Last updated: August 7, 2023. - Fortean Notes

1839 to 1840

1839:

1839 / Nor. Car / Siderite found on Black Mt / See 1882. / See Am. J. Sci 2-4-82. / 15 miles from Asheville—also another 6 miles N of Asheville / See Am J Sci 1/36/81 / 2/4/79. / For all, N. Car., see "1882". [II; 1. Shepard, Charles Upham. "On Meteoric Iron from Ashville, Buncombe county, N.C." American Journal of Science, 36 (1839): 81-84. Shepard, Charles Upham. "Report on Meteorites." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 4 (1847): 74-87, at 79 and 82. See: 1882, (V; 784).]

1839 / Sunderland / Polt and a sick girl / Jour Soc. 9-28. [A; 132. “Correspondence.” Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 9 (February 1899): 22-32, at 28. Clanny, William Reid. A Faithful Record of the Miraculous Case of Mary Jobson. Sunderland, England: M. Atkinson, 1841. 2nd ed. London: J.R. Smith, 1841. Howitt, William. The History of the Supernatural.... London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts & Green, 1863, v. 2, 450-451. "Dr. Clanny and Mary Jobson." Monthly Chronicle of North-Country Lore and Legend, 1 (October, 1887): 369-373. "Years afterwards, a gentleman called upon Mary Jobson, then a married woman, the wife of a respetable manufacturer in Nile Street, Sunderland, wit the design of satisfying himself as to the alleged facts from her own mouth. He found her exceedingly disinclined to enter into the subject, and particularly anxious that no further publicity should be given to the case, which it was quite plain called up most painful recollections in her mind. It is scarcely necessary to add that Mary Jobson had no 'supernatural gifts' or 'manifestations' vouchsafed to her subsequent to 1840."]

1839 / Spon Comb / Belgium. * [A; 134.]

1839 and 1840 or 40-41 / Beast / Scotland / 171. [A; 133.]

1839 Jan to Feb / Great q's / China / BA '11. [II; 2. A class III earthquake. Milne, 706 .]

1839 Jan to Feb / China / III. [II; 3. A class III earthquake. Milne, 706.]

1839 Jan 1 / Vesuvius / early in morning / ceased in evening, but again on 2nd. On 3rd, quieter until evening. / Timbs 1839-230. [II; 4. "Ætna and Vesuvius." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1839, 230. The Vesuvius volcano.]

1839 Jan 2 / See Jan 1, 1842. [II; 5. See: 1842 Jan 1, (II; 421).]

1839 Jan 2 / N.M. / See 1840 Jan 2. / Unusual Quadrantids / E Mec 74-446. [II; 6. Henry, John R. "The Quadrantid Meteors." English Mechanic, 74 (1902): 446. See: 1840 Jan 2, (II; 145).]

1839 Jan 2 / Attention first drawn to Quadrantids / Nature 65-199. [II; 7. Henry, John R. "The Quadrantid Meteors." Nature, 65 (January 2, 1902): 198-199. "In the year 1839 Herrick drew attention to the recurring character of a meteor shower on January 2. A stimulus was given in the same direction when in 1839 Quetelet published hus valuable contribution to meteoric literature in his 'Catalogue des Principales Apparitions d'Etoiles Filantes,' in which were cited two instances when meteors were reported to have been unusually numerous on the morning of January 2, viz. in 1835 and 1838."]

1839 Jan. 2 / At Bossekop, Finland, a great number of mets and a magnificent aurora. Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. 13-501. [II; 8. Kirkwood, Daniel. "On the Meteors of January 2nd." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 13 (1873): 501-502.]

1839 Jan 6 / Milan / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 9. Greg, 76.]

1839 Jan 6 / —Milan / 12—Parma / 6—Parma / fireball / BA 60-76. [II; 10. Greg, 76.]

1839 Jan. 11 / Destructive q. / St. Lucia, W. Indies / BA 1911-55. [II; 11. A class II earthquake. Milne, 706. Turner, H.H., et al. "Seismological Investigations." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1911, 30-67, at 55.]

1839 Jan 11 / Martinique / Guadloupe / St Lucia / II. [II; 12. A class II earthquake. Milne, 706.]

1839 Jan 11 / ab 5 a.m. / q / Martinique/ and island enveloped in clouds. "Might been clouds of dust from falling houses." / BA 54. [II; 13. Mallet, 281. Not a correct quotation: "Perhaps this cloud may have arisen only from the falling houses, which are said to have sent up a vast cloud of dust."]

1839 Jan 12 / Feb 6 / May 7 / July 6 / Aug 13 / Sep 3 / Nov 6 / Nov 10 / Fireball / Parma / Rept BA 1860. [II; 14. Greg, 76.]

1839 Jan 12 / Parma / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 15. Greg, 76.]

1839 / about / See back '38. / [illustration] / (S) / India / 136. [II; 16. Pabst reports that the original note is missing, but an illustration of it is in The Fortean, (no. 15, p. 229). See “back” to: "1838 about / India"; (I; 2281).]

1839 Jan 14 / 9 p.m. / Upper Assam—q preceded by rain and snow in mts. / BA '11. [II; 17. Mallet, 281, (not Milne, in "BA '11").]

1839 Jan 19 / Remarkable aurora, Dublin / Athenaeum 1839-228. [II; 18. "Aurora Borealis." Athenæum, 1839 (no. 595; March 23): 228. "Rev. H. Lloyd, V.P., read a 'Note of Observations made during the remarkable Aurora of the 19th inst."Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 1 (January 28, 1839): 254-260.]

1839 Feb to March / Smaller qs / China / I. [II; 19. A class I earthquake. Milne, 706.]

1839 Feb. 2 / dust / 21.14 N. / 25.6 W / Fall of dust that "certainly was not sand, but was like volc. ashes. / Proc. Geolog. Soc., 4-146 / and Tasmanian Journal, 1-333. [II; 20. Clarke, William Branwhite. "On Showers of Ashes which fell at Sea, off the Cape de Verde Islands." Proceedings of the Geological Society of London, 3 (1839): 145-146, at 145; (this article appears on a page labelled "Vol. IV" with the session of November 6, 1839). Clarke, William Branwhite. "On the occurrence of Atmospheric Deposits of Dust and Ashes; with Remarks on the Drift Pumice of the Coasts of New Holland." Tasmanian journal of natural science..., 1 (1842): 321-342, at 333-334. "On the 5th, the air became somewhat clearer; but every spot in the ship or rigging which could afford a lodgment was covered with red powder, which gave a peculiar hue to the sails that continued for many weeks. I had the fore-top-sail swept at the time, and collected much of the powder; it was certainly not sand, but it reminded me strongly of the Vesuvian ashes from Pompeii, except in colour."]

1839 Feb 4 / Off Cape Verde Islands, on a ship fell a reddish brown powder which resembled ashes from Vesuvius "and evidently was not sand blown from" an African desert. / Arcana of Science 1840-250. [II; 21. "Showers of Ashes." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1840, 250-251.  "...Evidently was not sand blown from the African deserts."]

1839 Feb 6 / Parma / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 22. Greg, 76.]

1839 Feb. 7 / night / near Bakou, in the Caucasus / q and an eruption of flames—mud / BA 54. [II; 23. Mallet, 281.]

1839 Feb 9 to 13 / Dust fell on another ship west of Cape Verde Islands. / Nautical Magazine, May, 1839. [II; 24. "Dust at Sea." Nautical Magazine, 8 (May, 1839): 364. An extract from the Journal of Captain J.W. Hayward of the Brig Garland: "The air during these five days has been full of a fine dust of a red colour which has lodged on our sails and rigging making every thing appear rusty. The nearest land, Cape Verd Islands, on the 9th, distant 450 miles; and on the 14th 850 miles." "On falls of Dust on Vessels traversing the Atlantic." Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 31 (1841): 134-136, at 134. "Staubwehen auf dem Atlantischen Ocean." Heinrich Berghaus's Almanach, den Freunden der Erdkunde gewidmet, 5 (1841): 177-180, at 178. A month earlier, on January 14 and 15, north of the Cape Verde, the Princess Louisa reported its sails yellow with fine sand.]

1839 Feb. 13 / (F) / A. J. Sci 37-385 / Metite / Little Piney, Mo. / 37-55'N 92-5 W / bet 3 and 4 p.m. / motion almost precisely westward / almost as if from same place as Tenn and Georgia mets, 1827 and 29. [II; 25. Fletcher, 100. This is the Little Piney meteorite. Herrick, Edward Claudius. "Fall of a Meteorite in Missouri, February 13, 1839." American Journal of Science, 37 (1839): 385-386. Greg, 76.]

1839 Feb 25 / 7 a.m. / Borgotaro, Tuscany / q preceded by a very loud noise / BA 54. [II; 26. Mallet, 281.]

1839 Feb 27 to June 16 / q and fog / Saint Jean de Maurienne / 76 q's. / CR 9/486 / Sometimes preceded by a rolling sound said been subterranean. In strongest qs the atmosphere obscured by a kind of fog of short duration. [II; 27. Miottard. "Tremblements de terre ressentis à Saint-Jean de Maurienne, en 1839." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839): 486.]

1839 early in March / Light / Amsterdam, N.Y. / See Aug 22, 1883. [A; 135. See: 1883 Aug 22, (B; 534).]

1839 March 11 / Op Mars / (Al). [A; 136. Opposition of Mars. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1839, 544.]

[1839 March 22 /]1839 [June] / Salvador / III / ab June / ? / Look up. [II; 52. A class III earthquake. Milne, 706.]

1839 March 23 / Burmah / Great q. Vast quantities of water and black sand thrown out of fissures. Volcanic eruptions in hills south of Kyouk Phyoo / slight tremblings then for a year / BA 54. [II; 28. Mallet, 283.]

1839 March 23 / —Apr 11, still more shocks / bet 3 and 4 a.m. / Ava, Burmah / great q. / A J. Sci 38-385 / Great quantities of water and black sand thrown to surface of ground and strong sulphurous odor. Apr 11th, last news received by the writer. / BA '11. [II; 29.1, 29.2. A class III earthquake. Milne, 706. "Great Earthquake in Burmah." American Journal of Science, 38 (1839-1840): 385-387.]

1839 March 25 / Volc / Ternate / Java / N.M. / C.R. 70-878. [II; 30. Backer, 881. The Gamalama volcano.]

1839 March 26 / Isère, France / shocks preceded by sound like distant thunder / BA 54. [II; 31. Mallet, 283.]

1839 Ap. 5 / Florence / 5 p.m. / q preceded by very loud sound. Then the sky became clouded. / BA 54. [II; 32. Mallet, 284.]

1839 [Ap 8] / q / Highlands / [LT], Ap 8-5-f / Crieff—May 29-4-e / Glengarry—Ap. 2-6-f / Bridgwater—June 11-7-a. [II; 33. "The following account of the recent earthquake that took place in the highlands of Scotland...." London Times, April 8, 1839, p. 5 c. 6. "Earthquake at Crieff." London Times, May 29, 1839, p. 4 c. 5. "Earthquake." London Times, April 2, 1839, p. 6  c. 6. "We learn from a correspondent...." London Times, June 11, 1839, p. 7 c. 1.]

1839 Ap. 12 / Rain of mud / Constantine, Algeria / CR 8-715 / See 14. [II; 34. "M. Berthier est prié de vouloir bien examiner...." Comptes Rendus, 8 (1839): 715.]

1839 Ap 12 / Algeria / q and sand / Finely powdered substance fell in Algeria. Upon 14th, a q. / C.R. 8-715, 763 / Philippesville / R-May 16, '46. [II; 35. "M. Berthier est prié de vouloir bien examiner...." Comptes Rendus, 8 (1839): 715. "M. le D'Guyon adresse deux lettres d'Alger, relativement au tremblement de terre...." Comptes Rendus, 8 (1839): 763. Reference to May 16, 1846. Fournet, Joseph Jean Baptiste Xavier. "Sur les Pluies de Terre Observées Depuis Quel-ques Années dans le Bassin du Rhone." Mémoires de l'Académie des sciences, belles-lettres et arts de Lyon. Classe des Sciences, s. 2 v. 13 (1863): 185-245, at 214.]

1839 Ap 13 / Storm in Algeria / fall of hail or pieces of ice, described as falling in irregular masses / CR 8-763. [II; 36. "M. le D'Guyon adresse deux lettres d'Alger, relativement au tremblement de terre...." Comptes Rendus, 8 (1839): 763.]

1839 Ap 14 / q and sand / q in Algeria / ab 2 p.m. [II; 37. "M. le D'Guyon adresse deux lettres d'Alger, relativement au tremblement de terre...." Comptes Rendus, 8 (1839): 763.]

1839 / last of May / Dragon-flies / Germany / Mag Nat Hist, N.S., vol. 3 / See Weissenborn. [II; 38. Weissenborn, W. "Great Migration of Dragon-flies observed in Germany." Magazine of Natural History, n.s., 3 (1839): 516-518.]

1839 May 2 / [L.T.], 6-d / 3 clusters of sunspots. [II; 39. "Spots on the Sun's Disc." London Times, May 2, 1839, p. 6 c. 4.]

1839 May 5 / bet 11 and 12 / Aurora / few details / Nottingham / LT, May 13-5-b. [II; 40. "On Sunday night last...." London Times, May 13, 1839, p. 5 c. 2.]

1839 May 5 / Brussels / Aurora / C.R. 8-807. [II; 41. "Aurores Boréales." Comptes Rendus, 8 (1839): 807.]

1839 May 7 / Parma / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 42. Greg, 76.]

1839 May 7 / Saint-Brice / Aurora / C.R. 8-807. [II; 43. "Aurores Boréales." Comptes Rendus, 8 (1839): 807.]

1839 May 8 / near Radham / Lum obj. / See Lum objs. [A; 137. See: Lum / Invs, (SF-IV; 35).]

1839 May 16 / Wld man of the year 1836. [A; 138.]

[1839 May 18. Wrong date; see: 1832 May 18, (II; 44).]

1839 [May] / Felt-like substance / Carolath, Silesia / D-58. [II; 45. The note copies information from page 58 of The Book of the Damned. "Humboldt's Kosmos." Edinburgh Review, 87 (January, 1848): 170-229, at 193. "Mr. Lloyd exhibited to the meeting a specimen...."Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 1 (December 9, 1839): 379-381. "Mr. Lloyd exhibited to the meeting a specimen of a remarkable substance recently found in the principality of Carolath, In Silesia. It formed part of a cloth of 200 square feet in surface now in the possession of the King of Prussia. No description of this substance has yet been published; but Major Sabine and Mr. Lloyd were informed by Baron Humboldt (by whom the present specimen was kindly given) that M. Ehrenberg had examined it microscopically, and had found it to be an organic substance, consisting partly of vegetable and partly of animal matter; —the vegetable component being the conferva rivularis, the animal different species of Infusoria, of the family known by the name of Bacillaria." Ehrenberg had noted that other specimens were known as "Meteor-paper," having been seen to fall in flakes and with some pieces found "as large as a table." "Dr. Robinson presented a specimen of Meteor Paper...." Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 1 (June 8, 1840): 454. Another specimen was presented to the Accademy that was found in Gloucestershire, "last Spring," (1839). "The tract of country between Lesblade and Farringdom is flooded by the Isis every Spring, but not more than usually this season. When the waters subsided, the surface of the ground was covered with this substance to such an extent as to make its removal and destruction necessary to permit the growth of the grass; some of the pieces covering ten and twelve acres in continuous and unbroken sheets. Nothing of the kind had been noticed before by the oldest farmers. Portions of it were found on land which had not been under water. It is denser than any which Dr. Robinson had seen, and contains a larger proportion of the shields of Infursoria; but the tissue is composed chiefly of the conferva rivularis."]

1839 May 22 / ab 11 a.m. / Bridgwater / loud report and shock / L.T., June 11-7-a. [II; 46. "We learn from a correspondent...." London Times, June 11, 1839, p. 7 c. 1.]

1839 May 23 / afternoon / Maumee, Ohio / Tornado / Finley's Rept. [II; 47. Finley, 3.]

1839 May 24 / [L.T.]. 7-a / At Vendome, France, few days before, fall of a "waterspout". On one farm, 60 sheep drowned. [II; 48. "A waterspout fell near Vendome...." London Times, May 24, 1839, p. 7 c. 1. "A farmer at Courtalin had sixty sheep drowned in their pens in the farmyard...."]

1839 June 6 / 8:30 p.m. / (Fr) / Cambrai / Evreux / Chambéry / Geneva / Lausanne / great met / CR 9-139 / Paris—279. [II; 49. "Météorologie." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839): 139. Fravient. "Bolide du 22 juillet 1839." Comptes Rendus,  9 (1839): 279-280. Greg, 77.]

1839 June 7 / 2 a.m. / Explosive sound and q / Meleda / BA '54/284 / But see June 7, 1838. [II; 50. Mallet, 285. See: 1838 June 7, (I; 2314).]

1839 June 10 / Ica, Peru / I. [II; 51. A class I earthquake. Milne, 706.]

[1839 [June]. Wrong date. See: 1839 March 22, (II; 52).]

1839 June 11 / q / Lancashire / See March 10, 1843. / At Manchester / Lloyds Weekly Newspaper, March 19, 1843. [II; 53. “Rochdale.” Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, March 19, 1843, p. 2 c. 5. Milne, David. "Notices of Earthquake-Shocks felt in Great Britain...." Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 31 (1841): 92-122, at 122.]

1839 June 12 / 8:15 a.m./ q and sound like thunder / Lancashire / Roper, p. 34. [II; 54. Roper, 34.]

1839 June 16 / Mexico / q and mets / BA 54. [II; 55. Mallet, 285.]

1839 June 16 to Dec. / (+) / (successive) / (See Nov. 29.) / in Savoy / qs and one with light in sky / BA '54. [II; 56. Mallet, 285. (Dates: July 13, (286); ??? Fix.) See: 1839 Nov. 29, (II; 135).]

1839 June 18 / Ice and dark / Brussels / D-180. [II; 57. The note copies information from page 180 of The Book of the Damned. Flammarion, Nicholas Camille. James Glaisher, ed. The Atmosphere. New York: Harper, 1874, 396.]

1839 / (summer) / W + summer / Proc Roy Soc London 1850-15a. [II; 58. Howard, Luke. "On the Wet Summer of 1839." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 4 (1837-1843): 203.]

1839 June 28 and 29 / Saratof Govern., Russia / II. [II; 59. A class II earthquake. Milne, 706.]

1839 July 5 / [LT], 7-c / Locusts at Clunie, Perthshire / L.T. [II; 60. "Singular Insects." London Times, July 5, 1839, p. 7 c. 3. “Locusts.” Perthshire Courier, June 27, 1839, p. 3 c. 3. “A considerable deal of gossip has taken place in this district, in consequence of the arrival last week at Clunie, of a swarm of gigantic insects, which, those who have been in warmer climes, pronounce to be locusts. The animals are from an inch to an inch and a-half long, double winged, with a number antennæ about the head, and resemble much the large moth. Whether locusts not, they are most voracious devourers, and seem to possess the powers of multiplication to an astonishing degree.— The tree on which they alighted has been cut down, and every precaution taken to destroy themselves and their eggs. A few are preserved by the curious and are to be submitted to an Entymologist, so that next week we may be able to give them their proper appellation.”]

1839 July 6 / Parma / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 61. Greg, 77.]

1839 July 7 / Arundel, Sussex / Shower of pieces of ice four or five inches in diameter enclosing hailstones. / LT, July 12-7-d. [II; 62. "Arundel.—Extraordinary Shower of Ice." London Times, July 12, 1839, p. 7 c. 4.]

1839 July 13 / Mexico / q and mets / BA 54. [II; 63. Mallet, 286. Galeotti, H. "Sur les tremblements de terre et les étoiles filantes." Bulletins de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 8 pt. 2 (1841): 437-441, at 441.]

1839 July 24 / Near coast of Lincolnshire—a cutter ran into numerous belts as far as eye could reach of Aphides. / Sci Gos 1869. [II; 64. Southwell, Thomas. "Insect Visitation." Science Gossip, 5 (no. 58; October 1, 1869): 231-232, at 232.]

1839 July 28 / Iceland / Smithsonian Inst Rept 1885-510. [II; 65. "Volcanic Eruptions and Earthquakes in Iceland within Historic Times." Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian, 1885, 495-541, at 510.]

1839 July 31 / noon / New Haven, Conn / Tornado / Finley's Rept. [II; 66. Finley, 3.]

1839 Aug 2 / q—drought / violent shocks at Martinique / Had been drought since January. Immediately after shock came rain which continued for days. [II; 67. Mallet, 286.]

1839 Aug. / Maximum of Perseids / Observatory 46-169. [II; 68. Denning, William Frederick. "Meteor Notes." Observatory, 46 (1923): 169-170.]

1839 Aug 9, 10 / Great fall of Perseids / N.Q. 3-11-32 / N.M. [II; 69. Wait, Seth. "Falling Stars." Notes and Queries, s. 3 v. 11 (January 12, 1867): 32.]

1839 Aug 10, etc. / Great Perseids at Paris / 1000 in about 4 1/2 hours / C.R. 9/375. At Parma, night 10-11, 819 in 6 1/2 hours / also great in U.S. / C.R. 9-603. [II; 70. "Étoiles filantes de la nuit du 10 août." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839): 375. These "1000" observations came from Naples, (not from Paris). "Étoiles filantes." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839): 603.]

1839 Aug 10 / from 9:30 to 3:15 a.m. / at Breslau / 1008 meteors counted / L.T., Sept 2-2-f. [II; 71. "Falling Stars (Breslaw)." London Times, September 2, 1839, p. 2 c. 6.]

1839 Aug 10 / Perseids / A. J. Sci 37-330. [II; 72. Herrick, Edward Claudius. "Report on the Shooting Stars of August 9th and 10th, 1839, with other facts relating to the frequent occurrence of a meteoric display in August." American Journal of Science, 37 (1839): 325-338.]

1839 Aug 11 / 8 to 4 a.m. of 12th / at Canton, China / 414 meteors / Athenaeum 1840/578. [II; 73. "Annual fall of Meteors." Athenæum, 1840 (no. 664; July 18): 578.]

1839 Aug 12 / Swarms of Harpalus / near Dover / Trans Ent Soc London / 1/5/proc. p. 24. [II; 74. "6th September, 1847." Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, s. 1 v. 5 (1847-1849): Proceedings, 22-25, at 24, (xxiv). "Some notes were read by Mr. [John Obadiah] Westwood on the atmospherical peculiarities oserved during the occurrence of the swarms of Coccinellidae on the 12th and 13th August lkast, and on a swarm of Harpalidae, observed on the evening of the 12th, near Dover...." Müller, Albert. "On the dispersal of non-migrating insects by atmospheric agencies." Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, 1871, 175-186, at 180.]

1839 Aug 18 / Irkutsk, Siberia / III. [II; 75. A class III earthquake. Milne, 706.]

1839 Aug 21 / [LT], 4-a / Mets. [II; 76. "Falling Stars." London Times, August 21, 1839, p. 4 c. 4.]

1839 Aug 23 / [LT], 3-f / Village of Federowk moved as if by a q. [II; 77. "Saratoff, July 10." London Times, August 23, 1839, p. 3 c. 6. The village of Fedorovka, near Syzran, (Samara Oblast), Russia, suffered a landslip over a period of three days, beginning on June 18, over an area "one mile and a-half long and 250 fathoms broad."]

1839 Aug 24 / d'Auge. France / M. Lemercier, in C.R., 9/375 / Seeming great motion of Venus or Mercury. [II; 78. "Note de M. Lemercier...." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839): 375-376.]

1839 Aug 26 / Coast of Albania / 9 p.m. / great met and train, 20 mins / A. J. Sci 39-381. [II; 79. "Most Brilliant Meteor." American Journal of Science, 39 (1840): 381. Greg, 77.]

1839 Aug 27-31 / See 1805. / about 1 p.m. on 27 / Messina / a q at 5 and 8 p.m. / other q's / and at 9:30 p.m. at moment of the concussions, a reddish tint in the air—same day and until 31st in Calabria. [II; 80. Galli, Ignazio. "Raccolta e classificazione di fenomeni luminosi osservati nei terremoti." Bollettino della Società Sismologica Italiana, 14 (1910): 221-448, at 356-357. See: 1805 July 26, (I; 146). Mallet, 287. A class I earthquake. Milne, 706.]

1839 Aug 30 / Sunspot observed by Capt Davis / N.M. / Ast Reg 7-18. [II; 81. Walker, George James. A List of Anniversaries of Remarkable Astronomical Discoveries and Occurrences.... London: n.p., 1869, 17. Walker's book has been found appended to some of the volumes 6 and  7 of the Astronomical Register. "Schreiben des Herrn Majors Davis an den Herausgeber." Astronomische Nachrichten, 18 (1841): 65-66. Guillemin, Amédée. Lockyer, Norman, ed. The Heavens: An Illustrated Handbook of Popular Astronomy. 2nd ed. London: R. Bentley, 1867, 36, (figure 10, "Enormous Sun-spots"). Henry S. Davis was a captain in the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot, (which he later commanded); and, while at Armagh, in the summer of 1839, he drew a few sketches of a large cluster of sunspots, with the assistance of  Thomas Romney Robinson and the instruments at the Armagh Observatory. He died in 1851.]  

1839 Sept / Comet reported near sun, in Ohio / L.T., Oct 8-8-a. [II; 82. "A Comet." London Times, October 8, 1839, p. 8 c. 1. "A beautiful comet may be seen at this time in the West, just after sunset. It may be easily found, being immediately below the planet Jupiter. Its brillancy much exceeds that of any comet heretofore known." The "comet" reported by a correspondent to the Cleveland Herald might only have been the star Spica, (Alpha Virginis), which would have been under Jupiter after sunset and after Venus had disappeared under the horizon.]

1839 Sept 1 / 1 a.m. / Shock / Bristol / L.T., 9-3-d. [II; 83. "A very smart shock of an earthquake...." London Times, September 9, 1839, p. 3 c. 4. Milne, David. "Notices of Earthquake-Shocks felt in Great Britain...." Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 31 (1841): 92-122, at 122.]

1839 Sept. 2, etc. / Many sunspots. A large cluster and 40 or 50 small spots appeared on 3rd. / L.T., Oct 12-3-d. [II; 84. "The Solar Spots." London Times, October 12, 1839, p. 3 c. 4.]

1839 Sept 2 / Bristol, 1 a.m. / S. Wales—q next night bet 11 and 12 great aurora (q and torrents) / LT—9-3-d / Times of 11th reported from Monmouthshire—had been stormy—rain falling in torrents—then violent shaking of earth and sound as if reports of many cannon. [II; 85.1, 85.2. "A very smart shock of an earthquake...." London Times, September 9, 1839, p. 3 c. 4. "A considerable portion of Monmouthshire...." London Times, September 11, 1839, p. 6 c. 6.]

1839 Sept. 2 / [LT], 2-f / Mets at Breslau. [II; 86. "Falling Stars (Breslaw)." London Times, September 2, 1839, p. 2 c. 6.]

1839 Sept 3 / Auroral beam / A. J. Sci 39/364. [II; 87. "Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia." American Journal of Science, 39 (1840): 361-373, at 364-366. "Stated Meeting, October 18." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1 (1838-1840): 126-136, at 132-134.]

1839 Sept 3 / This aurora seen at New Orleans. / CR 9/603. [II; 88. "Aurores Boréales." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839): 602-603, at 603.]

1839 Sept 3 / Aurora / Edinburgh / whole sky aflame / NM / LT, Sept 7-4-f. [II; 89. "The 'Aurora Borealis'...." London Times, September 7, 1839 p. 4 c. 6. "The 'Aurora Borealis' was remarkably vivid and magnificent in the formament on Tuesday night, presenting one vast shifting flame of light from the northern to the southern horizon.—Edinburgh Scottish Pilot."]

1839 Sept 3-4 / from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. / Sheets of fire and meteors / Year Book 1840. [II; 90. "August and September Asteroids." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1840, 268-270, at 270.]

1839 Sept 4 / 1 a.m. / Piedmont / at Alexandria, Sept 3-4, from 10 p.m., all night / brilliant aurora / C.R. 9/374. [II; 91. "Météorologie." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839):]

1839 Sept 5 / In a field near Peterborough fell a fireball, making a hole a foot deep. / L.T. 9-6-c. [II; 92. "On Thursday a fire ball fell...." London Times, September 9, 1839, p. 6 c. 3. "On Thursday a fire ball fell in a field adjoining the city of Peterborough, belonging to Mr. Tavernor, and, passing completely through a stack of hay, entered the earth under it, leaving a hole nearly a foot wide. The hay was much scorched.—Lincolnshire Chronicle." "Peterborough." Lincolnshire Chronicle, September 6, 1839, p. 3 c. 2. "Last week, a fire-ball fell perpendicularly into a field of Mr. Core's, a short distance from Mr. Taverner's barn; after passing through a stack of wheat...."]

1839 Sept 10 / Fall River. / Clear star-lighted night. Two black columns at first supp. be smoke rising and toward each other northeast, other southeast. Streamer shot from them. They obscured stars. / LT, Oct 9-5-c. [II; 93. "A Black Borealis." London Times, October 9, 1839, p. 5 c. 3. “A Black Borealis.” Hartford Courant, September 20, 1839, p. 2 c. 4. “Night before last the heavens presented a very unusual appearance. It was a clear starlight, when a black column began to ascend in the southwest, and northeast, directly opposite to each other. The one in the south was at first supposed to be a column of smoke, but it soon began to branch off, and the streamers shot off and varied their position in the usual way, only they were black, and so dense as to obscure the stars over which they passed. They stretched away from the opposite columns, so that about ten o'clock in the evening, they met in the east. We never before have seen or heard of a black Aurora Borealis.”]

1839 Sept. 10 / Ghent / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 94. Greg, 77.]

1839 / [Sept 17] / spider / Letter dated Sept 17, from Sikkur, on Indus, tells of descent of a large cloud of spiders and their webs. "Maze within maze[,] and fold within fold, an innumerable host of spiders" The morning was somewhat dark—there was distant rumbling of thunder. / "Mirror" 35-47. [II; 95.1, 95.2. "Descent of Spiders." The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, 35, no. 987 (January 18, 1840): 47. "Descent of Spiders." Asiatic Journal and Monthly Miscellany, s. 2 v. 31 pt. 2 (January 1840): 41. "I was taking a stroll into the fields, when I found myself suddenly covered with a whole host of small and large spiders. On looking about, I observed that I was standing in the midst of a large cloud of these animals, who appeared descending in a filmy web of no small dimensions from the upper regions. Having extricated myself with some difficulty from their embraces, I took a position from whence I could see about me, without being annoyed by them, and, to my astonishment, I beheld descending, maze within maze, and fold within fold, an innumerable host of spiders, all suspended and dancing on the numberless tiny threads, which were at times seen to glance, in every variety of shade, amid the beams of the rising sun. The morning was somewhat dark and louring, and the stilness was now and then broken by some distant rumblings of thunder."]

1839 Sept. 20 / Fish, small space / India / D-84. [II; 96. The note copies information from page 84 of The Book of the Damned. Buist, George. "Showers of fish." Living Age, 52 (1857): 186. "On the 20th of September, 1839, after a smart shower of rain, a quantity of live fish, about three inches in length, and all of the same kind, fell on the Sunderbunds, about twenty miles south of Calcutta. On this occasion, it was remarked that the fish did not fall here and there irregularly over the ground, but in a continuous straight line, not more than a span in breadth." "Fall of Fish." Asiatic Journal, s. 2, 28 (1839): 78. (Quotes: Calcutta Courier, September 24. @ U of Wash, Seattle & BL on microfilm.)]

1839 Sept 28 / [L.T.], [6-c or e] / High Tide / Havre / 14-4-a / Ireland. [II; 97. "The Journal du Havre states that the tide of Tuesday...." London Times, September 28, 1839, p. 6 c. 5. "We stop the press to announce the effect of an extraordinary spring tide...." London Times, September 14, 1839, p. 4 c. 1.]

1839 Oct / Comrie / See Ap. 30, 1921. [II; 98.]

1839 Oct / Comrie / See Aug 21, 1845. [II; 99. See: 1845 Aug 21, (II; 861).]

1839 Oct / Comrie and Venus Inf. conjunction Sun / May 7, 1865. [II; 100. See: 1865 May 7, (III: 700 and 701).]

1839 Oct 2 / Vulcan by De Cuppis / round black object that traversed the sun in 6 hours / C.R. 83-314. [II; 101. "M. Decuppis annonce...." Comptes Rendus, 8 (1839): 809. LeVerrier, Urbain Jean Joseph. "Examen des observations qu'on a présentées, à diverses époques, comme pouvant appartenir aux passages d'une planète intra-mercurielle devant le disque du Soleil." Comptes Rendus, 83 (September 18, 1876): 583-589, 621-624, 647-650, 719-723; at 622.]

[1839 Oct 4 /] 1839 Oct 23 / See BA 54 for series this year at St Jean de Maurienne, Savoy. [II; 117. Mallet, 288 & 291. "During this period forty-nine principal shocks were felt, and many more indistinct ones which were not recorded." Billiet, Alexis. "Notice sur les Tremblements de Terre que l'on Éprouvé dans la Province de Maurienne dupuis le 19 décembre jusqu'an 18 mars 1840." Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze di Torino, s. 2 v. 2 (1840): lv-lxx.]

1839 Oct 5 / 14 h / Venus Inf conjunction Sun / (Al). [II; 102. Inferior conjunction of Venus. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1839, 547.]

1839 Oct 6 / noon / Constantine, Algeria / rain from clear sky / C.R. 44-786. [II; 103. Phipson, Thomas Lamb. "Sur quelques phénomènes météorologiques observés sur le littoral de la Flandre occidentale." Comptes Rendus, 44 (1857): 784-787, at 786.]

1839 Oct 12 / Comrie. [II; 104.]

1839 Oct 18 / Intense darkness / Quebec / Niles Nat Register, Nov 16, 1839 / [N.M.]. [II; 105. "Chronicle." Niles' Weekly Register, 47 (November 16, 1839): 192, c.v. Darkness at Quebec—singular phenomenon. See: 1819 Nov. 9, (I; 760).]

1839 Oct. 20 / Vulcan? [II; 106. Possibly the wrong date. See: 1839 Oct 2, (II; 101).]

1839 Oct 21 and 22 / Prolonged but very slight shocks / island of Antigua / BA-54. [II; 107. Mallet, 288.]

1839 Oct 21-26 / 62 shocks / Reggio, Calabria / BA , '54 / of which 26 were severe. [II; 108. Mallet, 289.]

1839 Oct 22 / Aurora seen at Milan. / L.T., Nov 5-3-f. [II; 109. "The aurora borealis of the 22d ult...." London Times, November 5, 1839, p. 3 c. 6.]

1839 Oct 22 / L.T., 4-d / at this date / N. eye group of sunspots. [II; 110. "Spots on the Sun." London Times, October 22, 1839, p. 4 c. 4.]

1839 Oct 22 / [LT] 4-e / 24-4-f / De Cuppis' dark body denied / said had been sunspots. [II; 111. "Spots on the Sun." London Times, October 22, 1839, p. 4 c. 4. "Spots on the Sun." London Times, October 24, 1839, p. 4 c. 6. Citing Galinani's Messenger: "The perfectly round figure of this spot, its blackness, the small ness of its diameter, its motion, and the absence of penumbra, appeared to the observer to be so many proofs that it was a small lane hitherto undiscovered which was passing over the sun's disc." The Times, cites the previous article regarding spots visible to the naked eye, with the aid of "a smoked or dark glass," writes: "The 'discovery' of the glasses is no discovery at all, and the 'small planet,' which the Italian astronomer has found, will prove a mare's nest."]

1839 Oct 22 / France and Italy / Aurora / C.R. 9/538, 602 / 18/228. [II; 112. "Aurore boréale du 22 octobre 1839." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839): 538-539. "Aurores boréales." Comptes Rendus, 9 (1839): 602-603. "Dans la même Lettre...." Comptes Rendus, 18 (1844): 228.]

1839 Oct 23 / Pointed out in L.T., Dec 11, that shocks at Comrie were same time as shocks in St Jean de Maurienne and at Reggio. [II; 113. "From notices in our papers...." London Times, December 11, 1839, p. 3 c. 2. "It is worthy of notice, that the three localities, Perthshire, Savoy, and Calabria Ultra, are ranged nearly n a straight line, and that the chief seat of the movement in each case was in a primary region, for St. Jean de Maurienne and Reggio are in districts of primary rocks, as well as Comrie. The distance from Comrie to Reggio is 1,550 English miles, or 1-1th part of the earth's circumference." “Earthquakes.” Scotsman, November 27, 1839, p. 2 c. 7. “Earthquakes.” Scotsman, December 4, 1839, p. 2 c. 7.]

1839 Oct / A / Am J. Sci 2/7/315. [II; 114. Ross, James Clark. "Notice of, and citations from a Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions, during the years 1839-43." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 7 (1849): 313-329, at 315. The aurora was observed at Madeira.]

1839 Oct 23 / Edin 34/97 / That in Sept and Oct had been uncommonly brilliant aurora[s]. "They had a curious fiery colour." / Many felt electric shock. There were other shocks. Mr. Milne in his review in vol 25, "This aerial sound was perceived to accomp[any] most of the other shocks in October 1839. [II; 115. Milne, David. "Notices of Earthquake-Shocks felt in Foreign countries, and in Britain." Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 34 (1843): 85-106, at 97-98.]

1839 Oct 23 / q felt simultaneously / Comrie / Piedmont / Calabria / LT, Dec 5, 1840. [II; 116. "We have again a remarkable example of the coincident occurrence of earthquakes...." London Times, December 5, 1840, p. 3 c. 3.]

[1839 Oct 23. Wrong date. See: 1839 Oct 4, (II; 117).]

1839 Oct 23 / Comrie / A thin, fleecy cloud was often observed hovering over the center of disturbance. / BA-54. [II; 118. Mallet, 289-291.]

1839 Oct 23 / In Rept B. Assoc 1840, Milne says in review of phe since 1788 "Occasionally there was a fall of fine black powder." [II; 119. Milne, David. "On Earthquakes in Scotland." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1840, Notices and Abstracts, 97.]

1839 Oct 23 / Aurora borealis and shooting stars in Scotland were more frequent than usually in Sept and Oct. / BA 54/289. [II; 120. Mallet, 289.]

1839 Oct 29 / Comrie / Sound and Etna / Ap. 13, 1822 / Etna = etc. [II; 121 .See: 1822 April 13, (I; 944).]

1839 Oct / Comrie / Stone in Perth / May 17, 1830. [II; 122. See: 1830 May 17, (I; 1553).]

1839 Oct / Comrie / q / loud sound at Blackford / Oct 30, 1821. [II; 123. See: 1821 Oct 30, (I; 897).]

1839 Oct / Comrie to distant / May 11, 1877. [II; 124. See: 1877 May 11, (IV; 2096).]

1839 Oct / Comrie to Turkey / July 12 - 1894. [II; 125. See: 1894 July 12, (VII; 1058).]

1839 Oct / Comrie as sounding board or Comrie to Distant / May 11, 1877 / Collecting begins here. [II; 126. See: 1877 May 11, (IV; 2096).]

1839 Oct / Comrie / stone / Jan 27, 1863 / b. rain / March 14. [II; 127. See: 1863 Jan 27, (III: 352 and 353), and, 1863 March 14, (III; 382).]

1839 / early in Nov / [Stat] / (Ref) / Night, great fall of mets—next day, 2 p.m., detonations and falls of stones at Sola, Mexico. / Bull Acad Roy des Sci de Bruxelles, 8/437. [II; 128. Galeotti, H. "Sur les tremblements de terre et les étoiles filantes." Bulletins de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 8 pt. 2 (1841): 437-441, at 437-438.]

[1839 Nov 8. Meteor. Edinburgh. "Twice the size of the moon." Lowe, 136.]

1839 Nov 9 / Antigua—little after daybreak / concussion / detonation / brilliant meteor / Athenaeum 1840/930. [II; 129. "Meteors." Athenæum, 1840 (no. 682; November 21): 930. Greg, 77.]

1839 Nov. 9 / (3 sounds) / (Cut) / Met explosion near Antigua, W.I., at first taken for an earthquake—but meteor had been seen. / 3 explosions— / Am. J. Sci. 39/282. [II; 130. "Explosion of a Meteor near Antigua, West Indies." American Journal of Science, 39 (1840): 381-382.]

1839 Nov 9-19 / Meteors as counted at Ceylon / small displays / mostly tending southward / Athenaeum 1839/970. [II; 131. Templeton, Robert. "Meteoric Phenomena." Athenæum, 1839 (no. 634; December 21): 969-970.]

1839 / early in Nov / Nopalero, Mexico / 2 p.m. / W. to E / Det. meteor / BA 60. [II; 132. Greg, 77. Galeotti, H. "Sur les tremblements de terre et les étoiles filantes." Bulletins de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 8 pt. 2 (1841): 437-441, at 437-438.]

1839 Nov 12 /This year? / not in Athenaeum for 1839/970 nor '40. [II; 133.]

1839 Nov 13 / Moon-sized meteor / Cherbourg / Athenaeum 1839-76. [II; 134. "Luminous Meteor." Athenæum, 1839 (no. 593; March 9): 76.]

1839 Nov. 29 / before sunset / Large met at Naples, moving Eastward. When over the Adriatic turned back and passed over Naples again./ BA 60. [II; 135. Greg, 77. See: 1809 Nov. 29, (I; 311).]

1839 Nov. 29 / (It.) / Naples / Metite / Phil Mag 4/8/460/ See June 16./ Cosmos, N.S., 3-55. [II; 136. "Un aérolithe." Cosmos, s. 4 (n.s.), 3 (December 21, 1885): 55. This earlier fall of an "aérolithe" remains a doubtful meteorite. Greg, Robert Philips. "Observations on Meteorolites...." London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, s. 4 v. 8 (1854): 329-342, 449-463, at 460.]

1839 Dec 11 / q—like aurora / St. Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoy / 3:25 a.m. /Ab. 2 minutes after the shock, the horizon appear[ed] brilliantly lighted so that one could easily distinguish the objects in a room. From 16th of June, qs here had stopped, but had begun again Oct 4. B.A., 1854. [II; 137.1, 137.2. Mallet, 288. "After the shock of the 11th December at 3h 25m A.M., about two minutes later, the horizon appeared brilliantly lighted, so that one could easily distinguish the objects in a room."]

1839 Dec. 13 / evening / Dover / Brilliant meteor / L.T. 19-7-e. [II; 138. "On Friday evening...." London Times, December 19, 1839, p. 7 c. 5.]

1839 Dec 16 / BO / [LT], 3-b / 4 large wolves seen in village of Lilleshall, near Newport. 1 shot and 3 captured. Supposed escaped from a menagerie. [A; 139. "Wednesday last four large wolves were seen...." London Times, December 16, 1839, p. 3 c. 2.]

1839 Dec 18 / Breslau / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 139. Greg, 77.]

1839 Dec 19 / L.T. / At Dover a rapping ghost. Servant girl confessed "after a severe examination". [A; 140. "The Dover Ghost." London Times, December 19, 1839, p. 5 c. 3. "She gave as her reason for the diabolical proceeding that she was fearful to be left alone, and imagined that by such means she would induce the family to remain with her. Since the girl has been discharged, various other proofs of her guilt have come out, and we need hardly add that the knockings have entirely ceased."

1839 Dec. 31 / Upton-on Severn / See Lum objs. [A; 141. See: Lum / Will-o'-wisps, (SF-IV; 37).]

1840:

1840-41 / Longest sunspot on record / lasted 18 months / Todd, Astronomy, p. 175. [II; 140. Todd, David Peck. Astronomy: The Science of the Heavenly Bodies. New York: P.F. Collier, 1922, 175.]

1840 / Carbon / Tenn. / N / D-73. [II; 141. The note copies information from page 73 of The Book of the Damned. Flight, Walter. "Meteorites and the Origin of Life," Eclectic Magazine, 89, (n.s., v. 26; December 1877): 711-718, at 716]

1840 / See 39. / fireballs at Parma / Rep BA-1860 / Ap 28 / May 2, 23, 31 / Also 41 / Feb 25, 27 / May 8. [II; 142. Greg, 78.]

1840 Jan 2 / [LT], 3-c / 3-3-d / Feb 3-5-b / Dec 39? / Comet. [II; 143. Woolhouse, Wesley Stoker Barker. "The New Comet." London Times, January 2, 1840, p. 3 c. 3. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, January 3, 1840, p. 3 c. 4. "On the 25th of last month...." London Times, February 3, 1840, p. 3 c. 2.  "On the 25th of last month M. Galle, of the Royal Observatory of Berlin, discovered a second comet, in the constellation of the Dragon, near the star E. I is not visible to the naked eye." The comet discovered by Galle, on January 25th, was C/1840 B1. "The New Comet." London Times, December 27, 1839, p. 5 c. 4.]

1840 Jan 2-3 / A great number of meteors,at Gand, and a bright aurora at Geneva. / Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 13-501. [II; 144. Kirkwood, Daniel. "On the Meteors of January 2nd." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 13 (1873): 501-502.]

1840 Jan 2 / See Jan 2, 1839. / N.M. / unusual Quadrantids / E. Mec 74-446. [II; 145. Henry, John R. "The Quadrantid Meteors." English Mechanic, 74 (1902): 446. See: 1839 Jan 2, (II; 6).]

1840 Jan 2-3 / See Jan 1, 1842. [II; 146. See: 1842 Jan 1, (II; 421).]

1840 Jan 8 /  p.m. / det met / probably exploded over the German Ocean / BA 60. [II; 147. Greg, 77.]

1840 Jan 8 / Meteor / Denmark / N.M. / C.R. 10-119. [II; 148. "M. E. Robert écrit relativement à un météore...." Comptes Rendus, 10 (1840): 119.]

1840 Jan. 8 / 10 p.m. / Donegal / Ireland / q and crackli[ng] in air and detonations / BA '54. [II; 149. Mallet, 292.]

1840 Jan 8 / (q) / Comrie / and a crackling sound in the air / Edin New P. J 36/73 / Others compared the sound to firing of cannons. / Mr Milne lists and gives details of 18 other shocks in 1840 and 1841. / especially mentioning explosions or crackling sound "in the air" upon Jan 8, 1840, and April 21 and Sept 12, 1841—explosions last instance heard at sea were mistaken for cannon fire. [II; 150.1, 150.2. Milne, David. "Notices of Earthquake-Shocks in Great Britain...." Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 36 (1843-1844): 72-86, 362-376, at 72-86. "In another locality, a crackling noise was said to have been heard in the air, and was compared to that which occasionally accompanies the aurora borealis," (page 73). "Explosion, or crackling sounds in the air, are related under dates 8th January 1840, 21st April and 12th September 1841. This phenomenon is the more remarkable, as the reports were, on the last of these occasions, heard at sea, and were mistaken for the firing of cannon, so that they could not be confounded with the subterranean noise, which also accompanies the shocks," (page 85).]

1840 Jan 30 / 3 a.m. / q and loud report at St. Louis / (N.M.) / Niles Nat. Register, Feb. 22. [II; 151. "Earthquake." Niles' Weekly Register, 57 (February 22, 1840): 416.]

1840 Feb 2 / Volc eruption / Moluccas / See 14th. / Niles Nat. Register 59-1. [II; 152. "Destruction of Ternate by an earthquake." Niles' Weekly Register, 59 (September 5, 1840): 1. The Gamalama volcano.]

1840 Feb. 2-14 / Volc and q's / Ternate, Java / N.M. / C.R. 70-878. [II; 153. Backer, 881. The Gamalama volcano.]

1840 Feb 6 / Brussels / Fireball / SW to NW / BA 60. [II; 154. Greg, 78.]

1840 Feb 6 / Fireball / Sandwich Islands / BA 60. [II; 155. Greg, 77.]

1840 Feb. 7 / a little before midnight / Volc eruption near Baku, on the Caspian / Timbs 1841-257. [II; 156. "Earthquake at Mount Ararat in 1840." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1842, 247-249.]

1840 Feb. 8 / Copenhagen / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 157. Greg, 78.]

1840 Feb 14 / q—deluge / Moluccas / violent q and deluge from sky / Had been volc. on Feb. 2. / Niles Nat. Register 59-1. [II; 158. "Destruction of Ternate by an earthquake." Niles' Weekly Register, 59 (September 5, 1840): 1. The Gamalama volcano.]

1840 Feb. 17 / Berne / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 159. Greg, 78.]

[1840 Feb. 25. Wrong date. See: 1841 Feb. 25, (II; 160).]

1840 Mar. 4 / Assam / q and eclipse of sun. / (ordinary?) / BA '54. [II; 161. Mallet, 293. Hannay. "Memoranda of Earthquakes and other remarkable occurrences in Upper Assam, from January 1839 to September 1843." Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 12 (1843): 907-909, at 907.]

1840 March 14 / The unknown footprints of B.D. in Athenaeum of [March 14] from Perth Courier. [A; 142. The note refers to information from chapter 28 of The Book of the Damned. "Unknown Animal." Athenæum, 1840 (no. 646; March 14): 220. "Singular Animal." Perthshire Courier, March 5, 1840, p. 3 c. 4.]

1840 Mar 15 / Great met / Princeton and New Haven / BA 60-78. [II; 162. Greg, 78.]

1840 March 17 / Meteor / Canada / "Since said to be a false account." / BA 60. [II; 163. Greg, 78.]

[1840 March 21-22. Wrong date. See: 1841 March 21-22, (I; 164).]

1840 March 22 / q— magnetic / Q. / Annecy, in Savoy / 23, many villages destroyed in Burmah. These days magnetic perturbations at Prague. / BA '54. [II; 165. Mallet, 294.]

1840 Mar. 24 / Grain / Rajkit, India / in storm / D-65. [II; 166. The note copies information from page 65 of The Book of the Damned. "Abstract of the Proceedings of the Tenth Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science." American Journal of Science, 41 (1841): 40-68, at 40. "Col. Sykes communicated the contents of a letter from India...." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1840, Notices and Abstracts, 44-45. "The genus and species was not immediately recognizable by some botantists, to whom it was shown, but it was thought to be either a spartium or a vicia." The place of the fall is identified at "Rajket," in "Kattywar," India, (not Rajkit); so, this probably is now the city of Rajkot, Kathiawar, India.]

1840 March 24 / 7 p.m. / Mobile, Ala. / Tornado. / Finley's Rept. [II; 167. Finley, 3.]

1840 Ap. 5 / Volc eruption / Mindanao, Philippines / ashes, great showers / 7 N and 121 East / also 300 miles N-east of 1st position (two ships) / A. J. Sci., 40-198. [II; 168. "Volcanic Ashes." American Journal of Science, 40 (1840-1841): 198. The Ragang volcano, on Mindanao, was in eruption from January 20 to April 5, 1840.]

1840 Ap. 5 / Ship Niantic / 60 miles from Mindanao (Philippines) / Year Book 1842-245 / 2 a.m., ashes ab one hour / fell occasionally for several days / (also on a ship 300 [miles] away). [II; 169. "Volcanic Ashes at Sea." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1842, 245. The Ragang volcano.]

1840 Ap. 24 / Aurora / Proc Roy Irish Acad 1/451. [II; 170. "The following note, by John Ball...." Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 1 (June 8, 1840): 451-454, (illustrations).]

1840 Ap. 28 / Parma / SE to NW / large slow meteor / BA 60. [II; 171. Greg, 78.]

[1840 Ap. 29, 30. Wrong dates. See: 1849 Ap. 29, 30, (II; 172).]

1840 May 2 / Parma / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 173. Greg, 78.]

1840 May 7 / 2 p.m. / Natchez, Miss / Tornado. / Finley's Rept. [II; 174. Finley, 3.]

1840 May 9 / Kirghiz Steppes, Tartary / Metite / BA '60-78 / Karakol, Siberia / (F). [II; 175. Greg, 78. Fletcher, 101. This is the Karakol meteorite.]

1840 May / A / Toronto / A.J.S. 40/337. [II; 176. Aurora. "Abstract of the Proceedings of the Tenth Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science." American Journal of Science, 40 (1840-1841): 308-345, at 337.]

1840 May 13 / Albany, N.Y. / 3 a.m. / Det. Met. / BA 60. [II; 177. Greg, 78.]

1840 May 13 / ab 3 a.m. / Great meteor / Conn and adjoining states / A. J. Sci 39-382. [II; 178. Herrick, Edward Claudius. "Splendid Meteoric Fire-Ball."American Journal of Science, 39 (1840): 382-383. Greg, 78.]

1840 May 13, 29 / 2 mets / U.S. / BA 60-78. [II; 179. Greg, 78.]

1840 May 22 / Violent eruption of Guteer, in Java / Athenaeum 1840-1014. [II; 180. "Eruption in Java." Athenæum, 1840 (no. 686; December 19): 1014. The Guntur volcano.]

1840 May 23 / Parma / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 181. Greg, 78.]

1840 (May 23) / Aurora? / Caraccas, Venezuela / sky clouded / one "star of first magnitude appearing at intervals"—a band of light that flickered and flashed / L. Times, Aug. 14 / Timbs'  Y.B. 1841/266 / CR 13/965. [II; 182. "Extraordinary Meteor Seen in Venezuela." London Times, August 14, 1840, p. 3 c. 3. "Meteor in the Caraccas." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1841, 266-267. "M. Cagigal adresse l'extrait d'un journal...." Comptes Rendus, 13 (1841): 965.]

1840 May 24 / 3 a.m. / volc / Goentoer, Java / N.M. / C.R. 70-878. [II; 183. Backer, 881. The Guntur volcano.]

1840 May 25 / Ext. tide / Lake Erie / and meteor, 29th / C.R. 12-450. [II; 184. "M. de Castelnau adress quelques détails..." Comptes Rendus, 12 (1841): 449-450.]

1840 May 27 / L.T., 7-a. [II; 185. (1840 May 27 / London Times, 7-a.). Police Court reports; see if "Ext." item is listed in Palmer's Index for this date???]

1840 May 29 / U.S. / large met / BA 60. [II; 186. Greg, 78.]

1840 May 31 / Parma / S to N / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 187. Greg, 78.]

1840 (June 12) / Uden, Brabant, Holland / Metite / BA '60 / (F). [II; 188. Fletcher, 101. Greg, 78. Monck, William Henry Stanley. "Aerolites—Perpetual Motion.” English Mechanic, 79 (no. 2045; June 3, 1904): 383-384. This is the Uden meteorite.]

1840 period of June / Philosophy of Mysterious Agents / E.C. Rogers (YRD) p. 260 / Home of Joseph Proctor, a miller, village of Willington near railway running from Newscastle to North Shields. A room—occupants see bluish lights and ghostly appearances and swoon. Story here of experiences of an investigator. / See 1835. / etc. [A; 143.1, 143.2. Rogers, Edward Coit. Philosophy of Mysterious Agents, Human And Mundane. Boston: J. P. Jewett, 1853, 260-263. Richardson, Moses Aaron. The Local Historian’s Table Book. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Richardson, 1846, v. 5, 299-304. Howitt, William. Howitt’s Journal. London: Lovett, 1847, v. 1, 289-293. "The Haunted House at Willington.” Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 5 (December 1892): 331-352. On July 3, 1840, Edward Drury and his friend, T. Hudson, arrived at Joseph Procter’s house, examined its rooms, and, (satisfied that only they, Procter, and a servant occupied the house), settled upon the third story landing to stay that night. “About ten minutes to twelve we both heard a noise, as if a number of people was pattering with their bare feet upon the floor; and yet so singular was the noise that I could not minutely determine from whence it proceeded. A few minutes afterwards we heard a noise, as if some one was knocking with his knuckles among our feet, this was immediately followed by a hollow cough from the very room, from which the apparition proceeded. The only noise after this was, as if a person was rustling against the wall in coming up stairs. At a quarter to one, I told my friend that feeling a little cold, I would like to go to bed as we might hear the noises equally well there; he replied that he would not go to bed till daylight. I took up a note, which I had accidentally dropped, and began to read it—after which I took out my watch to ascertain the time, and found that it wanted ten minutes to one. In taking my eyes from the watch they became rivetted upon a closet door, which I distinctly saw open, and also saw the figure of a female attired in greyish garments, with the head inclined downwards, and one hand pressed upon the chest as if in pain, and the other, viz. the right hand, extended towards the floor, with the index finger pointing downwards. It advanced with an apparently cautious step across the floor towards me; immediately as it approached my friend who was slumbering, its right hand was extended toward him; I then rushed at it, giving at the time, as Mr. Procter states, a most awful yell, but instead of grasping it I fell upon my friend and I recollected nothing distinctly for nearly three hours afterwards. I have since learnt that I was carried down stairs, in an agony of fear and terror.” “Last night Dr. Drury came with T. Hudson, a shopman of Joseph Ogilvie, chemist, and no dog. After a long chat they sat on the high landing; I went to my own bed; Bell in the Camp room. About one o'clock I heard a most horrid shriek from E.D., slipped on my trousers and went up. He had then swooned, but come to himself again in a state of extreme nervous excitement, and accompanied with much coldness and faintness. He had seen the G.; had been struck speechless as it advanced from the closet in the room over the drawing-room to the landing, and then leapt up with an awful shriek and fainted. The other young man had his head laid against the easy-chair and was dozing, and as the G. made no noise in coming up he did not awake till the yell of his friend called him to his help.” “I called up Bell to make on the fires, get coffee, &c., but he continued in a shocking state of tremour for some hours, though not irrational. He had a ghastly look and started at the smallest sound—could not bear to see any thing white; he had not been in the least sleepy, and was not at all frightened till the moment when the G. met his gaze. They had both previously heard several noises, but all had been quiet for about a quarter of an hour, and E.D. was thinking of getting his companion to go to bed, not expecting anything more that night.... E.D. has got a shock he will not soon cast off.” Hudson, Thomas. “The Willington Ghost.” Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, December 20, 1884, p. 5 c. 1-2.  Hudson, Thomas. “The Willington Ghost.” Monthly Chronicle of North-Country Lore and Legend, (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), 1 (no. 4; June 1887): 177-181. “I saw my friend reading a note which had had taken from his waistcoat pocket, and I closed my eyes for a few seconds only. I was quickly startled, however, by a hideous yell from Drury, who sprang up with his hair standing on end, the picture of horror. He fainted and fell into my arms, like a lifeless piece of humanity. His horrible shouts made me shout in sympathy, and I instantly laid him down and went into the room from whence the last noise was heard. But nothing was there, and the window had not been opened. So loud was his scream that two or three neighbours were awakened by it, so they afterwards told me. Mr. Procter and the housekeeper came quickly to our assistance, and found the young doctor trembling in acute mental agony. Indeed, he was so much excited that he wanted to jump out of the window, Coffee was kindly given to us, and we shortly afterwards left for North Shields.” “Drury declared his unbounded belief in the ghost. He said he had seen the grey old lady in a grey gown proceed from the room at my right hand side, and slowly approach me from behind. She was, he said, just about to place her hand on my slumbering head, while he was strongly endeavouring to touch my foot with his, but though our feet were only a few inches apart, he had not power to do so. Instead he shouted with all his might, and then swooned. My opinion, however, is that Drury saw the appearance of the mysterious lady, as others had seen her, in much the same way as Macbeth saw the ghost of Banquo and the dagger; but whether it was, or was not a spirit in form will remain a mystery to some, a fact to a few, and simply a mental delusion to many.” If Hudson had not seen what Drury had, both had heard the several strange sounds after midnight. “About  a quarter to one the most unaccountable disturbance we had yet heard occurred in one of the rooms close by—the room to my right hand. It was as if someone were really there, walking on his (or her)  bare feet, and approaching us. But nothing met our vision.” (Hallowell, Michael J., and, Ritson, Darren W. The Haunting of Willington Mill: The Truth Behind England’s Most Enigmatic Ghost Story. The History Press, 2011.) Joseph Procter, (not Proctor). Clanny, William Reid. A Faithful Record of the Miraculous Case of Mary Jobson. 2nd ed. London: J.R. Smith, 1841, 8-11. Drury had previously witnessed the poltergeist phenomena that occurred with Mary Jobson. “My dear Sir, as if the leading facts in this case were not sufficient to make me believe, I had, about that period, an adventure which left upon my mind the firm conviction, that we live in a world of spirits. Knowing, as I now do, the prevalence of unbelief, I cannot wonder at the strong passage in scripture ‘He will not believe though one rose from the dead.’ The case of Mary Jobson, though teeming with wonders, did not sufficiently impress me, until I afterwards had to feel all the horror which man can feel in the presence of an unearthly being, who had passed that ‘bourne from whence no traveller returns.’” See: 1835, etc., (A; 115), and, 1839, (A; 132).]

1840 June 20-28 / July 2 / July 6 and 8 / [July] 27 / Armenia / Great q. [BA] '11. [II; 189. Milne, 706. Under July 27, 1840, Milne notes: "This and the three preceding entries may be components of one megaseism."]

1840 June 23 / [LT]. 7-a / Spon. Comb. [A; 144. "Spontaneous Combustion." London Times, June 23, 1840, p. 7 c. 1. "Mr. Marsh, chymist, connected with the Royal Arsenal, recently discovered that it is an invariable rule with iron which has remained for a considerable time under water, when reduced to small grains, or to an impalpable powder, to become red-hot, and ignite any object with which it may come in contact. This he experienced by scraping some corroded metal from a gun, which ignited the paper containing it, and burnt a hole in his pocket. The knowledge of this fact may be useful in accounting for spontaneous fires, the origin of which has never been traced."]

1840 July 2-6 / (q and water?) / q / Mt Ararat / and immense floods of water / T Y. Book 41/257 / but see 42-248. [II; 190.  "Earthquake at Mount Ararat in 1840." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1841, 256-257. "Earthquake at Mount Ararat in 1840." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1842, 247-249. The "floods" were the result of snow and glacial ice dislodged by the earthquake. Mallet, 295-296.]

1840 July 17 / In period of q's / Armenia / 6 and 8 and 27 / BA 11 / See 2-6. [II; 191. Class III earthquakes. Milne, 706.]

1840 July 17 / (See [Note cut off].) / stonefall at Cereseto / Rept BA 1860-78 / Phil Mag 4-8-460 / See 1868. [II; 192. Greg, 78. Greg, Robert Philips. "Observations on Meteorolites...." London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, s. 4 v. 8 (1854): 329-342, 449-463, at 460. Fletcher, 101. This is the Cereseto meteorite. See: 1868 July 17, (III; 1416).]

1840 July 17 / 7 a.m. / '40 / Loud detonation at Milan, Metite fell at Cereseto. / Athenaeum 1840-1013. [II; 193. "Fall of Aerolites at Milan." Athenæum, 1840 (no. 686; December 19): 1013. "On the 17th of July at seven o'clock in the morning, a loud detonation was heard, resembling a peal of thunder; and near Golosecca three luminous projectiles were observed, proceeding towards Somma, from east to west. The sound of the explosion extended for twenty or thirty miles around Milan. The largest aerolite was found near Ceresato, a village in the neighbourhood, having penetrated twenty inches into the earth. It weighed 10 lb. 2 oz. The others were of smaller size, and fell near the larger one, but they have not been found."]

1840 July 22 / metite / ab 8 a.m. / Great met seen in [Milan] / said fallen near Milan / C.R. 11/244 / See 17th. [II; 194. "Aérolithe tombé le 17 juillet à 20 lieues à l'ouest de Milan." Comptes Rendus, 11 (1840): 243-244. The dateline of a newspaper extract was July 22, but the article refers to the meteoric phenomena on July 17. See: 1840 July 17, (II; 192).]

1840 July 28th to 29th / by H.M.S. Erebus / S. Lat 47° / E Long 97° / Great numbers of meteors in a gale / BA 65-122. [II; 195. Glaisher, James, and, Robert Philips Greg, Edward William Brayley, Alexander Stewart Herschel. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1864-65." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1865, 57-142, at 122. Ross, James Clark. A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions, during the Years 1839-43. London: John Murray, 1847, v. 1, 98 & 333. "The gale continued all night with a heavy cross sea: there was much lightning to the eastward; meteors in great numbers were seen darting about in all directions, and the whole aspect of the sky proclaimed a convulsion or disturbance of the atmosphere of an unusual character...." This meteor shower was associated with the Piscis Austrinids but could have been any one of several observed in the southern hemisphere at the end of July, (such as the Southern Delta Aquarilids or Alpha Capriconids).]

1840 July 30 / Vienna / met train / 15 minutes / BA 60. [II; 196. Greg, 78.]

[1840 / ab Aug. Wrong date. See: 1847 Aug 13, (II; 197). "Extraordinary Flight of Insects." London Daily News, August 16, 1847, p. 3 c. 5. There is no reference to ladybirds in this article for 1840, however Fort may have been searching for similar phenomena in other years.]

1840 Aug 2 / Frankfort / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 198. Greg, 78.]

1840 Aug 3 / France / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 199. Greg, 78.]

1840 Aug 3 / 9:30 p.m. / Meteor seen at Tamerville, near Valognes, France, and said set fire on a farm. / C.R. 111-292 / The farm buildings on fire one hour later. [II; 200. "M. Vérusmor écrit de Cherbourg relativement à un incendie...." Comptes Rendus, 11 (1840): 292-293.]

1840 Aug 3 / Farmhouse at Tamerville, near Valognes—(La Manche), burned. Six witnesses told of having seen a meteor going in the direction of the house and of the fire immediately breaking out. / Mirror 36-160. [II; 201. "The Gatherer." The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, 36 (1840): 160. "A farm at Tamerville, near Valognes, in the Manche, was burnt on the 3rd of August, by the fall of a meteor, or shooting star. Six witnesses affirmed the fact of having seen the meteoric body going in the direction of the house, and the conflagration breaking out immediately after; but there were no means of proving that it actually hit the building."]

1840 Aug 7 / Eng / whirl / Times, Aug 14. [II; 202. "A Whirlwind." London Times, August 14, 1840, p. 3 c. 3. "A singular occurrence took place on Friday afternoon last at Uffculme, in this county. A field of wheat of between six and seven acres in extent had been cut and set up in stacks, and carried one of the sheaves to a height of several hundred feet in the air. What makes the matter the more remarkable is, that one part of the field was not in the least affected by it, while in every other part it carried everything before it, tearing the branches from the trees, and carrying them a considerable distance into the air. Within a short distance of the spot the weather was perfectly calm, but at Sandford, about four miles distant, there was a thunder-storm and a heavy fall of rain, which lasted for two hours without intermission.—Western Luminary."]

1840 Aug 7 / Naples / Fireball / BA 60. [II; 203. Greg, 78.]

1840 Aug 9 / q / Conn. / attrib by some persons to a meteor / Am J. Sci 39/335 / See Ap 12, '37. / See Nov. 9, 1810. [II; 204. "Earthquake in Connecticut, &c." American Journal of Science, 39 (1840): 335-342, at 336. "Some persons have been disposed to attribute this earthquake to the explosion of a meteor." Brigham, William T. "Volcanic Manifestations in New England." Memoirs Read Before the Boston Society of Natural History, 2 (1871/1878): 1-28, at 17-18. See: 1837 Ap. 12, (I; 2194), and, 1810 Nov 9, (I; 308).]

1840 Aug 9-10 / 10-11 / at Parma / 536 mets counted only in one quarter of the sky. / C.R. 11-406. [II; 205. "M. Arago communique l'extrait d'une Lettre de M. Cola...." Comptes Rendus, 11 (1840): 406.]

1840 Aug / about 1840 / Ladybirds / Brighton / Times Index. [II; 206. As there are no references to "ladybirds" in Palmer's Index to the Times Newspaper, in 1840, (but, two relevant references in 1847), Fort may only have written this note to prompt a search for any articles in the London Times during this time period. See: "1847 August 16, etc.," (II; 1137).]

1840 Aug 13 / afternoon / Woodbridge, Conn. / Tornado / Finley's Rept. [II; 207. Finley, 3.]

1840 Aug 13 / Fireball / Peru / BA 60. [II; 208. Greg, 78.]

1840 (Aug 15) / Knightsford Bridge / Aurora / 10 p.m. / several brilliant columns shooting up in northern horizon / several meteors / L.T., Aug 19-6-e. [II; 209. "Aurora Borealis." London Times, August 19, 1840, p. 6 c. 5. "We have had a very early visitation of this beautiful phenomenon. On Saturday night at Knightsford-bridge the northern lights were distinctly visible for a short time. At about 10 o'clock the lights were most distinct, and at thathour several brilliant columns of light were seen shooting up from the northern horizon, The phenomenon, however, was very evanescent. At about the same time several beautiful meteors were seen in the atmosphere. These have been rather numerous during the late hot weather.—Worchestershire Guardian."]

1840 Aug 15 / Worcestershire / Aurora / and at 10 p.m., when most distant, several meteors / L.T. 19-6-e. [II; 210. "Aurora Borealis." London Times, August 19, 1840, p. 6 c. 5.]

1840 Aug 16 / Toronto / met / BA 60-78. [II; 211. Greg, 78.]

1840 Sept 2 / 8:15 p.m. / Along Rhone q and "abundance of inflamed gases["] from river marshes / BA 54-298. [II; 212. Mallet, 298.]

1840 Sept 4 / [LT], 3-f / Sleeper / Ext. [A; 145. "The Sleeping Phenomenon." London Times, September 4, 1840, p. 3 c. 6. "In consequence of its being reported that this unfortunate object of public curiosity was deceased, a friend of ours recently went to Deighton and made inquiries, and visited the house in which he still continues to vegetate. His name is Thomas Bradley, aged 22 years, and he has had two somniferous attacks previous to the present one. The first lasted but a few weeks, the second during a period of 40 weeks, and the present sleep has now continued exactly 52 weeks yesterday  (Friday). He had had more nourishment administered to him within these last three months than previously, and his personal appearance seems improved. He has within the last mentioned period exhibited some scintillations of returning faculties, but has again relapsed. During his apparent approach to sensation, he is stated to have uttered some words, but so incoherently and indistinctly as to be unitelligible. He continued in the same postur—viz., reclining partly on his left side, with one leg straight and the other crossed over it at nearly a right angle from the knee. This uncommon object has baffled the skill of every medical gentleman who has yet seen him. It is, however, the united opinion of the profession that if he returns to sensation his existence will soon after terminate.—Halifax Guardian."]

1840 Sept 9 / [LT], 7-b / Meteors at Paris. [II; 213. "Falling Stars." London Times, September 9, 1840, p. 7 c. 2. "The pupils at the Observatory at Paris carefully watched the number of meteors during the nights of the 9th and 10th of August. Until midnight the number did not exceed 18 per hour, or nearly a mean of what are observed on ordinary nights; but at 3 o'clock M. [Félix-Victor] Mauvais counted 35 in one hour. The greater proportion fell almost parallel to the Milky Way, which at this time extended from the zenith towards the west, a little inclined to the south."]

1840 Sept 21-22 / Mets at Geneva / very numerous and very brilliant / C.R. 11-1061 / They came from northern sky. / Aurora at Brussels, Italy, Germany. [II; 214. Wartmann, Louis François "Observations relatives aux etoiles filantes." Comptes Rendus, 11 (1840): 1060-1062.]

1840 Oct / Concord, New Hampshire / det met / stone said found / BA 60-78. [IIl 215. Greg, 78-79.]

1840 Oct / metite / Concord, N. Hampshire / examined at Yale College Laboratory / declared to be a meteorite / no nickel in it / (scoriaceous) / no metallic points / A. J. Sci 2/4/356 / evidence of having been intensely heated / said be identical with Bishopville stone. [II; 216. Silliman, Benjamin D. "Description of a Meteoric Stone which fell in Concord, New Hampshire, in October, 1846." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 4 (1847): 353-356, (illustration). Altho said to be a meteorite by Silliman, this small object has not been otherwise identified. The sample given to Silliman for his chemical examination weighed only 24 grams.]

1840 Oct 5 / 9:34 p.m. / Dublin / great met / BA 58/156. Large met, bright as moon / B.A., 60. [II; 217. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1857-58." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1858, Reports on the State of Science, 137-157, at 156-157. Greg, 78.]

1840 Oct 17 / Red rain (earth) / Valence, etc., France / C. Rendus 23/832 / Date right? [II; 218. Seignobos, Charles. "Sur une pluie colorée en rouge, observée dans le départment de l'Ardèche." Comptes Rendus, 23 (1846): 832-833. The red rain began about noon and lasted two hours, on October 17, at Lamastre (Ardèche); and, a chemical analysis of a sample from Verpillière identified the red matter as ochre. "Déjà on a fait examiner au laboratoire de la Faculté des Science de Grenoble ces prétendues taches de sang; elles sont formées d'une argile calcaire très-ferrugineuse ou ocre."]

1840 Oct 18 / Met / Paris / BA 60. [II; 219. Greg, 78.]

1840 Oct 19 / aurora and q / q in Bavaria and an aurora in Italy and France / BA '54/298. [II; 220. Mallet, 298.]

1840 Oct. 20 / Severe shock in Conn. Had been slighter shock several weeks before. / Niles Nat. Reg. 59-144. [II; 221. "Earthquake." Niles' Weekly Register, 59 (October 31, 1840): 144.]

1840 Oct 28 / III / q / Greece / BA 11. [II; 222. A class III earthquake. Milne, 706.]

1840 Oct 29 / Met. / Brussels / BA 60. [II; 223. Greg, 78.]

1840 Oct 30 / q in Zante / See Ansted's work on Ionian Isles, pp. 415-19. [II; 224. Ansted, David Thomas. The Ionian Islands in the Year 1863. London. Wm. H. Allen, 1863, 415-419.]

1840 Oct 30-Nov 6 / 100 shocks at least / Zante / Athenaeum 1840-1014. [II; 225. "Earthquake at Zante." Athenæum, 2, no. 686 (December 19, 1840): 1014. "Letters from Corfu announce that the unfortunate island of Zante has suffered from an earthquake. The first shock was on the 30th of October, but more than a hundred shocks followed during the week. The town is said to be as much a ruin as if it had been bombarded, and a small island in the harbour on which a few fishermen resided, has disappeared altogether. Not more than nine lives are known to have been lost, but the damage done is estimated at 1,500,000 dollars."]

1840 Nov 2 / Jorieux / France / Meteor / BA 60. [II; 226. Greg, 78.]

1840 Nov 11 / (q and water) / Severe shock at Phil[adelphia] accompanied by an unusually heavy swell in the Delaware, but members of Amer Phil Soc could not determine whether caused by q or a meteor. / See Nov 9, 1810. [II; 227. Mallet, 300. Milne, David. "Notices of Earthquake-Shocks in Great Britain...." Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 36 (1843-1844): 362-376, at 365. "11th November 1840.—'At Philadelphia, a severe shock occurred at night. It was accompanied by a great and unusually sudden swell in the Delaware.'" The meteor and earthquake discussion concerned phenomena observed on November 14, 1840. Brigham, William T. "Volcanic Manifestations in New England." Memoirs Read Before the Boston Society of Natural History, 2 (1871/1878): 1-28, at 18. See: 1810 Nov 9, (I; 308), and, 1840 Nov. 14, (II; 231).]

[1840 Nov 11-12 /] 1841 Aug 11-12 / Nothing of ext. mets. in Parma / C.R. 13-1035. [II; 358. "Il résulte de diverses communications...." Comptes Rendus , 13 (1841): 1035.]

1840 Nov. 11, 12, 13 / Mets watched for in Washington, but none seen. / Proc. Amer. Phil Soc 1-301. [II; 228. "Stated Meeting, November 20." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1 (1838-1840): 295-301, at 301, c.v. Dr. Patterson.]

1840 Nov. 12 and Dec 15 / Volc / Gedeh, Java / N.M. / C.R., 70-878. [II; 229. Backer, 881. The Gede-Pangrango volcano.]

1840 Nov. 12-13 / Nothing of ext. mets in Parma / C.R. 13-1035. [II; 230. "Il résulte de diverses communications...." Comptes Rendus , 13 (1841): 1035.]

1840 Nov. 14 / ab. 9 p.m. / Philadelphia? / Shock and sound attributed to exploding meteor. / Proc Amer Phil Soc, 1-301. [II; 231. "Stated Meeting, November 20." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1 (1838-1840): 295-301, at 300-301.]

1840 Nov 17 / Aurora over Comrie / Scotland / vast cloud form [illustration] in sky at night / L.T., Nov 25/7/c, 1840. [II; 232. "Remarkable Phenomenon at Comrie." London Times, November 25, 1840, p. 7 c. 3. "On Tuesday evening, the 17th instant, between 7 and 8 o'clock, an interesting appearance was observed in the sky over this place. From a semicircular small black cloud on the verge of the western horizon, at the N.W. by W., all the other clouds in view spun out into long dark streaks, diverging like spokes from the nave of a wheel, and after extending in almost unbroken lines over the whole sky, again converged in an exactly similar form on another small black semicircular cloud in the opposite point of the horizon. At each focus between the spokes the light of the aurora borealis was very distinct, leaving no doubt as to the cause of this unusual arrangement of the clouds, and contrasting beautifully with the dark dresses of the present fleecy partners of these 'merry dancers.' The western focus was at first very brilliant, and while it continued so the other was more faint. By and by this relative brightness of the two ends was entirely reversed, and the eastern had its 'turn' of display for about half an hour, after which the whole scene gradually broke up—the clouds, like soldiers relieved from the constraint of parade, dispersing themselves into their usual amorphous groups over the sky. This phenomenon establishes at least two points in meteorology. 1st. That the meridional lines of clouds often observed in the day time extending across the heavens from north to south, as well as other directions, without, of course, any visible display of the aurora, are nevertheless the effect of this electrical or magnetic influence, and not, as some have supposed, of currents in the air. 2d. That the height at which the aurora occasionally displays its fantastic gambols may coincide with, or extend to, that of the clouds in the atmosphere, although at other times its stage appears to be much more elevated. The writer of this note some years ago had an opportunity of calculating the altitude of the apex of a splendid auroral dome, consisting entirely of lights of many various hues, that then appeared near the zneith. The calculation was made from simultaneous observations, taken at Stirling and Comrie, and gave the height at 112 miles above the surface of the earth.—Scotsman." At Comrie, Mallet records the shocks of earthquakes on November 12, 13, 16, and 24, 1840; and, previously, for October 23, 1839, in connection to phenomena continuing into 1841, he notes: "An electrical discharge was supposed to take place at the time of the shock. Aurora borealis and shooting stars were more frequent than usual in September and October," and, "A thin fleecy cloud was often observed hovering over the Lednock valley, which was considered to be the centre of disturbance." Mallet, 289-291, 300. (Milne, D. Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 32-108; 35-137; vols, 32, 33, 34, 35, 46; Phil Mag 20-242; BA 41, 42, 43, 44. Fix.) Davison, Charles. A History of British Earthquakes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1924, 90. "On  Nov. 17, 2 earth-sounds were heard by Mr Drummond at Comrie." Drummond was a shoemaker at Comrie who kept an extensive record of its numerous shocks.]

1840 Nov., before 19th / Portstewart and Derry coast of Ireland / bet 3 and 4 a.m. / A shock as of earthquake or storm or firing of guns at sea. 20 minutes later, a flash of lightning and sound of thunder, that been similar phe in Scotland. / L.T.,Nov. 19, 1840 / (Portstewart). [II; 233.1, 233.2. "Earthquake." London Times, November 19, 1840 , p. 4 c. 6. "The shock was followed in about 20 minutes by a most vivid flash of sheet lightning, and almost at the same instant a terrific crash of thunder shook every house in the town."]

[1840 Nov 25 /] 1840 Dec 12 / [LT], 2-f / Singular phe in Rutland. [II; 236. "Singular Phenomenon." London Times, December 12, 1840, p. 2 c. 6. "Singular Phenomenon." Stamford Mercury, December 11, 1840, p. 2 c. 2. "On the 25th of November, at 9½ a.m., the singular phenomenon of a Solar arc of Frost-bow was observed in that part of the sky where a Rainbow would naturally appear, but no rain was falling at the time; and the arch was much broader and fainter than the Rainbow, of a whitish hue, and more distinct towards the horizon than the vertex; the morning was foggy, and the temperature 31°." ]

1840 Dec 4 / Zurich / Meteor / BA 60. [II; 234. Greg, 78.]

1840 Dec 6 ; 0 a.m. / by an astronomer of Reimes (sic) 10 sunspots / Y.B. 41-262, quoting Times of Dec 12. [II; 235. "Spots on the Sun's Disc." Timbs' Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, 1841, 262. "An astronomer of Rennes...." London Times, December 12, 1840, p. 5 c. 2. "On the 6th of December, at 9 o'clock 59 minutes 26 seconds in the morning, I observed on the sun's disc ten spots, seven of which were covered with nebulous appearances. Of the three placed towards the south the largest contained twice the diameter of the earth. Of the three which were placed at the east, one had the form of a pyramid turned upside down. Of the four placed at the west, one had the same form; the fourth resembled the bow of a circle. I had never seen before a similar phenomenon."]

[1840 Dec 12. Wrong date. See: 1840 Nov 25, (II; 236).]

1840 Dec 21 / Worcester / Aurora / in North horizon / streaks of light darting toward horizon / L.T., Dec 25. [II; 237. "On Monday night...." London Times, December 25, 1840, p. 4 c. 6. "On Monday night, between 8 and 9 o'clock, the lovers of natural phenomena in this city were gratified by beholding a splendid display of the aurora borealis, beautiful streaks of light darting from the horizon and extending nearly to the zenith, constantly making their appearance from the north-north-west to north-north-east. he effect was heightened by the opposite quarter of the heavens being obscured by a stratum of dense black clouds.—Worcester Chronicle." "Aurora Borealis." Worcestershire Chronicle, December 23, 1840, p. 2. c. 4.]

1840 Dec 24 / [LT]. 2-e / 3 large spots on sun. [II; 238. "Three very large dark spots...." London Times, December 24, 1840, p. 2 c. 5. "Three very large dark spots may now be seen traversing the sun's face, one of which is rather of extraordinary magnitude, and is just situate a littled below the centre of the disc, moving rapidly to the right. At 9 a.m., of Tuesday, they apparently formed an equilateral triangle on the sun's face. The largest may be distinctly seen without the aid of a telescope, by only having the eye screened with a piece of coloured glass."]

1840 Dec 25 / Moravia, etc. / Meteor / BA 60. [II; 239. Greg, 78.]

1840 Dec 26 / Insects / Niles National Register of—fall of insects with snow near Pottsville, Pa. [II; 240. "Phenomenon." Niles' Weekly Register, 59 (December 26, 1840): 272. "We are assured by several persons residing in the neighbourhood of Llewellyn, in the county, that in many places the snow is literally covered with insects which fell with the snow on Sunday last. Pottsville Emporium."]

1840 Dec. 27 / Mitau / Meteor / BA 60. [II; 241. Greg, 78.]