as "VERY RADIOACTIVE" by the Yorkshire Post. The section also touches upon unusual biological occurrences, such as Siamese-twin swallows observed in Nottingham, and a potential link between strontium 90 fallout and increased intelligence in children, as suggested by Dr. J. Ford Thomson's tests.

Anomalous Phenomena Reports

A substantial portion of the magazine is dedicated to cataloging various unexplained events from around the world:

• Ice Falls: Reports detail instances of ice falling from the sky in Van Nuys, California, and other locations, with speculation ranging from planes to unusual atmospheric conditions. The CAA's theory involving towel lint from planes is noted.
• Stone and Rock Falls: Accounts describe houses being pelted with stones and rocks of varying sizes in Australia and Maryland.
• Unusual Rains: The magazine notes instances of "red rain" in France and India, and a peculiar "yellow mud" rain in Rome, potentially linked to a nuclear accident.
• Washing and Paint Damage: Housewives in Fulham complain of yellow spots corroding laundry, while paintwork in Poole, Dorset, turned green.
• Webs and Other Materials: A strip of rubber-like material was found in Maryland, and "cob-web-like" material was reported in New Mexico, with speculation about its origin.
• Animal-Related Anomalies: A black and white rabbit with dead babies was found in London, a cow's hoof appeared in a fireplace in York, and a dead shark was found in Fall River, Massachusetts.
• Explosions and Ground Disturbances: Reports mention blasts creating holes and fusing metal fences near Huntsville, Alabama, and a large blast in Niagara Falls.
• Object Falls: Various objects, including a "10-pound chunk" of ice, a steel cylinder, a "radiosonde" from a rocket, and a "fire-spouting object" containing a hydrogen generator, are reported to have fallen from the sky.
• Missile Incidents: Several incidents involving missiles, including one that detonated near Madison, Wisconsin, and another that landed in a quarry in Dorset, are documented.
• Water Anomalies: Unusual phenomena in bodies of water are mentioned, such as discolored water, subsurface explosions, and strange "footprints" and "chicken tracks" on the ocean floor.

Specific Articles and Sections

• The Herrmann Business: This section details a poltergeist case involving children in Seaford, L.I., noting the typical pattern of phenomena occurring when children are involved.
• SPUTS: This section critiques the reporting on satellite technology, labeling belief in orbiting satellites as an "act of faith" and criticizing the media's reliance on "authority."
• EZ TO ITALY: Mentions Ezra Pound's release from St. Elizabeth's and his return to Italy.
• MEMORIAL TO REICH: Notes the death of Wilhelm Reich, inventor of Orgonomic Medicine, in prison, and the preservation of his work.
• RUSSELL'S BEST: This section compiles various news items, including reports on Alfred Krupp's reception in Australia and Montreal, a protest by US "intellectual" soldiers at Fort Belvoir, and the US Army's practice of destroying surplus equipment. It also mentions British Army surpluses and the withdrawal of "neck-tie clasps" in the form of an Air Force missile.
• THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS: An appeal for volunteers to help classify data, with a list of popular categories such as "Life on Other Planets," "Dowsing," and "Mass Mental Control."
• MORE RADAR FLOPS: Discusses the unreliability of radar evidence in speeding cases and reports on various unexplained phenomena observed by ships at sea, including "phantom ships" and unidentified invisible objects.
• MONEY MASTER KEY: Promotes a book by John H. Blackmore on reforming Canada's monetary system.
• RUSSELL TOO: Offers copies of Eric Russell's science fiction novel, "Dreadful Sanctuary."
• RED CHINESE ALPHABET: Notes the adoption of a Latin-based alphabet in China.
• PERPETUAL DAYLIGHT: Discusses proposals for creating perpetual daylight through giant towers with mirrors and a plan for "perpetual twilight" using satellites.
• SEMPER FREUDELIS: Mentions a suggestion for nurses to "thirt" with male patients to aid recovery.
• TRACKS ON OCEAN FLOOR: Reports on strange "footprints" and "chicken tracks" observed on the ocean floor in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

Honorary Founders and Fellowships

The magazine announces the induction of playwright Arthur Miller and scientist JBS Haldane as Honorary Founders. It also recognizes "Golden Rule Fellows" who were nominated for their activism against nuclear bomb tests.

Other Items

• Final Nominations 27 FS: Mentions Judge Henry C. Ferguson's declaration of radar evidence in speeding cases as unconstitutional and other judges' skepticism of radar accuracy.
• The Case of Mariner Eccles: Notes Mariner Eccles' nomination for Fellowship for advocating peace and an end to "sabre rattling."
• Roy Gordon Jacobsen: A student sued Columbia University for $7000 for failing to teach him wisdom.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of DOUBT are the cataloging and presentation of anomalous phenomena, often dismissed or unexplained by mainstream science and media. The magazine consistently questions official explanations and highlights instances where conventional logic seems insufficient. There is a strong undercurrent of skepticism towards authority, particularly concerning government secrecy, scientific pronouncements, and technological claims (such as satellites). The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded inquiry into the unusual, encouraging readers to question the status quo and consider alternative explanations for events. The inclusion of reader contributions and the "Thank You Volunteers" section underscore a community-driven approach to collecting and analyzing Fortean data. The magazine also exhibits a dry, often satirical, wit in its presentation of news and commentary.

This document, titled "MORE NOTES of CHARLES FORT," presents a collection of entries from the unpublished manuscript notes of the renowned researcher Charles Fort. The issue focuses on chronologically transcribing these notes, offering a glimpse into Fort's meticulous cataloging of unexplained phenomena. The content spans various reports, observations, and coincidences, interspersed with philosophical quotes and commentary.

Content Breakdown

Kelp Heads We

This brief section introduces a variation on the theme that man is not an animal but a plant, according to L.S. Dillon of Texas A & M. It poses a question about the implications of this idea for vegetarians.

Tan by Skyflash

This entry details an event on February 17, 1958, where two women on US Route 64 near Espanola, New Mexico, witnessed two successive brilliant flashes of light. They then observed an object that emitted such a bright light that they could not keep their eyes on it as it descended toward the ground. Mrs. Leroy Evans reported a burning sensation on her skin that lasted for some time, along with a fever and a suntan, even on parts of her body covered by clothing. A Geiger counter registered significantly higher readings when near the women compared to others.

Coincidence

This section highlights a curious alignment of events on September 15, 1957. An Associated Press report detailed terrified residents fleeing Tuapse, a Black Sea city, due to a serialized science fiction story about a fiery mass descending from the air. Simultaneously, a New York Times correspondent in Hartford, Connecticut, reported on a local scare caused by a TV program depicting a potential invasion scenario.

Carolina "Quakes"

This entry documents a series of seismic tremors experienced in Wilmington, North Carolina, over three consecutive days in February 1958: February 17th at 9:40 a.m., February 18th at 9:25 a.m., and February 19th at 9:25 a.m. Dr. G.R. McCarthy, a seismologist at Chapel Hill, expressed concern about the mathematical odds against such a pattern, deeming it highly unusual. While not discounting the reports, he noted that by March 15, 1958, the total number of such events in two months had reached eight, mostly occurring between 9 and 10 a.m. Dr. McCarthy verified only the first event as an earthquake, suggesting that subsequent pushes might have come through the air rather than ground waves.

Credits

This section acknowledges the receipt of 203 items in the UFO department, including books and periodicals. It lists numerous individuals who contributed data, including MFS Cinca, Wimmer, and many others.

Thesis Without Commentary

This section presents a series of quotes from various thinkers and writers, offered without commentary. The quotes touch upon themes of human nature, civilization, instinct, and the nature of knowledge.

• Homer: On the cyclical nature of generations and the enduring human story.
• Joseph Campbell: On the universal narrative of the hero's journey.
• Cezanne: On the shared spirit underlying human expression across different eras and cultures.
• Le Pays (Paris, 1877): A critique of Impressionism as madness and a deliberate excursion into the horrible.
• Whitehead: On the self-satisfied dogmatism of each historical period and the barring of fundamental novelty.
• Fort: A cynical observation about hidden interests behind beliefs.
• Franz Alexander: On the repression of hostile impulses and anxiety as core to neurosis and domestication.
• Lindner: On the importance of recognizing instinct as free from valuation and judgment, and the confusion of instinct with morality.
• A.S. Neill: Expressing despair over human behavior, contrasting it with the natural state of animals.
• Whitman: Praising the self-contained and non-judgmental nature of animals.
• Dostoevsky: On humanity's confusion and inability to find real life or meaning without external frameworks.
• S. Greiner: On the symbolic systems that have become crucial to cultural existence and man's alienation from prehistoric roots.
• Jefferson: A brief, stark statement: "What a Bedlamite is Man!"
• Anthony Boucher: An anecdote about a sanity plea in a legal case.

More Notes of Charles Fort (Continued)

This extensive section continues the chronological presentation of Charles Fort's notes, starting with entries from 1869. The notes are transcribed from manuscript scraps, often written in shorthand and code, filling 32 boxes. The material is divided into records of non-human phenomena (numbered boxes) and records of persons (lettered boxes), presented in an alternating sequence for chronological continuity.

Box A (Resumed) - 1869

• September: Reports of geese with bitten necks and lambs killed on a farm in Holmwood, attributed to dogs. A luminous ghost was reported near Blackheath Road, Greenwich. A ghost light similar to Woburn's was seen in Brooklyn.
• October: A report of a man named Downs in Auburn, Maine, who allegedly bewitched or hypnotized others, causing them to act as if drunk or hysterical. Another entry details a grocer named Huckle in Dartford whose windows were inexplicably broken by stones, with threats written on the stones. The perpetrator was identified as his 11-year-old daughter.

Box 3 (Resumed) - 1869

• August: Reports of ladybirds swarming in Hampshire, England, and a plague of black caterpillars in Mendrisio, Ticino, causing painful swellings.
• September: A report of a "flying toad" caught at Cape Henry, near Washington. An outbreak of spots in Plato on the moon was observed by W.R. Birt.
• August 30: Tropical fish, including bonito and swordfish, were seen along the coasts of Cork, Ireland, attributed to unusual warmth. An "extraordinary flight of landrails" was reported in Wingham, Kent.
• September: Reports of locusts in India and a flight of locusts at Sadra, on the Sabarmalin, measuring 7 miles long.

Box A (Resumed) - 1870

• January 29: A report from the Religio-Phil Jour. concerning a man named Downs in Auburn, Maine, who was allegedly bewitched or hypnotized.

Box 3 (Resumed) - 1870

• October: A meteor was seen from Yorkshire to London, appearing to fall perpendicularly. In London, it was the size of a large star, and in Sheffield, the size of the moon. Another meteor was reported in York and Lancashire.

Box A (Resumed) - 1871

• October 9: A report from Tippecanoe, Harrison Co., Ohio, about Mrs. Nancy (Burney-?) who, for 23 years, had been preaching in a state of unconsciousness, attributing it to a lightning strike years prior. Her husband believed it was the spirit of an old-fashioned preacher.

Box 3 (Resumed) - 1871

• October 11: A meteor was seen in York and Lancashire.
• October 12: A "sudden noise like the rattle of musketry" and vibrations were reported in Camelford.
• October 26-November 2: A series of approximately 200 shocks were reported in the region of Darmstadt to Stuttgart, Germany, accompanied by detonations and lights.
• October 27: A severe quake was reported in Manila.

Box A (Resumed) - 1872

• January 14: A disastrous shock occurred at Kholoom, between Bhokara and Cabul.
• January 14: A 18-foot high tidal wave hit the New England coast.

Box 3 (Resumed) - 1872

• October 4: A waterspout was observed at Oundle, preceded by rain, appearing as a hollow tube descending from the clouds.

Box A (Resumed) - 1873

• October 5: A house in Holloway experienced a fire where flames rushed out of the first-floor window, with the upper part of the building destroyed.

Box 3 (Resumed) - 1873

• October 6: A meteorite was reported 12 miles from Lumpkin, Georgia. Aurora was observed at Bedford with peculiar glows and rays.

Box A (Resumed) - 1874

• October 7: Aurora was observed rising from the horizon to Dragon.
• October 7: A waterspout was seen from Sandown, Isle of Wight.
• October 19th: Reports of enormous flights of locusts from July 30th to August 8th in the Goorgcon district.
• October 19th: A great tide was predicted due to the earth being near its nearest point to the sun. Reports of tropical insects and climate in England, with fine strawberry growth in October.
• October 8th: High tides and tropical locusts were reported in Lewes, with temperatures reaching 77 degrees.

Box 3 (Resumed) - 1874

• October 12: A meteor was seen near Salzburg, Bavaria. At Lucerne, Switzerland, and Venice, meteors were also observed.
• October 9: A meteor was observed near Salzburg, Bavaria.
• October 11: Tarbes, France, experienced a rolling sound ending with an explosion.
• October 12: A remarkable meteor was seen moving from east to west in Cheltenham.
• October 13: An object like Mars, only redder and brighter, was observed, turning his telescope upon it. It was moving fast but disappeared after about 2 minutes.
• October 17: A quake was felt in St. Thomas, West Indies.
• October 19: A meteorite was reported in Trabé, Java.
• October 20: A streak of light was seen on the floor of Plato.
• October 27: A fiery red glare was seen in the northern sky at Maryport for 10 minutes before being obscured by clouds. A magnificent aurora was observed in Worcester.
• October 28: An immense wave was reported at Exmouth, running 20 feet beyond the high water mark.
• October 29: A great display of lightning was reported in Hungerford, Berkshire.
• October 1st: A meteor was seen from Kent to Brussels.

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Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the meticulous cataloging of unexplained phenomena, the exploration of human nature and its complexities, and the questioning of established knowledge and societal norms. The editorial stance, as inferred from the selection of notes and quotes, is one of open inquiry into anomalies and a critical perspective on conventional explanations, aligning with the Fortean tradition of investigating the unusual and the unacknowledged.