Table Of ContentSTRANGE
PHENOMENA
[fl
A SOURCEBOOK OF UNUSUAL
NATURAL PHENOMENA
Compiled by
WILLIAM R. CORLISS
VOLUME G-2
Published by
The Sourcebook Project Glen Arm, Maryland 21057
Copyright © 1974 by William R. Corliss
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 73-91248
ISBN 0-0600712-5-3
NOTICE
This is volume G-2 of a continuing
series. The other volumes may be
purchased from William R. Corliss,
Glen Arm, Maryland 21057
First Printing: September 1974
Second Printing: February 1976
PREFACE TO STRANGE PHENOMENA
VOL. G2
More than six months have passed since the publication of STRANGE PHENOMENA,
vol. Gl. During that period, the general format of the sourcebooks has been tested,
found useful, and in need of no major modifications.
Volume G2 is similar to vol. Gl except in emphasis. Falling material (GFx)
and solar, lunar, and planetary effects (xxS) are given more play, whereas Gl was
strong on luminous phenomena (GLx) and sound phenomena (GSx). A considerable back
log of material exists, and vol. G3 will appear in due course. —-
The enterprise producing the sourcebooks has been given the nondescript name:
The Sourcebook Project any other name would be presumptious and officious.
Bulletins are issued occasionally, as buyers are well aware. The Project has also
published the first sourcebook in the "ancient man" series, STRANGE ARTIFACTS,
vol. Ml. Volumes on geology and astronomy will appear soon. To quote Tennyson,
the purpose of the Sourcebook Project is:
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
A bit melodramatic for these days, but not bad at all. Meanwhile, it seems pertinent
to reproduce the Preface from vol. Gl.
PREFACE TO STRANGE PHENOMENA, VOL. G1
I have always been intrigued with the tailings from the mine of science. I mean
hose facts that do not fit the mold, those anomalies that should not exist, those sports,
those wild points that lie far off the curve. One of my hobbies is collecting and organ
izing these homeless facts. These waifs are curious and most intriguing. Either they
are false or science still has much fundamental work to do. But I leave such problems
to the reader. All I have done is collect, categorize, and reprint this anomalous infor
mation. The result is this first volume of geophysical curiosities. Perhaps you can
make something out of them. At the very least, I hope you will be excited by the un
known territory that still lies ahead of us.
I have devoted a great deal of thought to the organization of this volume. The
format is flexible. More material may be added within the framework of categories
from any source and any period. Seemingly disparate data are correlated through the
indexes and annotations. Whole new categories can be added if it appears necessary.
The literature dealing with mysterious geophysical phenomena has been merely
scratched. Volume Gl, the present volume, represents only a small portion of my
collection. Volume G2 is well along in preparation, as are volumes in the fields of
ancient man and unresolved geological problems.
The data included have been filtered only slightly. Doubtless some hoaxes and
honest misinterpretation will be found in the pages that follow. This is unavoidable
in a project of this scope. Indeed, it is unavoidable in all phases of inquiry, especially
those relying heavily upon observational evidence. Data were selected for inclusion
according to their "strangeness" and their tendency to contradict current scientific
hypotheses or stretch them beyond their present bounds. There has also been a
deliberate effort to gather in observations from the 19th Century that have gathered
dust too long on library shelves. Anomalous events are too rare to let them be dis
carded merely because they are old or money cannot be found to put them into
G2-iii
computerized data systems.
The collecting new I flung into the literature was a broad one. It had to be because
(1) valid data and good theories are often published outside the mainstream of scientifi
thought; and (2) people were just as observant a century or two ago as they are today.
Quotations in this volume will demonstrate that they viewed the world with great cur
iosity and if they sometimes misinterpreted things perhaps they also saw the cosmos
through less biased eyes.
Some of the material included here will be labelled "pseudoscience, " but some of
the data so castigated will be legitimate science a decade hence. Meteorites are, of
course, a classic case in point. The reader should bear in mind that many items are
inserted with the express purpose of "rocking the boat. "
I should also add that I have deliberately introduced data perhaps 25% of the
whole from outside the scientific literature. This was not done because of any lack
of material but rather to insure the widest possible spectrum of observations.
Being that this is a sourcebook. I must acknowledge the many writers of papers,
books, letters-to-the-editor. and sundry publications that form the foundation of the
book. Where lengthy quotations are taken from publications still protected by copy
right, permission has been obtained from the copyright holder.
William R. Corliss
Glen Arm, Maryland
June 16, 1974
CONTENTS
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOURCEBOOKS G2-1
ELECTROMAGNETIC PHENOMENA* G2-3
FALLING MATERIAL* G2-25
LUMINOUS PHENOMENA* G2-73
MAGNETIC AND ELECTRICAL PHENOMENA* G2-123
CRUSTAL MOVEMENTS* G2-133
SOUND PHENOMENA* G2-169
VOLCANIC PHENOMENA* G2-183
WEATHER PHENOMENA* G2-191
SUBJECT INDEX G2-241
DATE-OF-EVENT INDEX G2-249
PLACE-OF-EVENT INDEX G2-253
AUTHOR INDEX G2-256
SOURCE INDEX G2-260
*A breakdown of the subsections within these categories follows. Use the
headings at the tops of the pages to locate specific subsections and entries.
Section Code and Title Subsection Code and Title
GE Electromagnetic GEB Brocken Spectres, glories, etc
phenomena *GEG Radar angels
GEM Unusual mirages
*GER Planetary resonances
GET Transmission phenomena
GF Falling material GFA Webs and "angel hair"
*GFB Falls of birds
GFC Chemicals
GFF Fish, reptiles, insects
GFG Gelatin
*GFI Ice falls
GFL Leaves, hay, pollen
G F T Thund e r stone s
G2-v
GG Gravitational and *GGG Gravity anomalies
temporal phenomena *GGT Time anomalies
GH Hydrospheric anomalies *GHG Geysers and wells
*GHP Unusual agitations
*GHS Lake oscillations
*GHT Anomalous tides
*GHW Unusual waves
Gl Incendiary phenomena *GIC Unexplained fires
*GIF Firestorms
GL Luminous phenomena GLA Aurora-like phenomena
GLB Ball lightning
GLD Electric discharge
GLL Lightning
GLM Meteor-like phenomena
GLN Nocturnal lights
GLW Light wheel s
GM Magnetic and electrical *GMA Atmospheric electricity
phenomena *GME Earth currents
*GMG Magnetic anomalies
GMM Meteorite effects
GMS Solar, lunar, and planetary effects
GO Odors *GOS Sulfurous odors
*GOT Unexplained stenches
GQ Crustal movements GQE Earthquake phenomena
*GQF Fault phenomena
*GQG Geographical correlations
GQS Solar, lunar, and planetary effects
GS Sounds GSD Strange detonations
*GSG Infrasonic sound
GSH Hums, hisses, etc.
GSM Music, bells, etc.
GV Volcanic phenomena GVS Solar, lunar, and planetary effects
*GVT Geothermal phenomena
GVV Volcanic phenomena
GW Weather phenomena GWC Strange clouds
GWD Dark days
*GWF Peculiar fogs
GWP Precipitation oddities
*GWR Temperature oddities
GWS Solar, lunar, and planetary effects
GWT Tornadoes and waterspouts
GWW Whirlwinds and dust devils
•This subsection not represented in Volume G2.
G2-vi
| ORGANIZATION OF THE SOURCEBOOKS
All sourcebook entries are labelled with three letters and a number; viz., GLB-012.
The three letters indicate a category of phenomena. GLB, for example, designates
a subsection of the book containing accounts of ball lightning. The number following
the letters is simply an acquisition number within that subsection. Thus, entry GLB-
012 is the 12th entry in the ball lightning category. The indexes at the back of each
sourcebook and all cross references are keyed to the entry number rather than page
number.
There is a plan to the assignment of letter codes. The first letter indicates a broad,
general field of science, such as geophysics, G. The second and third letters are
assigned to sections and subsections within this general field, as illustrated below:
Geophysics (a major field of science)
•Luminous phenomena (a section)
G L B* •Ball lightning (a subsection)
The sections denoted by the second letters are based upon the primary physical
sensation evoked by the phenomenon at hand. Ball lightning is primarily a luminous
event and thus bears the GL label. Of course, ball lightning also makes noise on
^^occasion and sometimes leaves an odor behind, but these are secondary attributes.
^^The subsections (third letters) are narrower in scope than the sections. Experience,
however, has shown that subsections must be broad to encompass the great variety of
phenomena in a reasonable number of categories. They cannot be too broad, though,
or a structureless hodgepodge results. The subsections have been selected and named
with great care to avoid suggesting explanations of the phenomena. A complete list of
sections and subsections now in use precedes this page and also functions as a table of
contents. Detailed descriptions of the subsections are placed at the beginnings of the
sections.
When searching for a specific entry," scan the running heads at the tops of the pages;
they give the entry numbers as well as the subsection titles. The person who reads
for curiosity's sake will find that each subsection is much like a chapter, with many
related items grouped together.
Some larger works, especially books, cover so much ground that their contents have
been split up into the appropriate subsections.
The loose-leaf format of the sourcebooks makes it possible to combine material sub
section by subsection as new volumes are issued.
Each volume is indexed by subject, by time-of-event, by place-of-event, by author,
and by data source. Each volume is self-contained. With the issuance of future
volumes, cumulative indexes will be compiled. There will be no necessity to hunt
Bthrough several indexes to find something. Because some major fields are inter
related, it will doubtless prove useful to cumulate indexes from volumes on geo
physics, astronomy, geology, and so on.
G2-1
*
ORGANIZATION OF THE SOURCEBOOKS
References, annotations, and Compiler's Summaries are printed full-width, while
all direct quotes are indented.
Being a sourcebook, the core of this volume consists of the direct quotations from
eye-witnesses and key investigators. The text herein faithfully retains the old spell
ings, punctuations, and even a few typos. After all, only the eye-witness' own words
convey the facts as he perceived them. Regurgitations and surveys, so common these
days, are already once or twice removed from the event. The whole object of these
sourcebooks is to give the reader and researcher an organized collection of original
writings on the unusual facets of nature. Much of this unique information is being lost
as libraries become more highly computerized. Data selected for the data banks
must have current relevance and be acceptable to the science of the day. Hopefully,
these sourcebooks will preserve something of value and help focus the diverse, widely
dispersed anomalies on the frontiers of science. They should also be interesting
reading.
G2-2
