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BOOK OF THE DAMNED
By Charles Fort
CHAPTER: 01,
02, 03,
04, 05,
06, 07,
08, 09,
10, 11,
12, 13,
14, 15,
16, 17,
18, 19,
20, 21,
22, 23,
24, 25,
26, 27,
28
IT is in the records of the French Academy that, upon March
17, 1669, in the town of Chatillon-sur-Seine, fell a reddish substance that was
"thick, viscous, and putrid."
American Journal of Science,
1-41-404:
Story of a highly unpleasant substance that had fallen from
the sky, in Wilson County, Tennessee. We read that Dr. Troost visited the place
and investigated. Later we're going to investigate some investigations -- but
never mind that now. Dr. Troost reported that the substance was clear blood and
portions of flesh scattered upon tobacco fields. He argued that a whirlwind
might have taken an animal up from one place, mauled it around, and have
precipitated its remains somewhere else.
But, in volume 44, page 216, of the Journal, there is
an apology. The whole matter is, upon newspaper authority, said to have been a
hoax by negroes, who had pretended to have seen the shower, for the sake of
practicing upon the credulity of their masters: that they had scattered the
decaying flesh of a dead hog over the tobacco fields.
If we don't accept this datum, at least we see the
sociologically necessary determination to have all falls accredited to earthly
origins -- even when they're falls that don't fall.
Annual Register, 1821-687:
That, upon the 13th of August, 1819, something had fallen from
the sky at Amherst, Mass. It had been examined and described by Prof. Graves,
formerly lecturer at Dartmouth College. It was an object that had upon it a nap,
similar to that of milled cloth. Upon removing this nap, a buff-colored, pulpy
substance was found. It had an offensive odor, and, upon exposure to air, turned
to a vivid red. This thing was said to have fallen with a brilliant light.
Also see the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, 5-295.
In the Annales de Chimie, 1821-67, M. Arago accepts the datum, and
gives four instances of similar objects or substances said to have fallen out of
the sky, two of which we shall have with our data of gelatinous, or viscous
matter, and two of which I omit, because it seems to me that the dates given are
too far back.
In the American Journal of Science, 1-2-335, is Prof.
Graves' account, communicated by Professor Dewey.
That, upon the evening of August 13, 1819, a light was seen in
Amherst -- a falling object -- sound as if of an explosion.
In the home of Prof. Dewey, this light was reflected upon a
wall of a room in which were several members of Prof. Dewey's family.
The next morning, in Prof. Dewey's front yard, in what is said
to have been the only position from which the light that had been seen in the
room, the night before, could have been reflected, was found a substance
"unlike anything before observed by anyone who saw it." It was a
bowl-shaped object, about 8 inches in diameter, and one inch thick. Bright
buff-colored, and having upon it a "fine nap." Upon removing this
covering, a buff-colored, pulpy substance of the consistency of soft-soap, was
found -- "of an offensive, suffocating smell."
A few minutes of exposure to the air changed the buff color to
"a livid color resembling venous blood." It absorbed moisture quickly
from the air and liquified. For som |
