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Last updated: December 25, 2023.

Charles Hoy Fort's Notes


1886a

(January to June)


1886:


1886 / Frankfort, KansasSee May 5, 1888. [B; 678. See: (1888 May 5).]


1886 / Body of Mrs. W.I. Peters / Frankfort, Ind. / See Dec. 22, 1888. [B; 679. See: 1888 Dec 22, (B; 993).]


1886 / Wemnorthern Shropshire / PoltNov., 1883 / Murders ab. Jan. 1, 1888. [B; 680. See: 1888, (B; 832).]


1886 / Tingwick, Mass / Josephine Bedard / Fasting girl / See Ap. 20, 1889. [B; 681. See: 1889 Ap. 20, (B; 1024).]


1886 / q's record stops in M.W.R. [VI; 336.]


1886 Jan or before / Electric boy of EdinburghSee The Electrician before Jan 22. / See somewhere around here beforeelec-polt, Dec. 24, 1885. [B; 682. Johnstone, James. “The Electric Boy.” Electrician, 16 (December 25, 1885): 131. “He was exhibited in Edinburgh for a long time, and advertised in the newspapers. When I first saw the advertisement I considered it a trick of some showman, therefore did not go near the exhibition; but after meeting with a friend, a scientist, who had seen the boy, I went to see him. He was then exhibited in one of the small stalls in the gallery of the market in Princes-street. I found there a little black boy in charge of a white man. There was no furniture in the stall but a couple of wooden seats and a small piece of carpet to keep the boy’s bare feet off the floor. There was therefore nothing wherewith to conceal any electrical apparatus. As I was at that time the only visitor I had the boy stripped naked and was satisfied there was nothing outside of his skin that could produce electricity. While thus naked he walked in my presence, and also sat on the wooden seat with his feet off the ground. In every position in which I tried him I found electricity proceeded freely from his body when I touched it with one finger. The electricity came with the greatest freedom from the upper half of his body, and especially from his tongue. Although I felt a slight shock in my finger when I touched his tongue he did not seem to feel any; his tongue did not quiver and he did not offer to withdraw it. I thereon asked him if he did not feel anything unpleasant when I touched his tongue. He replied, No! This surprised me much, because when an ordinary person is placed on an insulated stool and there surcharged with electricity and then touched by an uninsulated person, both parties feel the passage of the electricity unpleasant; but not so this boy. He seemed to be so full of electricity that the passage of it from his body gave him no more uneasiness than the passage of perspiration from him.” Johnstone, James. “The Electric Boy.” Electrician, 16 (February 26, 1886): 311. “I forgot to state that there were two electric boys publicly exhibited in this city; one of them was admittedly electrified by external means, the other, I maintain, was not electrified by external means.” “A Fake That Paid.” Los Angeles Daily Herald, October 22, 1887, p. 7 c. 1. Johnny Norton, the “Electric Boy” at Bunnell's Museum in New York City, explained the trickery, thus: “When I was on exhibition I was inclosed in an oblong stall about seven or eight feet long, the front of which was like a narrow counter. Opposite the counter was a rail which only allowed the visitors to pass in single file. A little strip of cocoa matting served as a carpet for the passage way and also as a cover for a sheet of zinc which extended beneath it, running the length of the stall. My box was similarly invested with zinc matting. Attached to the sheets of metal, but hidden from view, were the two poles of a galvanic battery, one under my feet and the other in the passage. Now, anyone passing over the zinc and touching me, behind the counter, completed the circuit aud received a shock. So did I. The matting, of course, had to be kept damp, water beiug the conductor. It was surprising what intelligent people were duped hy this trick. Why, I was kept shaking hands and being fingered from morning until night.” "The Electric Boy." Edinburgh Daily Review, October 21, 1882, p. 2 c. 5. The exhibition was advertised in Edinburgh as early as 1882, thus: "The Electric Boy.—This Extraordinary Living Phenomenon, lately brought over to England from Central Africa, is so wonderfully constituted that when Touched on any Part of the Body gives an Electric shock!!! Now at the Waverley Market. Admission Threepence."]


1886 Jan 1 / or Dec 31 / See Jan 21. / New Year's Eve / q in central Norway / See Jan. 5 / See March 11. / Nature33-397. [VI; 337. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (February 25, 1886): 396-397, at 397. See: 1886 Jan 5, (VI; 342); 1886 Jan. 21, (VI; 370); and, 1886 March 11, (VI: 404 & 405).]


1886 Jan. 2 / Norway / Shocks / Norway and Sweden / Nature 33-591. [VI; 338. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (April 22, 1886): 589-592, at 591.]


1886 Jan 3 / Fall of a meteor which killed a horse at Tschembar, Siberia and concussions and strong q-shocks which broke ice in a lakein C.R. 104-961, C.V. Zenger points out it coincides with time of meteor swarm. [VI; 339. Zenger, Václav Karel Bedřich. “La parallélisme des phénomènes sismiques en février 1887 et des perturbations atmosphèriques électriques, magnétiques et des éruptions volcaniques.” Comptes Rendus, 104 (1887): 959-961. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (April 22, 1886): 589-592, at 591. Tschembar is now identified as Belinsky, Russia.]


1886 Jan 4 / Bristol / Quadrantids missing / Observatory 49-65. [VI; 340. Denning, William Frederick. “Meteor Notes.” Observatory, 49 (1926): 65-66.]


1886 Jan 4 / 1 a.m. / Tschembar, Siberia / Detonating meteor / Shockseveral houses fell. / Nature 33-591. [VI; 341. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (April 22, 1886): 589-592, at 591.]


1886 Jan 5 / 5:20 p.m. / at Aas-Norway / Fireball / Nature 33-375 / See Jan 1 and 16. / It appeared in Taurus. / p. 397. [VI; 342. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (February 18, 1886): 374-376, at 375. Aas is now identified as Ås, Norway.]


[1886 Jan 6 /] 1886 Jan 16 / [LT], 9-f / q / Devonshire. [VI; 362. “Earthquake in Devonshire.” London Times, January 6, 1886, p. 9 c. 6.]


1886 Jan 7 / Sunspot seen in Brooklyn. A rectangular active spot rather above medium size about on the meridian. / Sun 16-2-5. [VI; 343. “Sun Spots and Storms.” New York Sun, January 16, 1886, p. 2 c. 5.]


1886 Jan. 7 / 1 a.m. / (Rondont.) / Brilliant display of aurora from a crescent of silvery light in northern horizon. / Sun 8-2-6. [VI; 344. “Brilliant Display in the Heavens.” New York Sun, January 8, 1886, p. 2 c. 6.]


1886 Jan / Norway series / See March 31, 1888. [VI; 345. See: 1888 March 31, (VI; 1299).]


1886 Jan 4 / [LT], 3-f / Butterflies / See March 13-4-c. [VI; 346. Morris, Francis Orpen. “Butterflies.” London Times, January 4, 1886, p. 3 c. 6. “A Butterfly's Wanderings.” London Times, March 13, 1886, p. 4 c. 3.]


1886 Jan 7 / [LT], 6-c / q / Kent. [VI; 347. Brent, A. “The Earthquake.” London Times, January 7, 1886, p. 6 c. 3.]


1886 Jan 8 / 6:10 p.m. / South coast of France / bolide twice the size of Venus in space between Cassiopeia and Aldebaran / La Nat 26/115. [VI; 348. Zurcher, Frédéric. “Bolide Observée à Toulon.” La Nature, 1886 pt. 1 (no. 660; January 23): 115.]


1886 Jan, etc. / Norway Series / See 1888, Jan. to Ap. 2. [VI; 349. See: 1888 Jan 3, (VI; 1222); 1888 Jan. 5, (VI; 1227); 1888 Jan. 8, (VI; 1228); 1888 Jan 13, (VI; 1239); 1888 March 27, (VI; 1297); 1888 March 31, (VI; 1299); and, 1888 Ap. 2, (VI; 1300).]


1886 Jan 9 / Norway Series / Fine display of aurora in southern Norway / Nature 33-397. [VI; 350. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (February 25, 1886): 396-397, at 397.]


1886 Jan 9 / Great magnetic perturbations / C.R. 102-83. [VI; 351. Mascart. “Perturbation magnétique du 9 janvier 1886.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 83-84.]


1886 Jan. 8-9 / q / Greece / I = small / BA '11. [VI; 352. A class I earthquake. Milne, 733.]


1886 Jan 12 / Guayaquil / Sky red and detonations. Supposed q at Cotopaxi. / Nature 33-396. [VI; 353. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (February 25, 1886): 396-397, at 396.]


1886 Jan 11 / Shower of earth at Guayaquil. 12th, loud rumbling sounds. 14th, fall of ashes. At first attributed to Cotopaxi, but then learned that been eruption of Tunguragua. / Sun 26-2-5. [VI; 354. “A Volcano in Full Blast.” New York Sun, January 26, 1886, p. 2 c. 5. The Cotopaxi and Tungurahua volcanoes both erupted in January, (the latter beginning on January 11, 1886).]


1886 Jan 11 / 5 to 6 p.m. / Showers of earth at Chimbo, Ecuador / Jan 119 p.m.quake at Guayaquil / Jan 12noonloud rumbling sounds / 14thnight—Guayaquil—fall of ashes / From eruption of Tunguragua / N.Y. World 26-4-6. [VI; 355. (New York World, January 26, 1886, p. 4 c. 6.) The Tunguragua volcano.]


1886 Jan 14 / Phil Pub Ledger of / Polts in Cincinnati. [B; 683. (Philadelphia Public Ledger, January 14, 1886.)]


[1886 Jan 14, ab. Wrong date. See: 1886 March 14, (B; 684).]


1886 Jan 14 / Guayaquil rumblings and shower of earth and ashesCotopaxi supposed in eruption. / Sun 15-3-5 / See June 26, 1877. [VI; 356. “Shaken by Earthquakes.” New York Sun, January 15, 1886, p. 3 c. 5. See: 1877 June 26, (IV: 2160, 2161, & 2162). The Cotopaxi volcano.]


1886 Jan 15 / 5:15 p.m. / Shock as if of earthquakes / Bordentown, N.J. / Phil Pub Ledger, 18th. [VI; 357. (Philadelphia Public Ledger, January 18, 1886.) “Which Was it?” Morning Call, (Paterson, New Jersey), January 17, 1886, p. 1 c. 1. A small earthquake was reported in Bordentown; and, a larger shock about 11:30 P.M. was attributed to the explosion of dynamite at the Croton Aqueduct,]


1886 Jan 15 / 11:30 p.m. / Nyack, N.Y. / 2 distinct shocks / Sun 17-9-2. [VI; 358. “Earthquake Shocks at Nyack.” New York Sun, January 17, 1886, p. 9 c. 2.]


1886 Jan 15 / 2 q's reported near N.Y. due to dynamite explosions. / MWR '86/23. [VI; 359. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 1; January 1886): 22-25, at 23.]


1886 Jan. 15 / Met at (on 16th) 5° in west / 9 p.m. / M.W.R.1886/23 / and explosions in N.J., 5:15 / and explosion, midnight. / near NY reported as qs. [VI; 360. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 1; January 1886): 22-25, at 23.]


1886 Jan 17, Feb 4, Mar 4, July 17, Nov 13 / Explosions or accidents near NY at Aqueduct / Trib. [VI; 361. “Shaken Up by Dynamite.” New York Tribune, January 17, 1886, p. 1 c. 4. “Annihilated by Dynamite.” New York Tribune, February 4, 1886, p. 1 c. 4. “Leaping from a Burning Bucket.” New York Tribune, July 17, 1886, p. 1 c. 5. “Two Men Killed in the Aqueduct.” New York Tribune, November 13, 1886, p. 1 c. 4.]


[1886 Jan 16. Wrong date. See: 1886 Jan 6, (VI; 362).]


1886 Jan 16 / 9:49 p.m. / Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin / Met from Zeta Andromedae. Detonations like distant thunder. / M.W.R., Jan. [VI; 363. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 1; January 1886): 22-25, at 23.]


1886 Jan 16 / Norway Series / See Jan. 5. / 4 a.m. / Shock followed by vivid flashes of lightning, central Norway. At 8:15 a.m., northern Norway, a magnificent meteor. / Nature 33-397. [VI; 364. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (February 25, 1886): 396-397, at 397. See: 1886 Jan 5, (VI; 342).]


1886 Jan 19 / [LT], 6-d / Met. [VI; 365. “Remarkable Meteor.” London Times, January 19, 1886, p. 6 c. 4.]


1886 Jan 19 / [LT], 4-d / Submarine volc. [VI; 366. “A Submarine Volcano.” London Times, January 19, 1886, p. 4 c. 4. The Fonuafo'ou volcano.]


1886 / ab Jan 20 / Began violent spasms and trances of 11-year-old daughter of M.J. Huff, near Sand Hill, Marshall Co., Pa. / N.Y. World, Feb 4-1-2 / Scarcely any food. [B; 685. (New York World, February 4, 1886, p. 1 c. 2.)]


1886 Jan. 20 / 7 a.m. / Shock at St. Austell, Cornwall, preceded by a loud explosive sound. / Chambers' Journal 63-138. [VI; 367. “The Month: Science and Arts.” Chambers's Journal, s. 5 v. 3 (February 27, 1886): 137-143, at 138.]


1886 Jan 20 / Jupiter stationary. [VI; 368. Jupiter stationary. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1886, 464.]


1886 Jan 21 / [LT], 6-f / qCornwall. [VI; 369. “Earthquake in Cornwall.” London Times, January 21, 1886, p. 6 c. 6.]


1886 Jan. 21 / Norway Series / 9:55 p.m. / Shock at Hernösand on the Baltic and again Jan 22, 5 a.m. / Nature 33-591. [VI; 370. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (April 22, 1886): 589-592, at 591.]


1886 Jan 23 / Rel-Ph-Jour, 5-1 / Home of James W. Pollard, Henry Co., Ky. He and wife seated by fire. A bucket of water lifted and spilled and lifted and spilled several times when Pollard re-filled it. [B; 686. "General Items." Religio-Philosophical Journal, 39 (no. 22; January 23, 1886): 4, (c. 6), & 5, (c. 1-2). “Cold Water Ghost.” Cincinnati Enquirer, January 16, 1886, p. 9 c. 5-6. On the evening of either January 11 or 12, (January 12, in the Enquirer article), a bucket of water was lifted from its stand, moved to the center of the room, and upset, in the presence of Pollard and his wife. After the third time, the wife objected to refilling the bucket, fearing another wet upset onto a soaked floor and carpet in cold weather; and, the same phenomenon was repeated, once, on the following evening.]


1886 Jan 23 / q, Hungary / 29, Spain and Algeria / BA '11. [VI; 371. Three class I earthquakes. Milne, 733.]


1886 Jan 24 / 7:04 p.m. / Southern part Duchess Co, N.Y.slight shock but loud noise like that of a distant explosion. / M.W.R., Jan. [VI; 372. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 1; January 1886): 22-25, at 23.]


1886 Jan 26 / ab. 4 p.m. / Austin, Texas. / Shower of fine dust. Had been a similar phe 8 years before. / M.W.R., Jan. [VI; 373. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 1; January 1886): 22-25, at 24. “Austin, Travis county, Texas: about 4 p.m. of the 26th. a shower of very fine dust began falling from a clear sky; there was no wind at the time; the shower increased towards evening and continued late into the night.”]


1886 Jan 27 / Trib, 4-4 / Explosion / Newburg / Editorial. [VI; 374. “The Newburg Mine Disaster.” New York Tribune, January 27, 1886, p. 4 c. 4.]


1886 Jan 27 / Metite in Madras / L'Astro, 6/23 / (F) / C.R. 103-726 / See Feb. 19, '84; Ap. 6, '85 / Naimmianthol, Madras / La Nat 28-351. [VI; 375. Fletcher, 105. Daubrée, Gabriel Auguste. "Météorites Récemment Tombées dans l'Inde.” Astronomie, 6 (1887): 22-24, at 23-24. "Académie des Sciences." La Nature, 1886 pt. 2 (no. 700; October 30): 351. See: 1884 Feb. 9, (V; 1873), and, 1885 Ap. 6, (V; 1910). This is the Nammianthal meteorite.]


1886 Jan 27 / 7:27 p.m. / Barnstaple / meteor / L.T., Feb 1-8-b. [VI; 376. “Brilliant Meteor.” London Times, February 1, 1886, p. 8 c. 2.]


1886 Jan 29 / Setif, Algeria / Had been other qs. / BA '11. [VI; 377. A class I earthquake. Milne, 733.]


1886 Jan 29 / q / Malaga / Nature 33-327. [VI; 378. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (February 4, 1886): 325-328, at 327.]


1886 Jan 30 / Det met / Phil Public Ledger of, from the Troy Timesgreat det in the Adirondacks recently / afternoon / roar like thunder / Ball of fire size of a barrel. [VI; 379. (Philadelphia Public Ledger, January 30, 1886.) “Grand Meteoric Display.” Glens Falls Post-Star, (New York), January 22, 1886, p. 3 c. 3. No date was given beyond “one afternoon recently.”]


1886 Feb / Floods / N. England / M. Weather Rev 1886-47. [VI; 380. “Navigation.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 2; February 1886): 45-48, at 47-48.]


1886 Feb 1 / Florida / 11:30 p.m. / A met as if from Aldebaran / MWR '86-53. [VI; 381. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 2; February 1886): 52-54, at 53.]


1886 Feb (?) / Germany / water and lightning. [VI; 382. (Refs.???)]


1886 Feb. 2 / 4 inches of snow near City of Mexico / first snow since 1856 / N.Y. World, Feb 4-1-6 / Snow in southern states, U.S.A. [VI; 383. (New York World, February 4, 1886, p. 1 c. 6.)]


1886 Feb 3 / Suppose q in Conn. at 2 a.m. by explosion of a dynamite magazine at Fordham, N.Y. / M.W.R. 86/53. [VI; 384. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 2; February 1886): 52-54, at 52-53.]


1886 Feb. 4 and Feb 13 / Ala. / q and sounds like discharges of artillery or thunder / M.W.R. '86-53. [VI; 385. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 2; February 1886): 52-54, at 53.]


1886 Feb. 4 / Vesuvius / Nature 33/367, 557. [VI; 386. Johnston-Lavis, Henry James. “Vesuvian Eruption of February 4, 1886.” Nature, 33 (February 18, 1886): 367. Johnston-Lavis, Henry James. “Notes on Vesuvius from February 4 to August 7, 1886.” Nature, 34 (October 7, 1886): 557-558.]


1886 Feb 4 and 5 / Repeating Meteors / L.T., Feb 27-6-b, at letter by Mr Frank Calvert from the Dardenelles that on the 4th at 6 p.m. a detonating meteor fell, its light seen and sounds reverberating half a minute. On the 5th, at 9:30 p.m. another, its flashes seen and the sounds heard. Some years before the writer had found in this region a metite weighing 12 pounds. He notes that in 4 years before a meteor had detonated there. [VI; 387.1, 387.2. “Aerolites in the Dardanelles.” London Times, February 27, 1886, p. 6 c. 2. Calvert, Frank. “Meteorsteinfälle am Hellespont.” Monatsberichte der Königlich-Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1886, 441-442. The aerolite that Calvert claimed to have found at Renkioi, (now identified as Erenköy, Turkey), is not identified in any meteorite catalogs; and, the Çanakkale meteorite, (from Bayramic, about 30 kilometres away from the city of Çanakkale and from Hisarlik, which Calvert, Schliemann, and others identified as Homer's Troy), fell in 1964.]


1886 Feb 6 / Disastrous floods / Belleville, Ontario / N.Y. World 7-3-2. [VI; 388. (New York World, February 7, 1886, p. 3 c. 2.)]


1886 Feb 13 / La Nature of / That the newspapers of Paris had been publishing false news of a lost balloon off Finistère. No such balloon had sailed from Brest as reported. [VI; 389. “Fausse nouvelle d'un ballon perdu en mer.” La Nature, 1886 pt. 1 (no. 663; February 13): 174.]


1886 Feb 6-7probably / midnight / Montreal / “...A most remarkable phenomenon was witnessed in the heavens. It appeared on the western horizon and rose to the north 79 degrees, where it assumed the spectacle of the heavens opening and shooting forth a stream of livid rose-colored light.” / Sun, Feb 14-6-7. [VI; 390.1, 390.2. “The Heavens Seemed to Open.” New York Sun, February 14, 1886, p. 6 c. 7.]


[1886] Feb 6-7 / Ac to different accounts there had been a fire in Montreal at each of these times. [VI; 391. “A Beam of Light.” Montreal Daily Witness, February 8, 1886, p. 4 c. 5.]


1886 Feb. 6-7 / Beam and Venus / night / Montreal / Mont. Daily Witness8th, as described by Prof McLeod, of McGill College Observatorya beam of light about half a degree wide, from a point on the horizon, 79 degrees west of due north and in a direct line toward Venus. Sky illuminated ab 15 degrees each side of the beamwhich ended abruptly at altitude of 60 degrees. / brightest about midnight / stationary. Almost entirely disappeard at 1:30 a.m. [VI; 392.1, 392.2. “A Beam of Light.” Montreal Daily Witness, February 8, 1886, p. 4 c. 5. “A Singular Phenomenon.” Montreal Gazette, February 8, 1886, p. 5 c. 3. A light pillar, illuminated by a fire in Outremont.]


1886 Feb. 13 / Sounds and q / Alabama / See Feb. 4. [VI; 393. See: 1886 Feb. 4 and Feb 13, (VI; 385).]


1886 Feb 13 and 23 / Catania / “Subterranean” Sounds / See 1816. [VI; 394. Cancani, Adolfo. "Rombi sismici." Bollettino della Società Sismologica Italiana, 7 (1901-1902): 23-47, at 40. See: 1816, (I; 547).]


1886 Feb 18 / Inf conjunction / VenusSun. [VI; 395. Inferior conjunction of Venus. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1886, 464.]


1886 Feb 20 / Field, p. 243, 264, 640 / Myst of a giant caterpillar. Origin not known / in a bottle. [B; 687. "A Giant Caterpillar." Field, February 20, 1886, p. 243. Clarence Bartlett, (who bought the specimen, preserved in a bottle of alcohol, from a shop), thought that it had come from Africa. Laurie, W.F. "A Giant Caterpillar." Field, February 27, 1886, p. 264. Laurie identifies it as a moth from Ceylon. Firmstone, W.F. "Giant Caterpillars." Field, May 15, 1886, p. 640. Firmstone identifies it as identical to a pest in Natal.]


1886 Feb 24 / N.Y. Herald, 4-4 / Haunted houseat Killingworth, Conn., on L.I. Sound. Here, ten years before, Mrs Horace Higgins had cut throats of her 3 children. House considered haunted. Mother confined as insane not far away. Family named Ray had taken the house. Had been driven out by apparitions and weird sounds. [B; 688.1, 688.2. (New York Herald, February 24, 1886, p. 4 c. 4; not found in this issue; not Feb 25 nor 26, p. 4.) “A Haunted House.” St. Paul Daily Globe, (Minnesota), February 26, 1886, p. 1 c. 4. “For many years the house had the reputation of being haunted and it almost continuously remained tenantless until last summer, when the Ray family of Boston took it as a summer residence. The first night they slept there the two tenants were nearly scared to death by the apparition of a woman in white standing at their bedroom window. Loud and unearthly noises echoed through the house. The next night Mr. and Mrs. Ray say they saw the apparition, and they promptly gave up the house. Recently only these facts were learned by the villagers, and since then several weird sights have, it is said, been seen in the old mansion.” History of Middlesex County, Connecticut, with Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men. New York: J.B. Beers, 1884, 427. “About a mile and a half north of the Congregational church, in Killingworth, on the old road which runs parallel with tlie main street, is a group of dilapidated houses. In, one of these ancient dwellings there formerly lived a Mrs. Higgins, who was possessed of a most violent temper. October 14th 1779, after having quarreled with her husband, she grasped a common case-knife and cut the throats of her three children. The victims of this bloody tragedy were buried in the old cemetery, in the Union District. There was at that time a belief almost universally indulged in that grass would not grow over the grave of a murdered person; and it is said that for a long time the lot where they laid these children was barren as a desert. The natural sterility of the soil, however, is a sufficient explanation of the phenomenon.” (Continental Journal, Boston, October 28, 1779, p. 3. “The following tragical affair happened at the north parish in Killingworth on Wednesday last [October 13, 1779], viz. the wife of Mr. ___ [Horace?] Higgins of that parish, being disordered in her reason, and being left in the house with three of her children, she called her son of seven years old, to her, telling him she wanted to pin his collar, and immediately cut his throat, she then cut the throats of her daughter of five years old, and her infant which lay on the bed: Mr. Higgins soon after coming into the house, found her on her knees, cutting her own throat with a dull knife, which with some difficulty he wrested from her; but she had wounded herself to that degree she died soon after.” @ Newsbank.com.) The husband was Samuel Higgins, (not Horace); the wife's name was Sarah; two of their other children lived to adulthood; and, the mother may have also died in 1779.]


1886 Feb 24 / det. / Wauseon, Ohio / ab 5:15 (not stated a.m. or not) / Thomas Mikesell heard a “crash and a roar” that he thought was meteoric. / Rept. Ohio Met. Bur, Feb, 1886. [VI; 396. “Miscellaneous.”  Report of the Ohio Meteorological Bureau, 1886 (February): 52-55, at 55. “At about 5:15, the 24th, there was a sudden crash and roar in the S.W., as of thunder, but when I got out of the house, I could not hear it any more. I think it was the explosion of a meteor. It was clear at the time.”]


1886 March 1 / Met in gale / U.S. / (D-97). [VI; 397. The note copies information from page 97 of The Book of the Damned. "Miscellaneous Phenomena." Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 3; March 1886): 80-81, at 81. “Brilliant Meteoric Display.” New York Herald, March 2, 1886, p. 4 c. 2.]


1886 March 6 / 7:30 a.m. / Violent shock at Cosenza / Nature 33-450. [VI; 398. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (March 11, 1886): 448-450, at 450.]


1886 March 6 / Op. Mars / (Al). [VI; 399. Opposition of Mars. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1886, 464.]


1886 March 7 / Eruption / Kilauea, Hawaii / A.J. Sci 3/33/87. [VI; 400. Emerson, Joseph Swift. “Kilauea after the Eruption of March, 1886.” American Journal of Science, s. 3 v. 33 (1887): 87-101.]


1886 March 8 / Heavy rain / Cape Town / Symons Met Mag 21-57. [VI; 401. “Heavy Rain at Cape Town, March 8th, 1886.” Symons's Meteorological Magazine, 21 (May 1886): 57.]


1886 March 9 / Venus stationary. [VI; 402. Venus stationary. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1886, 464.]


1886 March 9 / Protuberance on sunmoderate height but exceptional splendor / R., Sept 26, '79. [VI; 403. Refer to: 1879 Sept 26, (IV; 2786). Riccò, Annibale. "Grand Protubérances Solaires Observées à Palermo de 1881 à 1887." Astronomie, 7 (1888): 254-258, at 256.]


1886 March 11 / Norway / See Jan 1. / Aerolite fell at Aastvedt in Bergen, Norway. / See Jan. / Cosmos, Ap. 19, 1886. [VI; 404. (Cosmos, s. 4 (n.s.) v. 4 (April 19, 1886.) “Notes.” Nature, 33 (April 8, 1886): 536-538, at 537. Aastvedt is now identified as Åstveit, Norway. See: 1886 Jan 1, (VI; 337).]


1886 March 11 / See Norway series again. / Oct.-Nov., 1886. [VI; 405. See: 1886 Jan 1, (VI; 337); 1886 Nov. 1, (VI; 923); 1886 Nov. 3, (VI; 928); and, 1886 Nov. 5, (VI; 930).]


[1886 March 14 /] 1886 Jan 14, ab. / The Oregon Disaster / March? [B; 684. “The Big Oregon Lost.” New York Sun, March 15, 1886, p. 1 c. 5-6. The Cunard steamship Oregon on its way to New York City collided with a schooner, (which mmediately sank with all hands), in Long Island Sound, but all of its crew and passengers were rescued before the steamship sank. Distress signals failed to alert two other large steamers, which passed it; but, a rescue was begun by a pilot boat, another schooner, and an alert lookout at Fire Island, with many of the passengers transferred to the Bremen steamer Fulda. The Oregon's lifeboats and rafts only had room for about half of its crew and passengers; thus, its proximity to the shore and to other ships, in calm and clear weather, with several hours of time before sinking, helped to avoid a much greater disaster.]


1886 Mar 20 / S / (Dark/Minn.) / Oshkosh / 120 / (D-221) / Trib 22-4-5. [VI; 406. The note copies information from pages 220 to 221 of The Book of the Damned. (Atmospheric phenomenon." Monthly Weather Review, 14 (March 1886): 79.) “The Oshkosh Darkness.” New York Tribune, March 22, 1886, p. 4 c. 4-5.]


1886 March 21 / Jupiter / Opposition. [VI; 407. Opposition of Jupiter. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1886, 464.]


1886 March 23 / Protuberances on sun / RSept 26, '79. [VI; 408. Refer to: 1879 Sept 26, (IV; 2786). Riccò, Annibale. "Grand Protubérances Solaires Observées à Palermo de 1881 à 1887." Astronomie, 7 (1888): 254-258, at 256-257.]


1886 March 27 / Met iron / Cabin Creek, Johnson Co, Arkansas / (F). [VI; 409. Fletcher, 68. This is the Cabin Creek meteorite.]


1886 March / Washington, D.C. / pollen shower, no pine trees in flower near there / Ala, Georgia and Carolinas / so hundreds of miles in wind / Pop Sci News 29-130. [VI; 410. (Popular Science News, 29-130.)]


1886 March 30 / Rolleville, Fr. / Great light in the northern sky, pulsating white / 9 to after 10 p.m. / CR 102-987. [VI; 411. Maze. “Observation d'une aurore boréale à Rolleville (Seine-Inférieure).” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 987-988.]


1886 March 30 / General aurora. Then at 8 p.m. flashes about the Pleiades. / Konigsberg, Prussia / Nature 33-559. [VI; 412. Fritsch, H. “Aurora.” Nature, 33 (April 15, 1886): 559. Königsberg, Prussia, is now identified as Kaliningrad, Russia.]


1886 March 30 / Aurora / Ireland / Nature 33-537. [VI; 413. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (April 8, 1886): 536-538, at 537.]


1886 March 31 / Phil P. Ledger of / Unknown malady / in Johnstown, N.Y. / 200 cases / 21 deaths. [B; 689. (Philadelphia Public Ledger, March 31, 1886.)]


1886 Ap. 3 / Rel-Ph-J, 4-5 / Near Athens, N.Y., a partridge attracting attentiontrotting along besides vehiclesjumping up on horsesbut not let self be caught. [B; 690. "General Items." Religio-Philosophical Journal, 40 (no. 6; April 3, 1886): 4, (c. 5).]


1886 Ap. 8 / q? / in Gorebridge / Nature 33-559, 611. [VI; 414. Crispin, Alfred Trevor. “Was it an Earthquake?” Nature, 33 (April 15, 1886): 559. “Notes.” Nature, 33 (April 29, 1886): 609-612, at 611. “Earthquake at Gorebridge.” Scotsman, April 19, 1886, p. 4 c. 8.]


1886 April 8 / Comrie / Last I have recorded. / Wm. Roper, “List of Earthquakes” / 1846-7-8 / 1851, 57, 64, 67, 69 / March 31, 1870 / Oct. 14, 1882 / April 8, 1886. [VI; 415. Roper, 36-38 & 40-41.]


1886 April / Sounds of Abbeville, S.C. / See Sept. 15. [VI; 416. See: 1886 Sept 15, (VI; 822).]


1886 Ap. 8 / 5:35 a.m. / Shock / London / Nature 33-559. [VI; 417. Crispin, Alfred Trevor. “Was it an Earthquake?” Nature, 33 (April 15, 1886): 559.]


1886 Ap. 12 / Great meteor / Gulf of Petschili / Met Zeit 3/461. [VI; 418. "Kleinere Mittheilungen." Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 3 (1886): 455-464, at 461-462, (illustration). The “Golf von Petschili” is now identified at the Bohai Sea.]


1886 Ap. 14, May 8, July 27, Nov. 2 / Auroras and meteors of unusual brilliancy in northen heavens. / Nature 35-126 / Lyons, N.Y. [VI; 419. Veeder, Major Albert. “Meteors and Auroras.” Nature, 35 (December 9, 1886): 126.]


1886 Ap. 17 / Blue-red whitish hail / Venezuela / D-41. [VI; 420. The note copies information from page 41 of The Book of the Damned.  Ernst, Adolf. "A Remarkable Hailstorm." Nature, 34 (June 10, 1886): 122. The fall was at El Totumo, near Tinaco.]


1886 Ap. 18 and 22 / Slight shocks at Comrie / Chambers' Journal 63-352. [VI; 421. “Comrie Earthquakes.” Chambers's Journal, s. 5 v. 3 (May 29, 1886): 351-352.]


1886 Ap. 18 / Etna / Ciel et Terre 7-333. [VI; 422. “L'Éruption de l'Etna.” Ciel et Terre, 7 (1886-1887): 332-334.]


[1886 April 18 /] 1886 May 2 / Immense swarm of what appeared to be June bugs / Scott Township, Ind. / Religio-Phil Jour 8-6-5. [VI; 429. "Notes and Extracts on Miscellaneous Subjects." Religio-Philosophical Journal, 40 (no. 11; May 8, 1886): 6, (c. 5). “State News.” Indianapolis News, April 20, 1886, p. 1 c. 3.]


1886 Ap. 21 / Eruption, Mt. Tarumai, Yezo, Japan / Nature 35-472. [VI; 423.1. "Notes." Nature, 35 (March 17, 1887): 471-474, at 472. The Shikotsu volcano.]


1886 Ap. 23 / Shadow / Good Friday / morning / Philadelphia / 4 a.m. / Man saw something like a colossal figure of Christ in sky. “The general effect was that of an enormous shadow stretching two thirds of the way to the zenith.” / Sun, June 12-2-7. / Easter, Ap. 25. [VI; 423.2, 423.3. “Sunbeams.” New York Sun, June 12, 1886, p. 2 c. 7.]


1886 Ap. 24 / Remarkable sunspot / Monthly Notices RAS, Ap and May, 1886. [VI; 424. Hopkins, Benjamin John. "Note on a remarkable Sun-Spot." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 46 (May 14, 1886): 393-394.]


1886 Ap. 25 / Leaves / bet. Commentry and Neris, France / (N) / La Nat 1886/1/383. [VI; 425. "Académie des Sciences." La Nature, 1886 pt. 1 (no. 676; May 15): 383-384, at 383.]


1886 Ap. 25 / Leaves / between Commentry and Néris / Weather “superb”. / fall of leaves, coming down from heights of limit of vision. / CR 102-1085 / See ab last May, 1885. [VI; 426. “M. Ch. Brongniart transmet à l'Acadèmie quelques indications....” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 1085.]


[The following two notes were folded together by Fort. VI: 426 & 427.]


1886 / last of April / Little balloons / In Science, 21-136, Dr Swinnerton, of Cherry Valley, N.Y., writes that toward sunset, last of April, 1886, two men, known to him, Capt. John E. Hetherington and Mr. Marcus Steinberg, of C. Valley, saw near the town what appeared to be innumerable spherical bodies floating in the air like soap-bubbles. They were astonished and questioned each other, finding some reassurance in that they saw alike, The objects seemed to rest on tree boughs and fences, and then roll off and disappear. In color and shape and way of vanishing the objects were like soap bubbles. But the air seemed to be filled with them. The sun was sinking. At sunset they saw no more. / To me looks as if some kids been blowing soap bubbles. / Science, 21-136. [VI; 426.1, 426.2, 426.3. Swinnerton, Henry Ulyate. “Aerial Bubbles.” Science, s. 1 v. 21 (March 10, 1893): 136. “An orchard lay along the lower and northwesterly side of the road, and all in among the apple trees were thick, gently descending multitudes of these bubbles, pretty uniform in size say, 8 or 9 inches in diameter, apparently; none less than six; no small ones being observed.”]


1886 April / little balloons / Science, 21-136. / Dr Henry Swinnerton writes that two men of “unimpeachable character”, names given, saw at Cherry Valley, N.Y., “what appeared to be innumerable spherical bodies floating in the air like soap-bubbles”. Seemed to be 8 or 9 inches in diameter. “The air seemed to be filled with these transparent, floating spheres.” [VI; 427.1, 427.2. Swinnerton, Henry Ulyate. “Aerial Bubbles.” Science, s. 1 v. 21 (March 10, 1893): 136.]


1886 May 1 / [LT], 10-c / 4-5-f / New comet. [VI; 428. “A New Comet.” London Times, May 1, 1886, p. 10 c. 3. “Another New Comet.” London Times, May 4, 1886, p. 5 c. 6. Comets C/1886 H1 and C/1886 J1.]


[1886 May 2. Wrong date. See: 1886 April 18, (VI; 429).]


[1886 April 18 /] 1886 May 2 / Immense swarm of what appeared to be June bugs / Scott Township, Ind. / Religio-Phil Jour 8-6-5. [VI; 429. "Notes and Extracts on Miscellaneous Subjects." Religio-Philosophical Journal, 40 (no. 11; May 8, 1886): 6, (c. 5). “State News.” Indianapolis News, April 20, 1886, p. 1 c. 3.]


1886 May 3 (before) / Pub Ledger of / A few days beforea dense cloud that seemed to emit groaning noises. Intense darkness / Yankton, Dakota. [VI; 430. (Philadelphia Public Ledger, May 3, 1886.) (“The Groaning of the Storm.” Washington Critic, May 10, 1886, p. 1 c. 4.) (Not found in MWR, April or May, 1886.)]


1886 May 2 / Garden whirl / 14. [VI; 431. (Refs???)]


1886 May 4 / Trib, 1-3 / Ohio / q. [VI; 432. “An Earthquake in Ohio.” New York Tribune, May 4, 1886, p. 1 c. 3.]


1886 May 5 / met ship / 1:30 a.m. / Weather fairsky almost clear. Bark “Vidette” from Cienfuegosmasthead set on fire by a meteor. / M.W.R. '86-142 / See Dec 11, 1885. [VI; 433. “Miscellaneous Phenomena.” Monthly Weather Review, 14 (no. 5; May 1886): 140-142, at 142. “The bark 'Vidette,' Captain Sawyer, from Cienfuegos, reports: 'May 5, at 1.30 a.m., weather fair with a sky nearly clear, and wind from the south, was set on fire in the maintop by a meteor. By prompt action the mates and two men put out the fire in five or six minutes. The meteor seemed like a fire rocket, lighting up the vessel throughout, and in less than ten seconds the mast was in full blaze at the masthead.” “Set on Fire by a Meteor.” New York Times, May 17, 1886, p. 8 c. 2. See: 1885 Dec 11, (VI: 321 & 322), and, 1885 Dec 12, (VI; 323).]


1886 May 6 / Cor writes from Ozark Co, Mo. Hail this day. One piece 18 inches in circumference. Lay in drifts that had not melted 2 weeks later. / Sun, June 20-3-6. [VI; 434. Baker, Samuel. “Tremendous Hailstones in Missouri.” New York Sun, June 20, 1886, p. 3 c. 6.]


1886 May 7 / 1:45 a.m. / 17th, 3:53 a.m. / Small q's / Trinidad. [VI; 435. Turner, H.H., et al. "Seismological Investigations." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1911, 30-67, at 55.]


1886 May 8 / Shower of dead birds of many species during a severe storm, Chicago. / Phil Pub. Ledger, May 14. [VI; 436. (Philadelphia Public Ledger, May 14, 1886.) “Shower of Dead Birds.” New York Sun, May 14, 1886, p. 2 c. 7. “Yesterday when the watchman of the Board of Trade Building made his rounds, he found the sidewalks and streets in front of the tower covered with dead birds of all sorts. A little later the electrician came down, and said the birds had been killed by the electric light at the top of the tower. When he went up to the lantern with several members of the Board of Trade the roof was found to be covered with dead birds, and each of the lamps in the big circle of light was filled with them, one globe having eight birds in it. Those birds are of every known variety, and many unfamiliar species are among the lot. All shades and colors are there, scarlet, blue, pink, red, canary, mottled black and white, and there were some snipe and plover among them. The theory is that they were migratory flocks, going from south to north, and were attracted by the great light, which killed them the moment they touched it. Many persons were on the street with bags and baskets, and in less than two hours the sidewalks were cleared, but the roof of the Board is now covered.”]


1886 May 9 / q / Brazil / 3:20 p.m. / A comet and exceptional coldness noted. / C.R. 102-1351. [VI; 437. D'Alcantara, Pedro. “Tremblement de terre survenu au Brésil le 9 mai 1886.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 1351-1352.]


1886 May 10 / 7:40 p.m. / Great met / Florida and Cuba / Sc Am 55/72. [VI; 438. “The Meteorite of May 10.” Scientific American, n.s., 55 (July 31, 1886): 72.]


1886 May 11 / Moon / See May 11, 1889. [VI; 439. See: 1889 May 11, (VI; 1650).]


1886 May 11 / May 11, 1886 / M. F saw two peaks shining with such a light as he had never seen before nor after, many times surpassing in brilliance, the lighted part of the moon. / South of Plato. [VI; 440. Fauchier, A. “Pics lumineux sur la Lune.” Astronomie, 6 (1887): 312-313.]


1886 May 11 / 8 p.m. / M. Fauchier, of Observatory of Marseilles, saw two luminous spots or peaks such as he [note cut off] or since, surpassing by many times the light of the parts of the moon in sunlightsouth of Plato. / L'Astro 6/312. [VI; 441. Fauchier, A. “Pics lumineux sur la Lune.” Astronomie, 6 (1887): 312-313.]


1886 May 11 / 8 p.m. / (m) / '85See. / L'Astro 1887-312 / M. Fauchier, of the Observatory of Marseilles, writes that he saw on moon two extraordinary lights such as he had never seen before or since Either mt peaks or something on those peaks. South of Plato. [VI; 442.1, 442.2, 442.3. Fauchier, A. “Pics lumineux sur la Lune.” Astronomie, 6 (1887): 312-313.]


1886 May 12 / Cyclone of Madrid / C.R. 102-1160. [VI; 443. Noguès, Alphonse François. “La cyclone du 12 mai à Madrid.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 1160-1161.]


1886 May 11-13 / Heavy rains and floods / England / J.R. Met Soc 12/269. [VI; 444. Marriott, William, and, Frederic Gaster. “The Floods of May 1886.” Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 12 (1886): 269-283.]


1886 May 12 / night / Ohio, Ind, N. Car, etc. / great hurricane / EveningSpain, great hurricane. In Madrid, 32 killed, 620 injured. / Sun 15/1/3, 7. [VI; 445. “Ruin in a Tempest's Path.” New York Sun, May 15, 1886, p. 1 c. 3. “The Hurricane in Spain.” New York Sun, May 15, 1886, p. 1 c. 7.]


1886 May 12 / Cyclone / Madrid / C.R. 102-1160 / (La Nat 27/1). [VI; 446. Alphonse François Noguès. “Le Cyclone du 12 Mai à Madrid.” La Nature, 1886 pt. 2 (no. 679; June 5): 1-3.]


1886 May 12 / College investigated. Workmen dug up a meteorite several feet in circumference and oblong on shape. / Sc Am 68/325. [VI; 447. “Fall of Aerolites.” Scientific American, n.s., 68 (May 27, 1893): 325. “Unearthed an Eighty-pound Aerolite.” New York Sun, April 9, 1893, p. 4 c. 7. The Scientific American article identifies the location was “Washington, Oregon”; but, the New York Sun's article identifies “Washington C.H., O.” in the dispatch from the Cleveland Leader, which would be Washington Court House, Ohio. The story of a “meteorite several feet in diameter” weighing “about eighty pounds” remains a mystery; unless it was composed of the same substance as the other meteorite, that fell at Osawatomie, Kansas, reported in the same article by the Scientific American. “Experts say the aerolite is composed of metal supposed to exist only in the sun.” Helium was discovered to also exist on our planet in 1895. Both of these aerolites were apparently newspaper yarns.]


1886 May 14 and 30 / Solar halos / France / La Nat 27/15. [VI; 448. "Académie des Sciences." La Nature, 1886 pt. 2 (no. 679; June 5): 14-15. Cornu, Marie Alfred. “Sur un arc tangent au halo de 46°, observé le 30 mai 1886.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (May 31, 1886.): 1210-1211. Vimont, Eugène. “Halo Extraordinaire du 3 May 1886.” La Nature, 1886 pt. 1 (no. 676; May 15): 379-382, (illustration). An extraordinary number of solar haloes, (parhelia), were observed for 9 hours at Boulogne-Sur-Seine, on May 3, 1886.]


1886 May 17 / also May 7 / q. / Trinidad, W. Indies / BA 1911-55. [VI; 449. Turner, H.H., et al. "Seismological Investigations." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1911, 30-67, at 55. See: 1886 May 7, (VI; 435).]


1886 May 17 / 8 a.m. / Solar halo and mock suns at Dönnaes, Norway / Nature 34-174 / (See June 21.) [VI; 450. “Notes.” Nature, 34 (June 24, 1886): 173-176, at 174. See: 1886 June 21, (VI; 517).]


1886 May 18 / NY Times, 1-3 / Huge aerolite found in Pa. [VI; 451. “The Largest Aerolite on Record.” New York Times, May 18, 1886, p. 1 c. 3. (“Aerolite Liar.” Statesville Daily Landmark, (North Carolina), June 24, 1886, p. 1; @ newspaperarchive.com.)]


1886 May 18 and 19 / May and June / Etna / C.R. 102/1221, 1589 / 103-420. [VI; 452. Daubrée, Gabriel Auguste. “Note accompagnant le Rapport de M. Silvestri, sur l'èruption de l'Etna, des 18 et 19 mai 1886.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 1221-1223. Silvestri, Orazio. “Sur l'èruption de l'Etna de mai et juin 1886.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 1589-1592. Riccò, Annibale. “Phénomènes atmosphériques observés à Palerme pendant l'éruption de l'Etna.” Comptes Rendus, 103 (1886): 419-421.]


1886 May 19 / [LT], 7-c / 21-5-d / 28-5-e / 29-14-f / 31-6-b / June-2-5-c / 3-6-b / 5-14-d. [VI; 453.  Etna eruptions. “Mount Etna in Eruption.” London Times, May 19, 1886, p. 7 c. 3. “Mount Etna.” London Times, May 21, 1886, p. 5 c. 4. “The Eruption of Mount Etna.” London Times, May 28, 1886, p. 5 c. 5. “The Eruption of Mount Etna.” London Times, May 29, 1886, p. 14 c. 6. “The Eruption of Mount Etna.” London Times, May 31, 1886, p. 6 c. 2. “The Eruption of Mount Etna. London Times, June 2, 1886, p. 5 c. 3. “Mount Etna.” London Times, June 3, 1886, p. 6 c. 2. “Mount Etna.” London Times, June 5, 1886, p. 14 c. 4.]


1886 May 18 (etc.) / 11 a.m. / Etna / Nature 34-59 / by 5 p.m. alarming34-82. [VI; 454. “Notes.” Nature, 34 (May 20, 1886): 59-60, at 59. “Notes.” Nature, 34 (May 27, 1886): 82-84, at 82-83.]


1886 May 19, etc. / After series of outbreaks, a terrific eruption of Etna/ Pop. Sci Mo 46-580. [VI; 455. Packard, Alpheus Spring, Jr. “The Birth of a Sicilian Volcano.” Popular Science Monthly, 46 (March, 1895): 577-585, at 580. ]


1886 May 20 / Cl, burst / upper part S. Carolina / Sun 22-1-3. [VI; 456. “Great Floods in South Carolina.” New York Sun, May 22, 1886, p. 1 c. 3.]


1886 May 22 / New comet in Virgo / Science 7/481. [VI; 457. “Notes and News.” Science, s. 1 v. 7 (May 28, 1886): 479-481, at 481. Comet D/1886 K1 was first observed in 1886, despite its alleged period of about 5.5 years.]


1886 May 22 / Trombe / Bar-sur-Aube / La Nat 1886/2/47. [VI; 458. “Une trombe extraordinaire.” La  Nature, 1886 pt. 2 (no. 681; June 19): 47.]


1886 May 23 / afternoon / at Stonehaven (Scotland?) / Just before and after high tide, water along coast rose and fell from 10 inches to 18 inches at a time, from ab 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.no wind. / Nature 34-108. [VI; 459. “Notes.” Nature, 34 (June 3, 1886): 107-110, at 108. “Curious Tidal Phenomenon at Stonehaven.” Scotsman, May 25, 1886, p. 7 c. 2.]


1886 May 23 / Jupiter / Stationary. [VI; 460. Jupiter stationary. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1886, 464.]


1886 May 24 / evening / House struck by something said been a waterspout and a woman drowned in the deluge. / Abingdon, Va. / Sun 26-3-4. [VI; 461. “Drowned by a Waterspout.” New York Sun, May 26, 1886, p. 3 c. 4.]


1886 May 24 and 28 / qs and eruption at Etna / May-July / BA '11. [VI; 462. A class I earthquake. Milne, 733. See: 1886 May 24, (VI; 465), and, 1886 May 28, (VI; 468).]


1886 May 24-29 / Ashes or cinders fell as far as Reggio, Calabria, from Etna. / C.R. 103-420. [VI; 463. Riccò, Annibale. “Phénomènes atmosphériques observés à Palerme pendant l'éruption de l'Etna.” Comptes Rendus, 103 (1886): 419-421, at 420.]


1886 May 23-June 3 / Dry fog at Palermo from Etnasun reddish yellow, sometimes pale or grayish. / C.R. 103-421. [VI; 464. Riccò, Annibale. “Phénomènes atmospherériques observés à Palerme pendant l'éruption de l'Etna.” Comptes Rendus, 103 (1886): 419-421, at 421.]


1886 May 24 / Time of Etna / Assisi, Perugia, Italy / (F). [VI; 465. Fletcher, 105. This is the Assisi meteorite.]


1886 May 24 / Volcano Mayon, Luzon, Philippines, in eruption / Nature 34-275. [VI; 466. “Notes.” Nature, 34 (July 22, 1886): 274-278, at 275.]


1886 May 28 / at Barntrup, Lippe, Germany / Metite / 2:30 p.m. / Nature 34-439. [VI; 467. Haepke, L. “A New Aerolite.” Nature, 34 (September 9, 1886): 439. This is the Barntrup meteorite.]


1886 May 28 / See Etna this period. [VI; 468. See: (Etna, ca. 1886.)]


1886 May 29 / Augs / France / L'Astro 1887/36. [VI; 469. Schmoll, A. “Passage de Corpuscles devant le Soleil.” Astronomie, 6 (1887): 36.]


1886 May 30 / Cashmere Series / See Oct 20. [VI; 470. See: (1886 Oct 20).]


1886 / last of May and in June / Ruddy sunset glows at Palermo from Etna / C.R. 103-421 / But less than in 1883. [VI; 471. Riccò, Annibale. “Phénomènes atmospherériques observés à Palerme pendant l'éruption de l'Etna.” Comptes Rendus, 103 (1886): 419-421, at 421.]


[1886 May 30. Wrong date. See: 1885 May 30, (VI; 472).]


1886 May 31 / Greatest of the eruptions of Etna / See May 19. Eruption cease June 7. / C.R. 102/1221, 1589. [VI; 473. Daubrée, Gabriel Auguste. “Note accompagnant le Rapport de M. Silvestri, sur l'èruption de l'Etna, des 18 et 19 mai 1886.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 1221-1223. Silvestri, Orazio. “Sur l'èruption de l'Etna de mai et juin 1886.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 1589-1592. See: 1886 May 18 and 19, (VI; 452); 1886 May 19, (VI; 453); 1886 May 18 (etc.), (VI; 454); and, 1886 May 19, etc., (VI; 455).]


1886 June / Ghost / Orange Mts, N.J. / Phil P.L., June 17. [B; 691. (Philadelphia Public Ledger, June 17, 1886.)]


1886 June / Corlett / Fishes / [Letter to Fort from Mrs H Corlett, Kingfisher, Okla, Aug 8, 1924]. [VI; 475. (Letter; Corlett, H. to Fort; August 8, 1924.)]


1886 / early June / Chicago / migration of the Ajax butterfly / Amer Naturalist 20-976. [VI; 474. Hancock, Joseph L. “Migrations of the Ajax Butterfly.” American Naturalist, 20 (no. 11; November 1886): 976-977.]


1886 June 1, about / Norfolk / peculiar whirl / Leisure Hour 35-503. [VI; 476. “Whirlwind Extraordinary.” Leisure Hour, 35 (July 1886): 503. Nelson, Thomas G. “Whirlwind in Norfolk.” London Times, June 5, 1886, p. 16 c. 2.]


1886 June 1 / See May 18-19. [VI; 477. See: (May 18-19).]


1886 June 2, 3, 13, 16, 22, 23 / Luminous night clouds / Sunderland / Nature 34-239. [VI; 478. Backhouse, Thomas William. “Luminous Clouds.” Nature, 34 (July 15, 1886): 239.]


1886 June 5 / Shocks / Chios and Smyrna / Nature 34-130. [VI; 479. “Notes.” Nature, 34 (June 10, 1886): 129-131, at 130.]


1886 June 5 / Solar halo and sun pillar / Oxford / Nature, 34-193 / See June 21. [VI; 480. Bellamy, Frank Arthur. “Solar Halo and Sun Pillar seen on June 5, 1886.” Nature, 34 (July 1, 1886): 193-194, (illustration). See: 1886 June 21, (VI; 517).]


[1886 June 6. Wrong date. See: 1885 June 6, (VI; 481).]


1886 June 9 / See Etna in May. / afternoon / Black rain“very dark” / Stonyhurst Observatory reported from / Nature 34-143. [VI; 482. Perry, Stephen Joseph. “Black Rain.” Nature, 34 (June 17, 1886): 143. See: 1886 May 19, (VI; 453).]


1886 June 9 / B. rain and distant volc / like Martinique and France / May, 1902. [VI; 483. See: (1902 May).]


1886 June 10 / (Oct 26) / F 1 / other note / A cor to New Zealand Herald (Auckland) (Oct. 13, 1886) says that the Maoris had seen, or said had seen, on the Lake several days before the eruption, "a strange canoe, curiously constructed, differing from any canoe known to be on the lake". Said that it was propelled by "a ghostly crew of tatooed warriors". / Cor says that in the volc mud he came across footprints of a horse. no other trace of which was findable. / See F 2. [B; 692.1, 692.2. Douglas, W. “The New Wonderland of New Zealand.” New Zealand Herald, September 13, 1886, p. 12 c. 1-7 & p. 13 c. 1-6; at p. 13 c. 2. See: (F2).]


1886 (June 10) / F 2 / This near the lake. / Even far away, vegetation covered with dust so that cattle were starving, but here all desolation all mudpicture desolation. One drab uniformitybushes were lumpstrees were drab and featureless projectionslake and terraces all same color—flatness from fury. [B; 693.1, 693.2. Douglas, W. “The New Wonderland of New Zealand.” New Zealand Herald, September 13, 1886, p. 12 c. 1-7 & p. 13 c. 1-6.]


1886 June 10 / F 3 / (Footprints / See other note.) / New Zealand Herald, Sept 13-5-3+ / Something else upon the unknown animal wandering upon the scenethat some Maoris had seen a strange looking object and had approached itThey saw antlers upon it and fled, never having seen such an animal before. It is said that the animal was a stag. [B; 694.1, 694.2. “The mystery of The Phantom Horse....” New Zealand Herald, September 13, 1886, p. 5 c. 3. “The mystery of 'The Phantom Horse' (writes our Rotorua correspondent) is at last cleared up. Some natives belonging to the Ngatiamaniwa observed a curious looking object moving on the distant ranges behind Rotomahana. On a nearer approach it was noticed to rear up and display a couple of immense full grown antlers. The natives fled from fright, and scattered in all directions, never having seen such a thing before. However, some of the bravest determined to run for guns and all sorts of implements of destruction and then face the object of their horror. They got to within about a mile of it, when, with a series of leaps and bounds, the stag, for such it was, almost flew through the air. Those on horseback followed as best they could over hill and dale. On coming to the Whirinaki Creek the animal appeared to clear it and shortly disappeared from view leaving its pursuers miles behind.” See: 1886 June 10, (B; 692).]


1886 June 10 / 2 a.m. / Phe of New Zealand began. / Symons Met Mag 21/97 / 2000 sq miles covered 3 inches deep with dust. [VI; 484. “The Volcanic Phenomena in New Zealand.” Symons's Meteorological Magazine, 21 (August 1886): 97-101, at 101.]


1886 June 10 / Up from the Lake a White Terrace and a Pink Terrace. One a silicate with the appearance of snow and the other pink with oxide of iron. / envelope in smoke / smashed / sillicates spell right? [VI; 485. Douglas, W. “The New Wonderland of New Zealand.” New Zealand Herald, September 13, 1886, p. 12 c. 1-7 & p. 13 c. 1-6.]


1886 June 10 / New Zealand Herald, 21st“storm of fireballs” / southern part of the Auckland district / An abacia grove became a mound. / The Terrace from the Caldron or the Black Crater. / Balls of fire that set fire to distant houses like those of Nov., 1912. / June 21. [VI; 486.1, 486.2. (Refs.???)]


1886 June 10 / A mud volc / See Feb. 19, 1843. [VI; 487. See: 1845 Feb 19, (II: 558 & 821).]


1886 June 10 / Analysis of the ash. / Nature 34-595. [VI; 488. Joly, John. 'Volcanic Ash from New Zealand.” Nature, 34 (October 21, 1886): 595.]


1886 June 10 / early morning / at Nelson / “Vivid lightning” / N.Z.H., June 21. [VI; 489. “The Explosions Heard South.” New Zealand Herald, June 21, 1886, p. 12 c. 5.]


1886 June 10morning, early / Volc / N.Z. / violent th. storms and heavy rains. [VI; 490. (Refs.???)]


1886 June 12 / Volc Rotomahana / Out of sky, blue shining water, silicious deposits, shelved into terraces. [VI; 491.]


1886 June 10 / The terraces at Lake Rotomahana / Terraces of white and pink silica / sloped to margin of the lake / a few miles from the volc. [VI; 492. Douglas, W. “The New Wonderland of New Zealand.” New Zealand Herald, September 13, 1886, p. 12 c. 1-7 & p. 13 c. 1-6.]


1886 June 9 / N.Z. volc / LT, July 30-12-d / (q)3cols. / Midnight at Rotorua, Hot Lakes districtqs and Mt. Tarawera burst into flames for first time recorded. / Hot water springs and mud volcanoes everywheresulphurous flames and gases from the earth. Sunrise but impenetrable darkness. / Great electrical disturbances in the air. / Weather became bitterly cold. / A cloud over the mtfrom which “meteors [on all sides] shot [out from the cloud] in every direction”. [VI; 493.1, 493.2. “The Volcanic Outbreak in New Zealand.” London Times, July 30, 1886, p. 12 c. 4. The Okataina volcano.]


1886 June 10 / N.Z. Herald, Aug 16-3-3 / An account of a house struck by lightning in the volc storm and coins in a coin-box fused. / Also an account of people near the volc who over a large fire could not boil water—water in a pot at end of ¾ hour as cold as at first. [VI; 494.1, 494.2. “Singular Phenomena.” New Zealand Herald, August 16, 1886, p. 3 c. 3.]


1886 June 10 / morning / At Dunedin, electrical disturbances, fire alarm signals ringing. NZ Herald, June 21. [VI; 495. “The Explosions Heard South.” New Zealand Herald, June 21, 1886., p. 12 c. 5.]


1886 June 10 / Action of lightning from volc. denied—as fusing coins—in Jour and Proc Roy Soc NS. Wales 1886-295. [VI; 496. “Wednesday, 3 November, 1886.” Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 20 (1886): 293-296, at 294-295. ]


1886 June 10-24 / The eruption / Ref, Aug 6, 1868. [VI; 497. Refer to: (1868 Aug 6; not found).]


1886 June 10 / The Terraces of Rotomahana / Covered with mud / The hot springsbut no record of volcanic outburst of Tarawere Mt. before. / New Zealand Herald, June 21 / The account opens with sounds mistaken for signals of distress from a vessel. “Vivid flashes as if from the firing of guns” were seen at Auckland. Then a telegram of darkness and mud and the sounds of stampeded horse and cattle, and of escaping human beingsmagnificent heavens and a storm of fireballs. / “Vivid streams of electric fire which seemed to be lightning” from a distance. Not a green thing visible, all covered with mud or sandtrees “struck by lightning” blazing like torches. [VI; 498.1, 498.2, 498.2, 498.4. “Terrific Volcanic Outburst in the Lake District,” and “Graphic Descriptions by Survivors.” New Zealand Herald, June 21, 1886, p. 10 c. 1-7 & p. 11 c. 1-3.]


1886 June 10 / Volc / Loud 1766 / 383. [VI; 499. (Refs.???)]


1886 June 10 / New Zealand eruption / (good) / Sun, July 19-3-5. [VI; 500. “New Zealand's Upheaval.” New York Sun, July 19, 1886, p. 3 c. 5. The Okataina volcano.]


1886 June 10 / Hundreds of new boiling springs broke out. Several in roads. / N.Z. Herald. [VI; 501. “Terrific Volcanic Outburst in the Lake District.” New Zealand Herald, June 11, 1886, p. 5 c. 6-7. The Okataina volcano.]


1886 June 9 / (July 13-1-2), Trib / Volcanic outburst, New Zealand, in June. / qs and flashes in sky. [VI; 502. “The Great New Zealand Earthquake.” New York Tribune, July 13, 1886, p. 1 c. 2.]


[1886 June 10 /] 1886 June 11 / Schooner Julia Pryce / 35.08 S / 178.48 E / Shower of mud. The vessel thickly coated. / See the volc. / N.Z. Times, Oct. 26, 1886. [VI; 503. “Shower of Mud at Sea.” New Zealand Times, (Wellington), October 26, 1886, p. 3 c. 1.]


1886 June 12 / Pall Mall, London / “met. assault” / Ch 55+. [VI; 504. "Struck by a Meteor." Scientific American, n.s., 55 (July 31, 1886): 65. “A Remarkable Accident.” London Times, June 17, 1886, p. 10 c. 2. "As a gentleman, a well-known public official, was passing from St. James's Park into Pall-mall by the garden wall of Marlborough House, on Saturday last, at a quarter to 5 in the afternoon, he suddenly received on the right shoulder a violent blow, accompanied by a loud crackling noise, which caused him great pain and to stumble forward as he walked. On recovering his footing, and turning round to see who had so unceremoniously struck him, he found that there was no one on the pavement but himself and the policeman on duty at the park end of it. On reaching home the shoulder was submitted to examination, but nothing was first discovered to account for the pain in it. But in a little while the servant who had taken the coat to brush brought it back to point out that over the right shoulder the nap was pressed down flat in a long, straight line, exactly as if a hot wire had been sharply drawn across the cloth. The accident is therefore explained as having been caused by the explosion of a minute falling star or meteor. It is an unprecedented and most interesting occurrence and deserves, I think, to be placed on public record."]


1886 June 11 / q's, Friendly Islands, where volc Aug 31 / A.J. Sci 3/33/311. [VI; 505. “Volcanic Eruption in Niua-fu, Friendly Islands.” American Journal of Science, s. 3 v. 33 (1887): 311. Bonney, Thomas George. “Volcanic Eruption in Niua-Fu, Friendly Islands.” Nature, 35 (December 9, 1886): 127-128. The Niuafo'ou volcano.]


1886 June 11 / “A shock of earthquake was felt Friday night (11th) at Sandy Hook and Coney Island,” USA. / Nature 34-153. [VI; 506. “Notes.” Nature, 34 (June 17, 1886): 153-155, at 153.]


1886 June 12 / Supposed q along northern coast of N Jersey due to gun drill aboard the Juanita near Long Beach. / Ph. Pub. Ledger, June 15. [VI; 507. (Philadelphia Public Ledger, June 15, 1886.)]


1886 June 13 / N.Y.T., 2-6 / q. / Sandy Hook. [VI; 508. “The Earthquake Plainly Felt.” New York Times, June 13, 1886, p. 2 c. 6.]


1886 June 13 / 10:12 p.m. / Londonextremely brilliant meteor. “It must have been a minute or two in view.” Cor to Nature 34-143. [VI; 509. Strachan, R. “Meteor.” Nature, 34 (June 17, 1886): 143.]


1886 June 13 / Observatory of Trocadéro / 10:35 p.m. / Bolide from between Polaris and Gamma Caphei toward Cocher. / CR, 102-1414. [VI; 510. “M. L. Jaubert adresse la Note suivante relative à l'observation d'un bolide.” Comptes Rendus, 102 (1886): 1414. “Cocher” is the constellation Auriga.]


1886 June 14 and 23 / Solar halos at Lewes / 15, 23, 30, July 1, 2, 3, afterglows / Nature 34-217. [VI; 511. Jenner, James Herbert Augustus. “Halos.” Nature, 34 (July 8, 1886): 217.]


1886 June 15 / Sun, 2-4, from Utica Heraldthat a huge mineral mass had fallen from the sky into Spring Pond near St Regis Falls, casting out mud and water and fish and boiling fish remaining. / See Aug 7, 1887. [VI; 512. “A Meteor in a Pond.” New York Sun, June 15, 1886, p. 2 c. 4. “The Dickinson Centre correspondent of the Norwood News does not believe in the meteor story....” Chateauguay Record, (New York), June 18, 1886, p. 1 c. 4. “And yet how many papers publish just such articles through their columns when the first reading would show one that they are nothing more than the writers imagination.” See: 1887 Aug 7, (VI; 1127).]


1886 June 16 / In 50 hours ending on 16th, 28 inches of rain fell at Alexandria, La. / NY Trib 1889, June 3-6-3. [VI; 513. (New York Tribune, June 3, 1886, p. 6 c. 3; not found here, obvious wrong date; also try New York Times.) (“Heavy Rains in the South.” New York Tribune, June 20, 1886, p. 1 c. 5.)]


1886 June 18 / Lat 36° / Long 18 / 18 or 180? / (W or E?) / Trib, Sept 4-5-4 / Capt of a ship from New Zealand that for 4 hours had sailed through a dense, yellow dust supposed volcanic. [VI; 514. “Volcanic Dust in the Sea.” New York Tribune, September 4, 1886, p. 5 c. 4. “Captain Auckland reports that on June 18 in latitude 36° 31' and longitude 18° the bark sailed for four hours through a dense yellow dust.”]


1886 June / New Zealand volc. / That a cloud burst and showered ashes. / World, July 12-5-1. [VI; 515. (New York World, July 12, 1886, p. 5 c. 1.)]


1886 June 20 / Sarajevo / met / Met Zeit 3/370. [VI; 516. "Kleinere Mittheilungen." Meteorologische Zeitschrift, 3 (1886): 356-372, at 370.]


1886 June 21 / Solar halo at Great Yarmouth / See June 14. / See June 5. / See May 17. / Nature 34-168. [VI; 517. Tizard, Thomas Henry. “Solar Halo.” Nature, 34 (June 24, 1886): 168. (illustration). See: 1886 May 17, (VI; 450); 1886 June 5, (VI; 480); and, 1886 June 14 and 23, (VI; 511).]


1886 / ab June 23 / Yarn of a man carried 70 miles by a kite / W. Va. / Sun, July 4-10-4. [B; 695. “Seventy Miles by Kite.” New York Sun, July 4, 1886, p. 10 c. 4.]


1886 June 26 / Sun, 2-4 / A Color to Case? [B; 696. “An Ocean Mystery.” New York Sun, June 26, 1886, p. 2 .c. 4.]


1886 June 29 / Sun, 1-7 / Story of a burning mountain in Northwest Territory. [VI; 518. “A Smothered Volcano.” New York Sun, June 29, 1886, p. 1 c. 7. In this newspaper yarn, a hunting party claimed to have found a mountain which was heating up the air, earth, and Manitou River, in northern Minnesota, which if not explained by volcanism was theorized to be a burning coal seam, “making a mighty cauldron of the Manitou River's bed.”]


1886 June 30 / Stones / Sun, 4-7 / That autumn of 1885, windows in a vacant house in Danbury, Conn., were broken by stones thrown from unseen origin. Thrown with "such precision" that often 2 or 3 would go through same hole in glass. "It is presumed they are fired from a gun operated by compressed air." / These windows boarded up. Had been unboarded and the stones started again. [B; 697.1, 697.2. “Sunbeams.” New York Sun, June 30, 1886, p. 4 c. 7.]


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

1886 June 30 / Danbury / Sounds / See Jan. 14, 1888. [B; 698. See: 1888 Jan. 14, (B; 845).]

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