Fortean Society Magazine - No 05

Magazine Overview

This issue of The Fortean Magazine, dated October 1941, is the fifth issue and was edited by Tiffany Thayer. It is priced at 25 cents and features a cover headline quoting The San Francisco Chronicle regarding the spurious nature of certain discoveries. The cover art depicts a celestial scene with a planet and stars.

Featured Articles and Contributions

Quoting The San Francisco Chronicle

The cover prominently features a quote from The San Francisco Chronicle stating that the theory of experts suggests artifacts are undoubtedly old, but since there are no similar discoveries, they must be spurious. The magazine's secretary notes that anything they might add would be an anticlimax, referencing an issue of 2-26-40, p. 12.

Contributed by Edward Peters

This section includes several short articles, primarily drawn from other publications:

• Many Stars are Nearer Earth Than Hitherto Believed: From 'Popular Mechanics' (December 1939), this piece discusses Professor Jan Schilt's findings that many visible stars are closer than previously thought, suggesting atmospheric bending of light might be a factor.
• Earth Than Hitherto Believed: A piece from 'Current Literature' (early 1939) presents an opinion that the moon is a looking glass reflecting Earth, with its craters being genuine to a boiled-out sphere. It references Helvetius of Danzig (1647) who mapped lunar features after terrestrial continents.
• 'FATHER OF RADIO' DIES, SPURNING BRAIN CHILD: Reports the death of Edouard Branley, the 95-year-old French physicist whose discoveries led to radio, but who died without a radio in his home due to his disgust over its use for propaganda.
• Earthquakes Come in Groups: Discusses the phenomenon of earthquakes occurring in groups, with recent events in Turkey, Costa Rica, and Southern California. Seismologists admit one earthquake might trigger another if the earth's crust is already strained. Other 'trigger forces' like tidal pulls, solar and lunar influences, and atmospheric pressure changes are also mentioned.
• Earth Gains 100,000 Tons a Year from Falling Star Dust: Cites Dr. Fletcher G. Watson, Jr. of Harvard College Observatory, stating that Earth gains at least 100,000 tons of meteorites annually, potentially up to 10,000,000 tons of 'star dust' in some years.
• Eighth Vitamin Is Synthesized as Pantothenic Acid: Announces the synthesis of pantothenic acid, the eighth synthesized vitamin, which is widely distributed in animal tissue and believed to be valuable in nutrition, though its exact usefulness is not yet discovered. The editor notes a contradiction in the last two sentences.
• STILL CLOWNING: Reports on Sir Hubert Wilkins's alleged plans for an 800-mile trip in a special submarine in Arctic waters, contrasting with his later appearance in Detroit, where he was reportedly discussing Arctic exploration and weather observation using submarines.
• MAKE UP YOUR MIND: Cites a San Francisco Examiner article stating that Americans are becoming accustomed to modern life, overcoming tendencies to nervous diseases. It also notes a San Francisco Chronicle article on the declining intelligence of Americans and the inability of states to build enough hospitals for the feeble-minded and insane.

Notes on the New Madrid, Mo., Quakes by Bart Reagan

This section revisits the New Madrid earthquakes, referencing a previous article in the October 1937 issue. Reagan discusses theories linking earthquakes to volcanic causes but suggests other origins, possibly electrical. He notes the unusual seismic activity in 1811-1813 across the Western Hemisphere, including a major earthquake in Caracas and volcanic activity at St. Vincent. The article details phenomena associated with the New Madrid quakes, including unusual darkness, sulphurous odors, vapors, and light flashes, suggesting possible connections to atmospheric conditions, magnetic disturbances, or even brush fires.

British Correspondence by Eric Frank Russell

• A white Pekin duck belonging to Mr. W. Bower of Engadine, near Sydney, has turned into a drake. The duck had laid eggs regularly for 18 months before changing sex.

Judgment Tests for Voters

Dr. H. Crichton-Miller, a leading medical psychologist, advocates for laboratory tests to establish a right to vote, arguing that individuals with low intelligence quotients or a history of convictions should not have voting privileges.

Rain of Dead Blackbirds

Hundreds of blackbirds dropped dead from the sky at Barksdale field, Shreveport, Louisiana, cluttering the army airbase.

Millions of Dead Clams

Several million dead clams washed ashore in Longport, New Jersey, covering the beach three feet deep in some places.

Andrew Crosse and the 'Spiders'

This piece recounts the experiments of Andrew Crosse in 1837, who, while attempting to make crystals, observed small insects appearing on a stone and eventually developing filaments and legs. Crosse was astonished, initially believing them to be mineral formations, but later realized they were living creatures. Experts could not classify them, suggesting they were akin to spiders. Crosse's discoveries were broadcast by a clergyman named Dr. Noad, leading to local panic and accusations of witchcraft.

The 'Popular' Knowledge Hounds

This section critiques those who get their science from newspaper columnists or popular science publications, suggesting they are not truly informed.

Letter by Albert E. Page

Albert E. Page, author of 'The Chief Aspects of Western Civilization's Decline,' introduces his philosophy of 'Parallelism,' which he believes is incompatible with current scientific ideas. He states that his work reverses many notions of modern science and that he has not actively promoted his ideas beyond sending them to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The Fortean Magazine and Charles Fort

This section introduces The Fortean Magazine as the official organ of The Fortean Society, founded in 1931. It lists notable founding members and provides contact information for membership applications. The magazine is edited by Tiffany Thayer.

Your Master's Voice

This article critiques recent newspaper reports, including one about cosmic interference with a baseball broadcast due to an Aurora display, and another calling manganese the 'mother-love mineral.' It also touches upon the concept of teleportation and the possibility of extraterrestrial visitations.

Burton Rascoe on Charles Fort

Rascoe expresses his admiration for Charles Fort's work, calling 'The Books of Charles Fort' a great book that can be read as fantasy, an intellectual hoax, or a pseudo-divine revelation. He highlights Fort's ability to challenge conventional thinking, expose the absurdity of scientific deduction, and open up new perspectives on the world. Rascoe notes that Fort's work is not for the 'dead sot,' 'dull,' 'untouchables,' 'pompous,' 'sourpusses,' 'unobservant,' 'worshippers at the shrine of Einstein,' 'pedagogues,' 'gullible,' or 'popular knowledge hounds,' but rather for the 'twelfth kind of person' who hates to be pushed around and remains curious and skeptical.

Moodus Again

Contributed by K. W. Golde, this piece discusses the return of the mysterious 'Moodus noises' in Connecticut, which have been accompanied by sharp earth shocks and booming sounds since colonial days. The origin of these phenomena remains unexplained.

There are Twelve Kinds of People

This section categorizes people into twelve types, including the 'dead sot,' the 'dull,' the 'untouchables,' the 'pompous,' the 'sourpusses,' the 'unobservant,' 'worshippers at the shrine of Einstein,' 'pedagogues,' the 'timid,' the 'gullible,' and the 'popular' knowledge hounds.' It concludes by stating that Charles Fort's books would be 'unpopular' with most of these types.

The Books of Charles Fort

This is an advertisement for 'The Books of Charles Fort,' a 1151-page indexed volume containing the complete texts of 'The Book of the Damned,' 'Wild Talents,' 'New Lands,' and 'LO!' It includes an introduction by Tiffany Thayer and is available for $4 post-paid.

Get the Shovel

This short piece contrasts the limited information available to the German and Russian people about world events with the greater transparency in Britain, France, and the United States, suggesting dictatorships hide truth while democracies do not.

The Religious Follies

This section compiles several news items related to religion:

• Dr. Nathan R. Melhorn stating that America's greatness is drawn from its religion and that major political moves have been approved by the church.
• A report from 1900 about a pastor praying for lightning to strike a new brewery, which subsequently occurred.
• A revised Catholic catechism that places original sin squarely on Adam and Eve.
• A quote from President Roosevelt emphasizing the need for a religious revival in America.
• An anecdote about a minister collecting money at a hanging.

Scholastic Phoneys

This section criticizes organizations like the Institute for Propaganda Analysis and others funded by 'Big Dough' for maintaining the status quo and hindering intellectual growth. It lists several affiliated organizations and individuals, including Edward C. Tolman, F. H. Allport, and Charles A. Beard.

Congratulations to B. J. S. Cahill

This piece congratulates B. J. S. Cahill on his 'Butterfly Map' projection, calling it the best attempt to map the globe in a plane. Forteans are urged to use this projection. Cahill was made an Honorary Life Member of The Fortean Society in 1940.

Praising Alfred H. Barley

This notice is a memorial to Alfred H. Barley, author of 'The Drayson Problem.' It pledges The Fortean Society to continue his work. The article quotes Barley's book, detailing a cadet's questioning of Dr. Drayson about the precession of the equinoxes and the center of the circle around the pole of the ecliptic, highlighting a contradiction in the accepted astronomical explanation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes a skeptical and questioning attitude towards established scientific and societal norms. It champions the investigation of anomalous phenomena, often drawing from the work of Charles Fort, and critiques what it perceives as dogma, intellectual laziness, and 'phony' science. The editorial stance is one of encouraging independent thought, challenging accepted truths, and exploring the unexplained aspects of the world. There is a clear emphasis on the value of minority viewpoints and the importance of questioning authority, whether scientific, religious, or political.

This issue of The Fortean, dated October 1941, focuses heavily on scientific controversies and historical phenomena. The main cover headline highlights "The Drayson Problem," suggesting a significant scientific debate or anomaly.

The Drayson Problem

The issue details the work of A. W. Drayson, an astronomer who identified a paradox in the understanding of the Earth's polar motion and the obliquity of the ecliptic. Drayson's investigation, stemming from a perceived error in Newton's Principia, led him to discover that the pole of the ecliptic is not the center of the polar motion. Instead, he proposed that the pole of the heavens moves in a circle around a point six degrees from the ecliptic pole, driven by a slow rotation of the Earth over approximately 32,000 years. This discovery, termed the "Second Rotation," was intended to explain phenomena like the "proper motions" of stars and the causes of past and future ice ages. However, Drayson faced significant rejection from the scientific community, with geologists and astronomers dismissing his findings. The article notes the irony of him being called a 'vague theorist' or 'paradoxer' and the sympathetic but ultimately unsuccessful efforts of Admiral Sir A. de Horsey and Lieutenant-Colonel T. C. Skinner to promote his work.

Correspondence on the Earth's Figure

The magazine presents a series of letters between Johannes von Gumpach and Mr. Airy, the Astronomer Royal of England, from October 1861. Von Gumpach, author of "The True Figure and Dimensions of the Earth," sought Airy's support for a scientific expedition to measure the Earth's equatorial circumference. He argued that his geometrical method, unlike previous theories based on Sir Isaac Newton's ideas, provided a final solution to the Earth's figure problem. Airy, however, was dismissive, stating he saw "no occasion to urge upon Her Majesty's Government the propriety of an expedition" and that he had only a "general knowledge" of von Gumpach's reasoning. Von Gumpach persisted, emphasizing the "deep national concern" and the potential loss of property and lives due to astronomical errors. Despite Airy's repeated refusals, von Gumpach remained determined, believing the expedition was "imperatively called for" due to vast national interests.

Frank Harriott's 'Existence'

A section is dedicated to Frank Harriott's manuscript "Existence." Harriott posits the concept of "heteroproximity" as the fundamental physical state of all matter, where no two subdivisions are ever at the exact same distance apart. He claims to have sent portions of his work to leading U.S. institutions in 1934 without receiving acknowledgment. The article notes that Dr. Arthur Compton, a Nobel laureate, later revised his theories on cosmic rays, which Harriott suggests might be related to his own ideas about "protomotion" – the incessant contending for equilibrium in matter's physical state.

Vitosophy and the Field Theory Sciences

The issue introduces "Vitosophy," a new concept presented by Dr. J. V. McManis, based on the "Field Theory Sciences" formulated by Dr. U. G. Morrow. This theory posits the universe as a "great Living Organism" and a "Cell-Form" with a "Concave Hollow Earth." It views matter and energies as living substances and describes cosmic space as structured by electric fields. The article contrasts this with classical astronomy, modern philosophy, and accepted physics.

The NOTES of Charles Fort

This section continues the compilation of historical phenomena from Charles Fort's research. It lists numerous events from 1817 to 1819, including light quakes, fireballs, volcanic eruptions, unusual weather phenomena (like hot rain and black rain), meteor sightings, and detonations. These entries are meticulously cataloged with dates, locations, and references to publications like the British Association reports and The London Times.

Next Issue Preview

A preview for the January 1942 issue is provided, announcing features on John Cowper Powys and Ben Hecht, along with "And Others." It also includes a continuation of the "NOTES" section, detailing more historical phenomena from the early 19th century.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are scientific skepticism, the resistance of established scientific bodies to new or unconventional ideas, and the meticulous cataloging of anomalous phenomena. The editorial stance, as represented by the Fortean Society, is one of championing overlooked or dismissed scientific inquiries, such as Drayson's Problem and von Gumpach's work, and presenting evidence of unusual events that challenge conventional scientific understanding. There's a clear emphasis on questioning authority and encouraging independent investigation.