By F. J. ROBINSON
Have you ever, whilst looking through your newspaper, noticed a little item at the foot of column, titled "Strange Occurrence at --," or spoken to someone who has said, "Heard of a queer thing the other day ..."? Yes, of course you have. Who hasn't
At sometime in our lives nearly all of us come across things which are outside the realm of human understanding; many people seek to find explanations for such things, but few are successful; so they are usually passed off as "hallucinations" or "Acts of God." As the most known example the case of the "Marie Celeste" comes to mind. Literally hundreds of explanations have been proferred for this, but they all fail, somewhere, to adequately explain the mystery; many guess, but none know.
I have quoted the "Marie Celeste" for it is probably the most famous instance of what is now known as "Forteana." Many readers have heard of Charles Fort, whose life has aptly been described as one of enlightened scepticism. Probably no man in history had a more unusual occupation for Fort spent his life collecting all the data he could obtain about unusual occurrences, such as falls of fish, frogs, stones and worms, lights in the sky, red rain, comets, strange flying machines, footprints and poltergeists; in fact, every type of strange or inexplicable happening. Many others followed his example and in 1930 the Fortean Society was formed to coordinate the activities of people throughout the world who took an active interest in the unusual.
Most of these things seem to take place in some out-of-the-way part of America, or in some inaccessible European or Asiatic village, and are either ignored or "taken with a pinch of salt" by most people. However, something occasionally happens which causes a minor sensation with headlines in the local papers, and soon a town is talking. But without explanation the matter is soon forgotten, and becomes as dead as only yesterday's news can be. Sometimes explanations are offered and shattered. And then either some stout son of the Church comes forward and says "This is an Act of God, and we must not seek to probe too deeply into it, for the ways of the Lord are many and strange;" or some scientist proclaims that it is impossible, and could never have happened, and the witnesses were deluded. So the many forget and life goes on, until something else occurs some other place, and the cycle of events is repeated.
Perhaps there are still fans who refuse to believe that these things do happen. For them, and for the interest that may be found by others, I give the following instances, which I can personally vouch for, and of which clippings from papers were forwarded to the Editor to bear out my statements.
On Saturday, 15th October, '49, the occupant of a house in Cardiff went to the local cinema. While she was away, neighbours heard a loud crash, and on investigating found a large hole had been driven in the roof of this house. This was reported at the local police station, and an inspector and a constable came to the scene. They entered the house and found that below the hole was a bedroom and resting on the bed was a large block of ice, while debris from the roof and ceiling, together with fragments of ice, was scattered around the floor, and on the other furniture. A thorough investigation was conducted, and although even persons only remotely connected with the incident were questioned, no light could be thrown on the matter. A few hours later the tenant, a widow, returned from the cinema and was naturally horrified to find that the house had been severely damaged. The main block of ice was still solid four hours after the crash, although it had remained in the house, which was comparatively warm. For that matter, the weather at this time was not abnormally cold. Some of the ice fragments were taken for analysis, but did not disclose any peculiarities.
The possibility, very remote, of the ice having dropped from an airplane while de-icing was checked, but the R.A.F. and the civil aircraft authorities disclaimed the knowledge of any aircraft in the vicinity.
On the Monday, two days later, the local paper carried an article on the page giving details of the affair, with a photo of the damage. As this was not the "silly season," the report was not repeated in any national papers, other than a small mention. Nothing more was heard of the matter until a further two days, when an article appeared giving details of a similar occurrence a fortnight previously in a small village near Taunton.
A farmer tending some sheep had heard a whistle, which he likened to a bomb falling. He saw something hit the road, and burst; going to the place he found a large block of ice with fragments scattered over the road surface, and on the sides of the road. It was estimated by the farmer, and other witnesses that the block must have weighed about 28 lb. before it was shattered. This incident was reported to the Meteorlogical Office, London, where no explanation could be offered. No aircraft were reported in the locality, and the farmer could not recall seeing any craft, although, naturally he had looked up at the "whistle." The suggestion was again made that the ice could have fallen from a high-flying 'plane de-icing, but in view of the weight of the ice this theory is unsupportable.
These two examples, which appear to bear some relationship, are things which I personally know about, typical of things which are probably happening all the time, which have been happening throughout the ages, and which will undoubtedly continue to happen. And man will continue to close his eyes to these things, and deny them; all men that is, except a few like myself, who prefer to ponder over them, and wonder.
Are we all masters of our own destiny, or are we like ants in an ant hill, watched and studied with amusement and understanding by intelligences vastly beyond our comprehension?
When you stop, and look at it -- it makes you think!
Data entry by Judy Bemis
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