Last updated: August 8, 2023. - Fortean Notes

1851 to 1853

1851:

1851 / Snails near Bristol. / Zoologist 1/9/3176, 3187. ** [II; 1486. Douglas, J.W. "Shower of Snails." Zoologist, 9 (1851): 3176. Baker, William. "Shower of Snails." Zoologist, 9 (1851): 3187. See: 1851 May 10, (II; 1519).]

1851 / Fr / Vosges / q / C.R. 33/69. [II; 1487. Laurent, P. "Tremblement de terre dans le département des Vosges." Comptes Rendus, 33 (1851): 69-70.]

1851 / Cideville, France / Polt / Proc. S.P.R., vol. 18. [A; 283. Lang, Andrew. "The Poltergeist at Cideville." Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, 18 (1903-1904): 454-463.]

1851 / Sleeper Susan C. Godsey, near Hickman, Ky. / See Oct 27, 1873. [A; 284. See: 1870 Oct 15, (A; 633), and, 1873 Oct 27, (A; 861).]

1851 Jan 13 / [LT], 5-b / Auroral Arches. [II; 1488. Lowe, Edward Jospeh. "Auroral Arches." London Times, January 13, 1851, p. 5 c. 2.]

1851 Jan 25 / 9 p.m. / Lightning flashes without thunder at Havana / C.R. 41-77. [II; 1489. Poey, Andrés. "Sur les éclairs sans tonnerre observés à la Havane, du 15 juillet 1850 au 11 juillet 1851, dans le sein des cumulo-stratis isolés de l'horizon." Comptes Rendus, 41 (1855): 75-77, at 77.]

1851 Feb 13, 14 / By Schmidt—on southern wall of Copernicus which was in full sunshine. Two black points—3 more on 15th / on 16, invisible / L'Astro 4/309. [II; 1490. Detaille, C. "Points sombres énigmatiques observés dans les cratères lunaires." Astronomie, 4 (1885): 308-311, at 309.]

1851 Feb 20, about, to March 26 / 3 red rains in China in this period / Chambers' Journal, N.S., 17/230. [II; 1554. "Dust-Showers and Red-Rain." Chambers' Edinburgh Journal, n.s., 17 (1852): 230-232. "Dr. M'Gowan of Ningpo, in a communication to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, states, that at the beginning of 1851, three showers occurred within five weeks; the last, which commenced on the 26th March, and continued four days, being the heaviest." MacGowan, Daniel Jerome. "Remarks on Showers of Sand in the Chinese Plain." Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 20 (1851): 192-194.]

1851 Feb. 22 / 7:45 p.m. / Gutenberg and Eifel / det met / BA 60-103. [II; 1491. Greg, 103.]

1851 Feb. 25 / By Schmidt—near Copernicus / "A bright point surrounded by a dark grey nimbus." / Observatory 5/254. [II; 1492. Klein, Hermann Joseph. "On some volcanic formations in the Moon." Observatory, 5 (1882): 253-258, at 254.]

1851 Feb. 28-March 7 / ab. 5:15 p.m. / first shock / Rhodes / slighter to March 7 / BA '11 / A. Reg., '51-16. Many springs dried up. [II; 1493. Milne, 710. "Chronicle." Annual Register, 93 (1851): pt. 2, 1-208, at 16-17, cv. "Earthquake in Asia Minor and Rhodes."]

1851 March 17 / [LT], 5-e / Large Sunspot. [II; 1494. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, March 17, 1851, p. 5 c. 5. "It may interest some of your readers to know that there is now traversing the sun's disc a spot of very unusua[l] size, and distinctly visible to the eye unassisted but by smoked glass or fog."]

1851 March 24 / and Ap. 2 / West Indies / great q / [BA] '11. [II; 1495. Two class III earthquakes. Milne, 710.]

1851 March 26 / Le Moniteur of / Metite that fell on the "clocher" of the church at Laignac (Lot) was in part "schisteuse". [II; 1496. "Faits Divers." Moniteur Universel, March 26, 1851, p. 874, c. 2-3, & p. 875, c. 1-3. Clocher, (bell tower), and, schisteuse, (shale).]

1851 Ap. 2 / [LT], 5-e / Wld woman of Navido. [A; 285. "The Wild Woman of the Navidad." London Times, April 2, 1851, p. 5 c. 5. "A party of hunters, who were out hunting deer, accidentally came upon the camp of this singular creature and captured her. She is an African negress, who fled to those wilds when the settlements were deserted just after Fannon's defeat, and she has been wandering like an orang-outang for a period of about 15 years." ("Wild Woman Caught." New Orleans Daily Crescent, February 27, 1851, p. 3 c. 1. "She cannot speak any English, but converses freely with the Africans on the neighboring plantations.") ("Wild Woman Caught." New York Daily Tribune, March 10, 1851, p. 6 c. 6.) (Any more refs. to this Texas phenomenon???) "Committed...." Texas State Gazette, June 24, 1854 v. 5 (no. 44; June 24, 1854): 320 (c. 2). "Committed to the Jail of Lavaca county, on the 17th inst., a small black negro man, about 35 or 40 years old, an African well known as the Wild Woman of the Navidad, supposed to belong to Beckford, late of Virginia. The owner is requested to come forward prove property pay charges and take her away. Otherwise he will be dealt with as the law directs. John McHenry, Sh'ff L.C."  http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth81140/m1/6/zoom/  ( Dobie, J. Frank, and Latham, Barbara. Tales of Old-Time Texas. Edison, New Jersey: Castle Books, ©1928. "The Wild Woman of the Navidad" by Martin M. Kenney. Legends of Texas, Publications of the Texas Folklore Society,1924, edited by J. Frank Dobie, Texas Folklore Society, 1924. Robertsons, the Sutherlands, and the Making of Texas, by Anne H. Sutherland. Publication Year: 2006. Chapter 15. The Wild Woman of the Navidad. Don Blevins. A priest, a prostitute, and some other early Texans: the lives of fourteen Lone Star State pioneers. Wild man of the Navidad: "the thing that comes" --, Guilford, Conn.: TwoDot, ©2008, 87-93. https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fev08 brief item on Moses Evans, who helped capture wwon discovered she was an escaped male slave.]

1851 Ap. 2 / [Am. J. Sci] 2/21/388 / Note up to 20th more shocks. [II; 1497. Gilliss, J.M. "On the Earthquake of April 2, 1851, in Chile." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 21 (1856): 388-399.]

1851 Ap. 2 / Violent q / Valparaiso / On 4th, heavy rain set in and lasted 4 hours. / Stryker's Amer Register, 1851. [II; 1498. "Violent Earthquake." Stryker's American Register and Magazine, 6 (1851): 179. "On the 4th, at midnight, a heavy rain set in, which lasted uninterruptedly for twelve hours and cooled the atmosphere considerably...."]

1851 Ap 2 / q and flash / (Chili) / See May 24. / From Report of the U.S. Expedition to Chili—by Lieut. J M. Gilliss—Some hours before the q, "x x there was a vivid, quick flash of lightning to the N.N.E. so intense in brightness as to illuminate within the observatory where I had been at work some hours." No thunder. / Am. J. Sci 2/21/388. [II; 1499.1, 1499.2. Gilliss, J.M. "On the Earthquake of April 2, 1851, in Chile." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 21 (1856): 388-399, at 388. "Not far from 9 o'clock, on the night of the 1st, there was a vivid, quick flash of lightning to the NNE, so intense in brightness as to illuminate within the observatory, where I had been at work some hours. I was startled by the sudden brilliancy, and listened for close-following thunder, but no sound came; neither was the flash repeated, nor was there the smallest speck of cloud even about the horizon in that direction." See: 1851 May 24, (II: 1522-1524).]

1851 Ap. 3-13 / q. / Chile / LT, June 16-5-d—at 6 a.m. Many buildings fell. / N.M. / first shock the severest. [II; 1500. "America." London Times, June 16, 1851, p. 5 c. 4-5, in c. 4. "An earthquake which nearly swallowed up Valparaiso occurred on the 3d of April; the first shock, which was the severest one, and which caused the falling of many buildings and the destruction of much property, occurred at about 6 o'clock in the morning, but occasional shocks of greater or less severity were felt for the succeeding ten days, doing more or less damage."]

1851 Ap. 5 / Hauser / Athenaeum of—from the "Correspondenz of Berlin. / A stranger picked up at end  of year 1850 in a small village near Frankfort-on-the-Oder; how got there no one knew. He spoke German imperfectly. He was taken to Frankfort. On being questioned by the burgomaster, he said that his name was Jophar Vorin and that he had come from a country called Laxaria, in a part of the world called Sakaria. He understood no European language except some German but read and wrote what he called Laxarian and Abramian tongue, one the written language of the clerical order of his people and the other the common language of the people. His religion was Christian in form but was called Ispatian. Laxaria was many hundreds of miles from Europe, separated by vast oceans. He had gone to Europe to seek a long-lost brother, but had been shipwrecked on the way; where he did not know. His unknown race had considerable geographical knowledge, knowing the continents of the Earth as Sakria, Aftar, Astar, Anstar, and Euplar. He was sent to Berlin, where he became object of great interest. [A; 285.1 to 285.5. "Our Weekly Gossip." Athenæum,, (no. 1223; April 5, 1851): 382-384, at 384. "His purpose in coming to Europe, he alleges, was, to seek a long-lost brother; but he suffered shipwreck on the voyage,—where, he does not know,—nor can he trace his route on shore on any map or globe." "A New Man." Eclectic Magazine, 23 (May 1851): 135. "Marvellous Story. Royal Gazette, (Bermuda), August 5, 1851, p. 1 c. 4. "A Berlin paper relates a most incredible story, or a curious imposition—which of the two time will prove. On the 30th of September last a stranger was arrested in a small village in the district of Lebas, near Frankfort-on-the-Oder, bearing all the marks of Caucasian origin." "An Ethnological Wonder." Literary World,  8 (May 17, 1851): 395-396. "The mind at once jumps back to similar cases." The Literary World recounts Count Cagliostro, Princess Caraboo, and Psalmanazar, as imposters pretending to have exotic origins. "On écrit d'Angers, le 12 avril." Journal des Debats, April 14, 1851, p. 4 c. 1. "On se rappelle que vers la fin du dix-huitième siècle un aventurier, qui prit le nom de Psalmanasar, fit subir aux savans et aux ecclésiastiques anglais une mystification singulière." The Journal des Debats reports this story from a source in Angers, France, (not from Germany), and introduces it with a review of Psalmanazar's imposture. If this Gulliver could not identify his country on a map, nor on a globe, one might question where he really came from, if not from the imagination of a writer at an English newspaper; as, I find nothing about this "Jophar Vorin" character in a search of German publications, (nor predating his appearance in the London Globe). (Eclectic Magazine cites the London Globe as its source). "Germany." Bristol Times and Mirror, April 5, 1851, p. 2 c. 1. (One of two first appearances in British newspapers, @ British Newspaper Archive.)]

1851 Ap. 13 / qs / Armenia / Sweden / Austria / BA '11. Sim q's, Feb. 18, 1889. [II; 1501. A class I earthquake. Milne, 710. See: 1889 Feb. 18, (VI; 1555).]

[1851 Ap. 13 /] 1831 Ap. 13 / Shocks / Armenia / Sweden / Austria / See mite, 15th. / BA 11. [I; 1592.A class I earthquake. Milne, 710. See: 1851 Ap. 17, (II; 1502).]

1851 Ap. 17 / (F) / Gütersloh, Westphalia / metite / BA 60. [II; 1502. Fletcher, 101. Greg, 91. This is the Gütersloh meteorite.]

1851 Ap. 19. / Ac to Dr. Buist investigation, this of 19th was a mistake for 20th. / See other note. [II; 1503. See: 1851 Ap 19 and 20, (II; 1506).]

1851 April / Lyrids abundant / Nature 99-133. [II; 1504. "Our Astronomical Column." Nature, 99 (April 12, 1917): 133.]

1851 Ap. 19th / ab. 10:30 p.m. / at Kolapore / "The entire sky to the north was seen in a perfect blaze with meteors shooting from east to west." / BA 51-48 / ab. 5 minutes. [II; 1505. Powell, Baden. "On Observations of Luminous Meteors." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1851, 1-52, at 48.]

1851 Ap 19 and 20 / In Rept BA, 52-226, Editor of Bombay Times quoted that from other evidence he had concluded that there were displays both of these nights. Quotes "one of the oldest and ablest observers in India" that at Madras, on 19th, from 8:30 to 9:30, facing east, he had counted not less than 40 meteors, from N. to N.E. to S. and S.W. [II; 1506.1, 1506.2. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 226-227.]

1851 Ap. 19 / loc mets / 10 p.m. / At Mazagon, near Bombay, from point ab 15 degrees above N.E. horizon. In ab 1/2 hour ab. 20 mets—largest left long trains. / BA 51-48. [II; 1507. Powell, Baden. "On Observations of Luminous Meteors." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1851, 1-52, at 34-35 & 48.]

1851 Ap. 20 / At Cawnpore / mets like 19th, from 8 to 10 p.m. / constant 8 to 10 p.m. / all from north to south. [II; 1508. Powell, Baden. "On Observations of Luminous Meteors." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1851, 1-52, at 48.]

1851 Ap. 25 / at Cuneo (Piedmont), Italy / Immense swarm of butterflies. Too early in year for them to have hatched out in Italy. / Taunton Courier, May 21. [II; 1508. "Curious Phenomena." Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser, May 21, 1851, p. 8 c. 3. "...It has generally been supposed by naturalists, that the insects are brought over from Africa by the agency of whirlwinds, as their full grown state precludes the possibility of their having been hatched at this time of the year in so northern a latitude as Piedmont."]

1851 Ap. 25 - May 1 / Hurricanes / India / An Reg '51-73. [II; 1510. "Chronicle." Annual Register, 93 (1851): pt. 2, 1-208, at 72-73, cv. "Destructive Hurricanes in India."]

1851 April 27 / Durham / great met / 10:05 p.m. / BA 51/42. [II; 1511. Powell, Baden. "On Observations of Luminous Meteors." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1851, 1-52, at 34-35 & 42). Lowe, 137. Greg, 91.]

1851 / summer / Quincay, France . /et / (F). [II; 1512. Fletcher, 101. This is the Quinçay meteorite.]

1851 May 2 / 10 p.m. / Madras—sky overcast—a circular illumination—thought be from a meteor. / BA 52-228. [II; 1513. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 216-217 & 227-228.]

1851 May 8 / 10:20 p.m. / St Ives, Hunts / Meteor "issued from below Jupiter and near him". / B Assoc 1851-36. [II; 1514. Powell, Baden. "On Observations of Luminous Meteors." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1851, 1-52, at 36-37.]

1851 May 8 / L.T. of / That ac to Prof. Tosti, a luminous meteor had recently set fire to a barn at Lardabourg, Calabria. [II; 1515. "Curious Meteorological Phenomenon." London Times, May 8, 1851, p. 5 c. 4.]

[1851 May 10 /] 1851 May 17 / (Liv) / Bushels of snails at Bradford, ab. 12 miles from Bristol. Stroud Free Press, May 23. [II; 1519. Douglas, J.W. "Shower of Snails." Zoologist, 9 (1851): 3176. Baker, William. "Shower of Snails." Zoologist, 9 (1851): 3187. A correspondent dismisses this shower, and that of 1821, at Tocklington, as a plentiful appearance of Helix virgata during its mating season. "Shower of Snails." London Standard,  May 15, 1851, p. 4 c. 6. "An extraordinary scene was witnessed at Bradford, about 12 miles from Bristol, on Saturday last, when that village was visited by a heavy shower of snails. They might have been gathered up by bushels." For the earlier occurrence of a shower of snails, near Bristol, see: 1821 Aug 25, (I: 881 & 882).]

1851 May 15 / 8:10 a.m. / shock / California / Time of eruption of Mauna Loa / Ref, May 13, 1850. [II; 1516. See: 1850 May 13, (II; 1390).]

1851 May 15 to 25 / q—torrent / 1:45 a.m. / Majorca (spelled Mayorque) / C.R. 33-23 / Before the shock, the air was charged with electricity. Some days before, torrential rains had ended a long drought. [II; 1517. Pujo. "Sur un tremblement de terre qui s'est fait sentir à Mayorque le 15 mai 1851." Comptes Rendus, 33 (1851): 23-24.]

1851 May 15 / —Spain / 16—W. Indies / 17—Cent Amer / q's / B.A. '11. Sim q's. Feb 18, 1889. [II; 1518. Milne, 710. See: 1889 Feb. 18, (VI; 1555).]

[1851 May 17. Wrong date. See: 1851 May 10, (II; 1519).]

1851 May 22 / at Ennore, near Madras / Brilliant meteor left a streak that lasted 2 minutes. Ba 52-228. [II; 1520. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 216-217 & 228. Lowe, 137. Greg, 91.]

1851 May 22 / India / Ice—size of pumpkins / (D-176). ** [II; 1521. The note copies information from page 176 of The Book of the Damned. Buist, George. "Remarkable Hailstorms in India, from March 1851 to May 1855." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1855, Notices and Abstracts, 31-38, at 35-36.]

1851 May 24 / See [LT], June 16-5-d. / q. / Chili. [II; 1522. "America." London Times, June 16, 1851, p. 5 c. 4-5. See: 1851 Ap. 3-13, (II; 1500).]

1851 May 24 / Chili / Andes / "Large fireball; earthquake about the same time." / BA '60-91 / See Ap.2. [II; 1523. Greg, 91. See: 1851 Ap. 2, (II: 1497 to 1499).]

1851 May 24 / (+) / See Ap 2. / q and large met / Andes. / BA 60-90. [II; 1524. Greg, 91. See: 1851 Ap. 2, (II: 1497 to 1499).]

1851 June 1 / Calcutta / 8:30 p.m. / splendid meteor / B.A. 52-229. [II; 1525. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 229. Lowe, 137. Greg, 91.]

1851 June / Cotopaxi, Ecuador, active after long inaction. / Nature 4-212. [II; 1526. "Notes." Nature, 4 (July 13, 1871): 210-212, at 212. The Cotopaxi volcano.]

1851 June 20 / 11:30 p.m. / great met / Bath / BA 51/49. [II; 1527. (BA 51-49). Lowe, 134, 137, (Figure 22). Lowe lists the date as "June 20," (not "26").]

1851 June 22 / Met / Kingston / Ireland? / Proc. Roy. Irish Acad 5/198. [II; 1528. "The Secretary read a communication from Digby Pilot Starkey...." Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 5 (1850-1853): 198. Kingstown, (Dunleary), is now identified as Dún Laoghaire, in County Dublin, Ireland. Lowe, 137.]

1851 June 29 / Le Moniteur, July 1 . that metite fell through roof of a house in Vielle (Landros). [II; 1529. (Le Moniteur, July 1, 1851).]

1851 July 6 / Met / Paris / 7—det met, Epinal / BA 60-90. [II; 1530. Greg, 91.]

1851 July 14 / q. / Calabria / Am. J. Sci 2-12-443 / 700 bodies found up to Aug 26. [II; 1531. Morris, E.J. "On the Earthquake in Calabria." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 12 (1851): 443-444.]

1851 July 14 / q. / Calabria / 100 miles S.E. of Naples / A. J. Sci 2/12/443. [II; 1532. Morris, E.J. "On the Earthquake in Calabria." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 12 (1851): 443-444. "For ten minutes previous the house dog howled in most dismal tones, the chickens cackled and hurried about as if fleeing from some anticipated danger, and a pair of turkeys rose in the air and flew around the house screaming as if seized by a secret terror, while all the dogs in the neighborhood were in full bay."]

1851 July / Hun / Comorn /q / BA '11. [II; 1533. A class I earthquake. Milne, 710.]

1851 July 28 / Total eclipse sun / Norway / C.R. 38-295. [II; 1534. D'Abbadie, Antoine. "Eclipse totale du Soleil, observée le juillet 1851 à Frederiksvœrn en Norwége." Comptes Rendus, 38 (1854): 295-300.]

1851 July 30 / Copenhagen / Met. train? / or things like Burlington / B. Assoc 1872/68. [II; 1535. Glaisher, James, and, Robert Philips Greg, Alexander Stewart Herschel, and Charles Brooke. "Report...on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1871-72." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1872, 57-118, at 66-68.]

1851 Aug 8-12 / [A. J. Sci] 2/13/395, 299. [II; 1536. "Eruption of Mauna Loa." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 299. Coan, T. "On the Eruption of Mauna Loa in 1851." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 395-397.]

1851 Aug 8-20 / Mauna Loa / A. J. Sci 2/12/299, 395. [II; 1537. "Eruption of Mauna Loa." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 299. Coan, T. "On the Eruption of Mauna Loa in 1851." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 395-397.]

1851 Aug / Maximum of Perseids / Observatory 46-169. [II; 1538. Denning, William Frederick. "Meteor Notes." Observatory, 46 (1923): 169-170.]

1851 Aug 13 / Ice lumps / New Hampshire / D-176. ** [II; 1539. The note copies information from page 176 of The Book of the Damned. Loomis, Elias. A Treatise on Meteorology. New York: Harper, 1868, 129-130. "On the 13th of August, 1851, about 1 P.M., hailstones fell in New Hampshire weighing 18 ounces. A sphere of solid ice weighing 18 ounces has a diameter of four inches, and a circumference of 12½ inches. In the present case the stones were somewhat porous and of irregular shape, and their largest circumference exceeded 15 inches." No mention is made here of ice weighing a pound-and-a-half.]

1851 Aug. 14 / Southern Neapolitan territory, great q. / An Reg / 50 villages damaged. [II; 1540. "Chronicle." Annual Register, 93 (1851): pt. 2, 1-208, at 123-124, cv. "Dreadful Earthquakes in Italy."]

1851 Aug 22 / 4 p.m. West Cambridge, Mass / Tornado / Finley's Rept. [II; 1541. Finley, 3.]

1851 Aug 24 / (Fr) / q / Besancon / C.R. 33/272. [II; 1542. Person. "Tremblement de terre ressenti à Besançon, le 24 août 1851." Comptes Rendus, 33 (1851): 272.]

1851 Aug / [Eruption of Mont Pelee.] / Port of Spain Gazette, [29th August, 1851]. [II; 1543. Newspaper clipping. "The Volcanic Eruption of Mount Pelee." Port of Spain Gazette, (Trinidad), August 29, 1851, p. 3 c. 2-4.]

1851 Sep. 1 / Light Sky / Minnesota / Smithson Rept 1855/281. [II; 1544. "Phenomena of Lightning." Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 10 (1855-1856): 280-282, at 281.].): 128-129. Lefroy, J.H. "Second Report on Observations of the Aurora Borealis, 1850-1851." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 14 (1852): 153-160.]

1851 Sept 13 / [LT], 7-c / Met. [II; 1547. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "Large Meteor." London Times, September 13, 1851, p. 7 c. 3. The meteor was observed at Beeston, on September 10, at 9:15 p.m.]

1851 Sept 24 / [LT], 6-b / Met. [II; 1548. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "Splendid Meteor." London Times, September 24, 1851, p. 6 c. 2. The meteor was observed at Beeston, on September 20, at 9:50 p.m.]

1851 Sept 29 / Aurora / A. J. Sci 2/12/442 / 13/128, 153. [II; 1549. "Aurora Borealis." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 12 (1851): 442. "Aurora Borealis of September 29th, 1851." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 128. Le Conte, J. "Note on the Aurora Borealis of Sept. 29th, 1851." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 128-129. "Aurora Borealis of September 29th, 1851." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 128-129. Lefroy, J.H. "Second Report on Observations of the Aurora Borealis, 1850-1851." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 14 (1852): 153-160.]

1851 Oct 2 / Aurora / Proc Roy Irish Acad 5/222. [II; 1550. "The Rev. Samuel Haughton communicated a short account of an Aurora...." Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 5 (1850-1853): 222.]

1851 Oct. 5 / Met "beneath the moon". / near Oxford / B. Assoc 1852-219. [II; 1551. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 218-219.]

1851 Oct 5 / 5:30 p.m. / Great whirlwind at Limerick / An Reg 1851-162. [II; 1552. "Chronicle." Annual Register, 93 (1851): pt. 2, 1-208, at 162, cv. "Whirlwind at Limerick." "The Secretary of Council read the following letter from Dr. Griffin...." Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 5 (1850-1853): 225-230.]

1851 Oct 17 / Cut / 9 p.m. / at Stone / Met from one degree under Saturn / about 1½ E to W / B Assoc 1852/214. [II; 1553. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 214-215. Lowe, 137.]

1851 Oct 22 / (q) / Gélos, Basses-Pyrénees / C.R. 33/464. [II; 1555. "M. De La Jonquière donne quelques détails sur un tremblement de terre...." Comptes Rendus, 33 (1851): 464.]

[1851 Oct / about 20th? Wrong date. See: 1850 Sept 30 - Oct 1, (II; 1556).]

1851 Nov. / Harry Phelps, Stratford, Conn., polt boy sent to a boarding school in Philadelphia. Here, school disturbed by loud raps, and his clothes were torn to ribbons. [A; 287. Holms, Archibald Campbell. The Facts of Psychic Science And Philosophy. Jamaica, N.Y.: Occult Press, 1927, 266. See: 1850, (A; 277).]

1851 Nov. 4 / Meteor / near Bramcote / 5:30 p.m. / "from just N. of Jupiter" / B Assoc. 1852/202. [II; 1557. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 202-203. Greg, 91. Lowe, 137.]

1851 Nov. 4 / (Cut) / 7:35 p.m. / at Stone / Met from Saturn to Beta Ceti / B Assoc 1852/214. [II; 1558. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 214-215.]

1851 Nov. 4 / (moon) / near Aylesbury / Met as if from below and a little to the right of the moon / B Assoc '52-221. [II; 1559. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 220-221.]

1851 Nov 5 / Tarragona, Spain / Metite / BA '60 / (F). (F) = Nulles, Catalonia. [II; 1560. Fletcher, 101. Greg, 91. This is the Nulles meteorite.]

1851 Nov. 11 / Met listed by Lowe as "Curious". / Cast. Donington / Rec Sci 1/137. [II; 1561. Lowe, 137. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 202-203. Castle Donington, Berkshire.]

1851 Nov. 16 / Highfield House / Met listed by Lowe as "Curious". Rec Sci 1/137 / Seen by Lowe. [II; 1562. Lowe, 137.]

1851 Nov 18 / Fr / Meteor at Cherbourg / C.R. 33/581. [II; 1563. "M. Lias, enfin, joint à ces diverses communications quelques détails sur un météore...." Comptes Rendus, 33 (1851): 581. Greg, 92.]

1851 Nov. 20? / Singular tide / L.T., 1851, Nov 20/3/c. [II; 1564. Fort copied a citation for a “Singular tide” in Palmer's Index to the Times Newspaper, but that article has not been found, (with his note questioning the date). “Singular Tide on the Thames.” Liverpool Mercury, November 25, 1851, p. 8 c. 6. The Thames twice rose and fell, near the high water mark, ahead of the calculated time, on November 17. This was attributed to heavy winds, but, “such irregularities in the tide have been connected with volcanic disturbances in distant regions.”]

1851 / end of Nov, to early in Aug., 1852 / Very few meteors, ac to an observer's records, in Rept BA 1852-215. [II; 1565. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 214-215. Vincent Fasel writes: "The above 89 meteors were observed within the space of three months and three days. From the latter end of November 1851 up to the beginning of August 1852, very few meteors were seen, although there have been many bright starry nights, on every one of which there has been a constant and careful lookout."]

1851 Nov. 24-30 / Livorno / (It) / Sound / Rumblings / Dec 16 / rumblings and rise and fall of the sea / See 1816. [II; 1566. Cancani, Adolfo. "Rombi sismici." Bollettino della Società Sismologica Italiana, 7 (1901-1902): 23-47, at 39. See: 1816, (I; 547).]

1851 Nov 29 / Ext. spots on sun / Am J. Sci 2/13/442. [II; 1567. "Extraordinary Spots on the Sun." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 442. "Extraordinary Spots on the Sun." London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, s. 4 v. 3 (1852): 78.]

1851 Dec. 1 / Beeston Observatory. / Met seen by Lowe listed by him as "Curious. / Rec Sci 1/137. [II; 1568. Lowe, 133, 137, (Figure 14).]

1851 Dec 8 / Prof. DeGaspari, of Naples, discovered very faint star "near Saturn," which he considered a new planet. / Am J. Sci 2/13/28. / p. 426 / Prof Challis / must have been Iapetus, one of the sats of Saturn—if so—. [II; 1569. Annibale de Gasparis, at the Observatory of Capodimonte, started looking for new planets at the end of 1848; and, he succeeded in finding Hygeia, (April 12, 1849), Parthenope, (May 11, 1850), Egeria, (November 2, 1850), and Eunomia, (July 29, 1851). "Address delivered by the Astronomer Royal, President of the Society, on presenting the Honorary Medal of the Society to Dr. Anniable de Gasparis." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 11 (February 15, 1851): 116-120. Gasparis was awarded a gold medal from the Royal Astronomical Society for these discovering the first three of these asteroids. "Supposed new Planet." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 287. "New Planet discovered by Dr. A. de Gasparis." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 12 (November 14, 1851): 1. Later, in 1851 Gasparis claimed to have discovered another asteroid, or "new planet," on December 8, 1851; and, he provided its position near Saturn for December 8 and 9. Karl Ludwig Christian Rümker, at the Hamburg Observatory, also claimed to have observed this object on December 24, 1851, giving its position. "Denial of the supposed New Planet." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 426. "Supposed New Planet of Gasparis." Astronomical Journal, 2 (1852): 95. James Challis explained: "The object observed by Dr. De Gasparis, December 8 and 9, must have been Iapetus. By a rough calculation I find that the place of the satellite at that time and its change of position relative to Saturn sufficiently accord with the observations. This is the only satellite whose right ascension could differ as much as 30s. from tha of Saturn. Although Dr. De Gasparis states that he took account of Iapetus, I conceive that he must have mistaken Titan for Iapetus, or perhaps some other object was supposed to be Iapetus. M. Rümker's place is, I conceive, an observation of Titan. I ascertained this last night, having found Titan in the same position relative to Saturn which the object observed by M. Rümker had on December 24; and the interval between January 9 and December 24 (sixteen days) is very nearly Titan's periodic time. I have seldom, perhaps never, seen the satellites of Saturn so bright as they now appear; and I am not surprised that Titan should be mistaken for one of the asteroids. It is a good 9th magnitude, and was visible, notwithstanding its proximity to Saturn, in the finder of our telescope." The failure of two professional astronomers to identify these satellites of Saturn, (Iapetus was discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini, in 1671), and, instead, declaring them to be new planets, was conveniently forgotten with the discovery of the asteroid Psyche, (March 17, 1852), by Gasparis.]

1851 Dec. 8 / Waterspout? / Two enormous waterspouts swept over Sicily—2 "immense spherical bodies of water [reaching from the clouds], their cones nearly touching the earth, at a quarter of a mile apart, travelling with immense velocity." Human beings and cattle raised in vortex—fall of cataracts of water and masses of ice. / An Reg '51-199. [II; 1570.1, 1570.2. "Chronicle." Annual Register, 93 (1851): pt. 2, 1-208, at 199, cv. "Devastation in Sicily."]

1851 Dec 15 / Stratford, Conn, phe ceased. / not Oct. [A; 288. Holms, Archibald Campbell. The Facts of Psychic Science and Philosophy. Jamaica, N.Y.: Occult Press, 1927, 266.]

1851 Dec. 22 / Moths / W.B. Clarke, camping upon a mountain in the Australian Alps / bet 6 and 7000 feet his camp. "About sundown an immense flight of moths came down from the granite peaks and nearly extinguished the fire." / H.C. Russell—Climate of N. S. Wales, p. 28. [II; 1571.1, 1571.2. Russell, Henry Chamberlaine. Climate of New South Wales: Descriptive, Historical, and Tabular. Sydney: Charles Potter, 1877, 28. Clarke, William Branwhite. "Moths." Sydney Morning Herald, October 11, 1867, p. 5 c. 5.]

1852:

1852 / Have Friend of India this year mostly. [II; 1572.]

[1852] / [More Frogs From the Sky.] / Northern News, Vryburg, Transvaal, March 21, 1925. [II; 1573. Pabst: The original letter, signed by C.J. Grewar, accompanies the newspaper clipping. Letter; Grewar, C.J., to Fort??? Newspaper clipping. ("More frogs from the sky." Northern News (Vrysburg, Transval), March 21, 1925. In Lo!, pt. 1 ch. 1.)]

[1852. Wrong date. See: 1853 Apr. 14, (II; 1574).]

1852 ab / Dunsink, near Dublin / obj and the necktie / See Lum Objs. [A; 289.]

1852 ab / Lum obj / Elec Intelligence / Eng Mec. 16-363, R. Packenham Williams of the Dunsink Observatory near Dublin, writes that about the year 1872 (P writes 20 years later) a young man was experimenting with a telegraph wire and so he accounts for a luminous phe he saw. He thinks that it was an electric charge that left this wire. But his own first view of it was when high in the air. It had picked up a cravat that was bleaching on a lawn and high in the air carried it half a mile, then dropping it. The cravat was not even scorched. [A; 291.1, 291.2, 291.3. Williams, R. Packenham. "An Extraordinary Phenomenon." English Mechanic, 16 (December 27, 1872): 363. "One of Sir William Hamilton's sons, who was fond of experimenting, had a telegraph wire running the length of a shrubbery, as far as the lodge; whether from accident or in the natural course of things I don't know, but an accumulation of the electric fluid, I suppose, passed along the wire from the Observatory end down to the lodge, where it left the wire, passed along the ground a distance of some yards, then rising over a hedge, on which some linen was bleaching, picked up a cravat and mounted high in the air with it, carrying it a distance of about half a mile. I saw it myself like a ball of fire with something white hanging to it; but I could not judge very well of its height. It has always appeared an extraordinary thing to me that the cravat was recovered uninjured."]

1852 or 1853 / Cor to Daily Mail, Dec 13, 1922, writes that at Cotswolds he saw in snow strange tracks, even on roofs. See Feb., 1855 / also ab this time. [A; 292. (Daily Mail, December 13, 1922).]

1852 / and 1885 / and 1897, Dec 3 / Moodus Sounds. [II; 1575.]

1852 Jan / Polt and flames / Russia. [A; 293.]

1852 Jan 10 / Feb 11 / Apr 30 / June 30 / Aug 2, 11 / Nov 27 / q's / New England / See Nov 9, 1810. [II; 1576. Brigham, William T. "Volcanic Manifestations in New England." Memoirs  of the Boston Society of Natural History, 2 (1871/1878): 1-28, at 19. See: 1810 Nov 9, (I; 308).]

1852 Jan. 23 / Nellore, Madras, India / (F). [II; 1577. Fletcher, 101. This is the Nellore meteorite.]

1852 Jan 24 / q / India / Upper Sind, Murree Hills / BA '11. [II; 1578. A class III earthquake. Milne, 710.]

1852 Jan 24 / Feb 22 / July 7 / Nov. 20 / Sim q's. Sim q's, Feb 18, 1889. [II; 1579. Milne, 710-711. See: 1889 Feb. 18, (VI; 1555).]

1852 Jan 24 / —Sind, India / 24—Mexico / 25—Spain / 26—France / q's ' BA '11. Sim q's, Feb. 18, 1889. [II; 1580. Milne, 710.]

1852 Jan 24 / India / Upper Sind / Murree Hills / q / III / BA '11. [II; 1581. A class III earthquake. Milne, 710.]

1852 Jan 24 / Op Mars / (Al). [II; 1582. Opposition of Mars. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1852, 560.]

1852 Jan 25 / Gardeners' Chronicle, Feb. 14 / Cor sends tracings he made around lumps of ice that fell from sky at Carclew, Jan. 25. It was a th. storm. Ice fell ab. 2 p.m. [II; 1583. Booth, William Beattie. "Remarkable Hail-storm." Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1852 no. 7 (February 14): 102.]

1852 Jan 25 / (Illustrations) / (Fort free-hand copy of tracing made around lump of ice). [II; 1584. Pabst: "original note missing / copied from The Fortean, no. 25 p. 391, c. 1." Booth, William Beattie. "Remarkable Hail-storm." Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1852 no. 7 (February 14): 102.]

1852 Jan 25 / (Illustrations) / (tracing made around lump of ice). [II; 1585. Pabst: "original note missing / copied from The Fortean, no. 25 p. 391, c. 2." Booth, William Beattie. "Remarkable Hail-storm." Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1852 no. 7 (February 14): 102.]

1852 Jan 26 / 1 a.m. / q / Castillon-sur-Dordogne / NM / C.R. 34/218 / q. [II; 1587. "M. Paquerée transmet quelques observations...." Comptes Rendus, 34 (1852): 218.]

1852 Jan 26 / (q and sky) / (Gironde, etc.) / 2:15 a.m. / Detonation and q / Bordeaux / "the sky at the time was of a dark reddish color, as if from the effects of a luminous fire at a distance." / Sc. Am., 7-208. [II; 1588. "Earthquake in France." Scientific American, o.s., 7 (March 13, 1852): 208. "...as if from the effect of a tremendous fire at a distance."]

1852 Feb 3 and 4 / Red snow / Switzerland / N. Italy / Am J. Sci 2/13/442. [II; 1589. Ehrenberg. "Observations on a Red Snow, which fell in Switzerland on the 3d and 4th of February." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 442-443.]

1852 Feb.17 / Mauna Loa / See June '32. [II; 1590. See: 1832 June 20, (I; 1700).]

1852 Feb 19 / Ext. aurora / Am J. Sci 2/13/426. [II; 1591. Olmsted, Denison. "Great Aurora Borealis of February 19th, 1852." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 426-430.]

1852 Feb 19 / At Delaware College, at 10:05 p.m., a column of the aurora passed precisely over Mars. / Am J. Sci 2-13-430. [II; 1592. Kirkwood, Daniel. "Aurora Borealis of February 19, 1852." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 13 (1852): 430.]

1852 Feb 21 / [LT], 5-f / Spon. Comb. [A; 294. "Spontaneous Combustion." London Times, February 21, 1852, p. 5 c. 6. The article concerns the spontaneous combustion of coal aboard ships.]

1852 Feb. 22 / France and Central Asia / qs / BA '11. Sim q's. Feb, 1889. [II; 1593. A class I earthquake. Milne, 710. See: 1889 Feb. 18, (VI; 1555).]

1852 Feb 23 / [LT], 8-f / Aurora. [II; 1594. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "The Aurora Borealis." London Times, February 23, 1852, p. 8 c. 6. Many observations from February 15 to 20, at Beeston.]

1852 Feb. 29 / Observation at Santiago de Chili, 7:40 p.m., of an unknown—one that could not afterward be recognized. / Sid Mess 3-315. [II; 1595. Chandler, Seth Carlo, Jr. "On a Hitherto Unexplained Observation by Capt. Gilliss." Sidereal Messenger, 3 (December 1884): 315-316. "The suggestion I have to make is that this was an occultation of the star Eta Geminorum, although this explanation is so obvious that it is strange it should not have occurred to Capt. Gilliss or Professor Ferguson." Tatlock, John, Jr. "The Occultation Observed by Gilliss at Santiago de Chili, on Feb. 29th, 1852." Sidereal Messenger, 4 (January 1885): 18-19. "A rough computation of the phenomenon on the assumption that Eta Geminorum was the occulted star gave substantially the same result." Gilliss, James Melville. "Longitude of Santiago de Chile." Astronomical Journal, 6 (1860): 94. "Nor may it be without interest to state, that a star of the 7.8 magnitude, whose occultation was observed at 7h 40m 48s.3 (mean time Santiago), 1852, February 29, cannot now be recognized." Gilliss does state that he observed the occultation of this "extremely faint" star and that, "partially obscured by the cirri," its magnitude may have been underrated. A star with a magnitude 8.25, (RA/Dec J2000.0 at 6h 16m 5.97s / +23° 11' 38.8"), would have been occulted by the Moon on February 29, 1852. Eta Geminorum was at 6h 5m 49.39s and +22° 32' 42.0", (with a 3.3 magnitude); however, this unnamed star was at 6h 7m 6.99s and +23° 14' 8.4", (occulted by the Moon, and not 12.2' away from the Moon, as Eta Geminorum was located by Tatlock).]

1852 March 11 / 7:56 p.m. / Dieppe / Met. / C.R. 34-772. [II; 1596. Nell de Bréauté. "Bolide observé à la Chapelle, près Dieppe...." Comptes Rendus, 34 (1852): 772-773.]

1852 Mar 18 / Ap. 30 / Sept. 25 / 3 aerolites in th. storm in India / Brit Assoc 1852/239. [II; 1597. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 239.]

1852 March 24-25 / See Aug., 1890. / Spain / Belgique Horticole 2/319. [II; 1598. Morren, Charles François Antoine. "Les Pluies de Grains et Les Fleurs du Ciel." La Belgique Horticole, 2 (1852): 319-325, at 319. "Ein fehr auffallendes Ereignis..." Der Heinsberger Bote, April 17, 1852, p. 2 c. 2. The grain fell at Heinsberg, Erkelenz, and Jülich, (in Germany, in 1852).]

1852 March 30 / Red Rain / Lyons / R—May 16, '46. [II; 1599. 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 194-197, 214. Refer to: 1846 May 16, (II; 962).]

1852 Ap. 1 / 5:30 a.m. / Winscombe, Axbridge / q / LT 12-7-f. [II; 1600. "Earthquake." London Times, April 12, 1852, p. 7 c. 6.]

1852 Ap. 2 / Bolide / France / C.R. 35-676. [II; 1601. Petit, Frédéric. "Note sur un bolide observé le 2 avril 1852." Comptes Rendus, 35 (1852): 676-679.]

1852 Ap. 8 / ab 7 p.m. / A pillar of fire, vertical, western sky, extending ab. 15 degrees from horizon at a point near intersection of the ecliptic with the horizon.—lasted ab 20 minutes—appeared to follow the sun. LT, Ap. 10-6-b / 12-7-f / 14-5-e / 15-8-e / 28-8-f. [II; 1602.1, 1602.2. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, April 10, 1852, p. 6 c. 2. The original correspondent asked if the phenomenon was a comet. "The Zodiacal Light." London Times, April 12, 1852, p. 7 c. 6. It was the zodiacal light according to another correspondent, (tho it was still daylight). "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, April 14, 1852, p. 5 c. 5. Another correspondent explains it as a comet. "The Atmospheric Phenomena of Thursday." London Times, April 15, 1852, p. 8 c. 5. John Russell Hind and Edward Joseph Lowe dismiss the zodiacal light, as an explanation, and identify it as a sun column. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, April 28, 1852, p. 8 c. 6. Lowe observes another sun column at Beeston, on the evening of April 26, and reports that it had been seen several times in the Orkney Islands. See: 1852 Ap. 26, (II; 1613).]

1852 Ap 9 / London / sky fire / LT 10-5-f, etc. See Met and A L in index. / A column had been seen from sun. [II; 1606. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, April 10, 1852, p. 6 c. 2. Fort notes a number of articles from Palmer's Index to the Times Newspaper, regarding the sun column and fiery auroral displays.]

1852 Ap. 9 / LT, Ap. 10 / Cor writes that at 7 p.m. a fiery column had been seen as if up from the sun. / of Ap. 8. [II; 1609. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, April 10, 1852, p. 6 c. 2.]

1852 April 9 / ab. 1 a.m. / London / Heaven seemed aflame. "Messenger after messenger arrived at Brigade, West of England fire engine station, requesting the aid of the firemen to subdue what was supposed to be a terrible fire." / L.T.—April 10. [II; 1605.1, 1605.2. "Singular Atmospheric Phenomena." London Times, April 10, 1852, p. 5 c. 6.]

1852 Ap 10 / [LT], 5-f / 15-8-e / 21-8-c / Atmospheric phe in London. [II; 1603. "Singular Atmospheric Phenomena." London Times, April 10, 1852, p. 5 c. 6. Fire engine stations were alerted to numerous messages of a fire. "The heavens presented at the south-eastern quarter an appearance of sheets of flame of various hues: first the light lemon tint, then changing to deep orange, after which they changed to a deep vermillion. The engines were driven with all possible speed in the direction of the supposed fire, but after proceeding some miles the moon shone out with the greatest splendourm and the previous signs of a fire disappeared." "The Atmospheric Phenomena of Thursday." London Times, April 15, 1852, p. 8 c. 5. These letters concern the sun column observed on April 8. See: 1852 Ap. 8, (II; 1602). "Atmospheric Phenomena." London Times, April 21, 1852 p. 8 c. 3. Another display, about 7 p.m. on April 19, was observed at Chatham. "A brilliant crimson play of light, of a fan-shaped appearance, and extremely vivid at the nucleus, was followed by numerous columns of dazzling light shooting upwards. In three minutes the brilliancy ceased, and in five minutes wholly disappeared; the clouds, however, in the immediate vicinity of the phenomena retained a rich crimson tint, of unusual depth and brilliancy, for some minutes longer."]

1852 Ap 10 / [LT], 5-f / 15-8-e / 21-8-c / Atmospheric phe / London. [II; 1604. "Singular Atmospheric Phenomena." London Times, April 10, 1852, p. 5 c. 6. "The Atmospheric Phenomena of Thursday." London Times, April 15, 1852, p. 8 c. 5.  These letters concern the sun column observed on April 8. See: 1852 Ap. 8, (II; 1602). "Atmospheric Phenomena." London Times, April 21, 1852 p. 8 c. 3.]

1852 April / Auroras / See Aug 21. / Etna. [II; 1607. See: 1852 Aug 21, (II; 1643).]

1852 April / Auroral (beam) / Am J. Sci 2/14/130. [II; 1608. "Observations on an Auroral Beam, April 22, 1852." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 14 (1852): 130.]

1852 Ap. 17 / Metite / Gütersloh / A. J. Sci 2/15/290. [II; 1610. "On a new Meteoric stone from Gütersloh." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 15 (1853): 290-291. This is the Gütersloh meteorite.]

1852 Ap. 19 / ab 7 p.m. / Chatham / another sky fire / LT 21-8-c. [II; 1611. "Atmospheric Phenomena." London Times, April 21, 1852 p. 8 c. 3. See: 1852 Ap 10, (II; 1603).]

1852 Ap. 20 / Met / Oxford / Ac to Lowe—"Curious. Repulsed by Aurora." / Rec. Sci, 1/137. [II; 1612. Lowe, 133, 137. "Fig. 15 is an instance of Aurora borealis changing the direction of a meteor. It was seen by the Rev. J. Slatter, from Rose Hill, Oxford, on the 20th of April, 1852 (11h. 25m. p.m.)."]

1852 Ap. 26 / Aurora—sun column / 7:22 p.m. / The sun column again seen—by E. J. Lowe, Beeston. / near Nottingham / L.T. 28/8/f. [II; 1613. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, April 28, 1852, p. 8 c. 6. A sun column was observed by Lowe, at Beeston, and several times in the Orkney Islands. No mention is made of an aurora.]

1852 April 30 / 5 p.m. / New Harmony, Ind / Tornado. / Finley's Rept. [II; 1614. Finley, 3.]

1852 Ap. 30 / Th. stone / India / See March 18. [II; 1615. See: 1852 Mar 18, (II; 1597).]

1852 May 2 / 9 p.m. / Rain at Paris, from cloudless sky / C.R. 44-786. [II; 1616. Phipson, Thomas Lamb. "Sur quelques phénomènes météorologiques observés sur le littoral de la Flandre occidentale." Comptes Rendus, 44 (1857): 784-787, at 786.]

1852 May / qs / India / Darjiling / BA '11. [II; 1617. A class II earthquake. Milne, 710.]

1852 May 11 / bet. 8 and 9 p.m. / Large meteor detonated like cannon fire. / Alsace. Le Moniteur, May 20. [II; 1618. "Faits Divers." Moniteur Universel, May 20, 1852, p. 758, c. 2-3, & p. 759, c. 1.]

[1852 May 23. Wrong date. See: 1854 May 23, (I; 1619).]

[1852 May 23. Wrong date. See: 1854 May 23, (I; 1620).]

1852 May 29 / Spon Comb of the Carter / See July 29. [A; 295. "Instance of Reported Spontaneous Combustion in Morayshire." Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, 78 (1852): 136. "In the Elgin Courant for the week ending Saturday, 5th June 1852, is recorded an instance of what is called Awful Death, as having taken place on the previous Saturday, that is, 29th May, 1852. The body of a man named John Anderson, by occupation a carrier, Whytemyre, was found lying in a field near Hardmuir Toll Gate, fearfully burned, it is stated." (Same volume had a lengthy article on SHC, pp. 95-135, immediately before this brief article.) Grigor, John. "Case of Combustion and Death of the Human Body in the Open Air." Monthly Journal of Medical Science, 15 (December, 1852): 557-561. Dr. John Grigor, of Nairn, Scotland, gives the date of Anderson's death as the evening of July 29th and made a "hurried autopsy" shortly after the funeral service on July 31st. "Awful Death." Elgin Courant, and Morayshire Advertiser, (Moray, Scotland), June 4, 1852, p. 3 c. 1. "Supposed Spontaneous Human Combustion." Elgin Courant, and Morayshire Advertiser, December 17, 1852, p. 2 c. 4.]

1852 May 29 / noon / Waterspout at Darjiling / Jour. Asiatic Soc Bengal 29-373. [II; 1621. Sherwill, Walter Stanhope. "Notes upon some remarkable Waterspouts seen in Bengal between the years 1852 and 1860." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, 29 (1860): 366-375, at 373-374.]

1852 / before July / Black rain / Kilkenny. / (Kilkenny Moderator / B.M.) / Sc. Am 7-336 / (See May 23, '54.) [II; 1622. “Black Rain.” Kilkenny Moderator, May 22, 1852, p. 2 c. 2. “Yesterday morning, between the hours of six and seven o'clock, a heavy shower, which lasted for upwards of twenty minutes, fell over our city and a considerable district adjoining. This rain proved upon examination to have been of almost an inky blackness, and had all the appearance of being impregnated with soot or charcoal. We hope that this phenomenon will receive the attention of some of the scientific gentlemen of our city. In the last year of the cholera we were visited by a similar shower, and in the popular superstitions the appearance of that dreadful disease was largely attributed to this circumstance.” "Black Rain." Scientific American, o.s., 7 (July 03, 1852): 336. See: 1854 May 23, (II; 1620).]

1852 June 1 / q—polt / ab 7:30 a.m. / q. / South Wales / Windows shaken violently and bells ring. / LT 8-8-d. [II; 1623. "Earthquake in South Wales." London Times, June 8, 1852, p. 8 c. 4. Fort simply observes the similarity between the effects of the tremor and the phenomena associated with some poltergeist reports.]

1852 June [11] / A / Am J. Sci 2/14/131 / 15/55. [II; 1624. Herrick, Edward Claudius. "On the Auroral Bow of June 11th, 1852." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 14 (1852): 131. Lyman, Chester S. "On the Auroral Bow of June 11th, 1852." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 15 (1853): 55-63.]

1852 / summer / Unknown insects in great numbers found on mountains in Yorkshire, sear Settle—fly, somewhat shorter than the honey bee, dark thorax, abdomen marked with alternate rings of black and red; wings grey, marked with a black, transverse line near the tips—forceps like jaws of caterpillar, but at the tail. [II; 1625.1, 1625.2. See: 1852 / summer, (II; 1626).]

1852 / summer / Unknown insect / = The Naturalist, N.S., 8-93 / See Ent Mo. Mag, Dec., 1881, p. 159 / Jan., 1883 / Jan., 1882, p. 189. [II; 1626. Dale, James Charles. “An Inquiry as to a Species of Fly.” Naturalist: A Popular Monthly, 2 (1852): 177-178. Bloomfield, Edwin Newson. “An Undetermined Yorkshire Insect.” Naturalist: Journal of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, s. 2. v. 8 (January 1883): 93-94. Bloomfield, Edwin Newson. “Sericompyia borealis singing while at rest.” Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 18 (December 1881): 159-160. Hellins, John. “Sericompyia singing while at rest.” Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 18 (January 1882): 190. Bloomfield, Edwin Newson. “Sericompia borealis.” Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 19 (January 1883): 188-189. Bloomfield had the fly identified as Sericompyia by George Henry Verrall.]

1852 July, Aug, Sept / LT Index / Great thunderstorms. [II; 1627. “The Storm at Leighton Buzzard.” London Times, July 21, 1852, p. 3 c. 5.]

1852 July 7 / Italy and Jamaica / q's / BA '11. / 8th—Asia Minor. Sim q's, Feb 18, 1889. [II; 1628. Milne, 710. Two class I earthquakes. See: 1889 Feb. 18, (VI; 1555).]

1852 July 7 / 7:30 a.m. / Rumbling sound and q. / Jamaica / Timbs'  '53-249. [II; 1629. "Earthquake in Jamaica." Timbs' Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1853, 249.]

1852 July 8 / Rhodes, etc. q / I / BA '11. July 7—W. Indies / and Italy. [II; 1630. A class I earthquake. Milne, 710.]

1852 July 8 / Wedde, Holland. / Stone / BA 60-104. [II; 1631. Greg, 104.]

1852 July 11 and Dec 4 / Livorno / It / Sounds / Rumblings / Feb 1, June 27, Nov 10 / rise and fall of sea / See 1816. [II; 1632. Cancani, Adolfo. "Rombi sismici." Bollettino della Società Sismologica Italiana, 7 (1901-1902): 23-47, at 39. See: 1816, (I; 547).]

1852 July 13 / Carlisle / Met / BA 52/232. / Y 5. [II; 1633. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1851-52." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1852, Reports on the State of Science, 178-239, at 232.]

1852 July 16 / evening / q and th. storm / Athens / The Geologist 4-145. [II; 1634. "Foreign Correspondence." Geologist, 4 (1861): 142-145, at 145, c.v. "Earthquakes and their connection with Meteorological Phenomena."]

1852 July 20 / 21 h / Venus Inf conjunction / (Al). [II; 1635. Inferior conjunction of Venus. Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris, 1852, 561.]

1852 July 24 / III / q / Armenia / BA '11. [II; 1636. A class III earthquake. Milne, 710.]

1852 July 24 / [LT], 4-e / Singular Chase at sea. [A; 296. "Singular Chase in the Channel." London Times, July 24, 1852, p. 4 c. 5. Some 23 passengers disembarked from their ship at Liverpool, only to find it had sailed without them. Despite a railway journey and a five-hour pursuit via a steamship, within sight and signalling of their ship, they were still left behind.]

1852 July 24 / [LT]. 6-b / Myst. dth. [A; 297. "Mysterious Case at Sherborne." London Times, July 24, 1852, p. 6 c. 2. Whether George Higgins, (at first presumed to have drowned), died from falling upon rocks, strangulation, or a heart attack perplexed the coroners.]

1852 July 29 / Spon Comb / the Carter / See May 29. * [A; 297. See: 1852 May 29, (A; 295). John Anderson, who carted wood between Darnaway and Nairn, Scotland, was seen to fall off his cart near the toll-gate at Harmuir. His burnt remains were found on the ground where he fell.]

1852 Aug 3 / Poonah, India / Fish. / Liv. Age 52/186. ** [II; 1637. Buist, George. "Showers of fish." Living Age, 52 (1857): 186. "At Poonah, on the 3d of August, 1852, after a very heavy fall of rain, multitudes of fish were caught on the ground in the cantonments, full half a mile from the nearest stream."]

1852 Aug 7 / M. Chacornac saw a star of 7th or 8th magnitude. / 21h-36 m R.A. / -14°, 33' Declination / On 20th, looked for it and it had disappeared. / C.R. 40-836. [II; 1638. "Note de M. Chacornac, sur plusiers étoiles observées par lui, et ultérieurement disparues." Comptes Rendus, 40 (1855): 835-838, at 835. Chacornac had observed the position of three stars, but the brighter star had disappeared while the other two were still in their positions according to his chart; thus, he suspected that it might have been a minor planet, searched for it, but failed to find it. He concluded that it may have been a variable star, which had become too dim to be seen.]

1852 Aug 7 / List of other disap. stars / Dec 30, 1852 / July 5, 1853 / Oct 5, 1853 / Dec 27, 1853 ('53) / Dec 30, 1853 / Jan 10, 1854 / Jan 26, 1854 / Jan., 1854 / Oct 26, 1854 / last Dec. 1854 / Jan 25, 1855. [II; 1639.1, 1639.2. "Note de M. Chacornac, sur plusiers étoiles observées par lui, et ultérieurement disparues." Comptes Rendus, 40 (1855): 835-838. Jean Chacornac was compiling an "Atlas écliptique" at the observatories in Marseilles and Paris, and these detailed star charts would occasionally have stars disappear, owing to some of them being asteroids. In this same article, Chacornac identifies one of his stars as 24 Themis, (discovered by Annibale de Gasparis, on April 5, 1853), which he had observed on April 8, 1853, but which had disappeared on April 15th, when he again looked for it. Chacornac discovered three asteroids, (25 Phocaea, 33 Polyhymnia, and 34 Circe), between 1853 and 1855, while noting these other "missing stars."]

1852 Aug. 11 / Ext. hail at Thourout / Bull Ac Sci Brux 19-pt 3-28. [II; 1640. Tommeleyn, Ad. "Sur une grêle extraordinaire observée à Thourout, le 11 août 1852." Bulletins de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 19 pt. 3 (1852): 28-30. Russell, Francis Albert Rollo. On Hail. London: Edward Stanford, 1893, 14-15. Some of the hailstones measured upwards of 7 to 8 centimetres in diameter and had remarkable protuberances.]

[1852 Aug 12 /] 1853 Aug 12 / ab 8 p.m. / Cornwall / Liskeard to Tavistock / q and sound like thunder / Times 20-7-a. [II; 1720. "Earthquake in Cornwall." London Times, August 20, 1852, p. 7 c. 1.]

1852 / ab. Aug 15 / (Bld) / CR-35-832 / At Reims, red rain. Sample sent to French Academy. Examined by M. Cahours, who said it was colored by minute organisms—spores of mushrooms or of a fungus and of minute organisms of the class of monads. [II; 1641.2, 1641.2. "Pluie rouge tombée à Reims...Examen de l'eau recueillie." Comptes Rendus, 35 (1852): 832-833.]

1852 Aug 20 / [LT], 6-d / Spiritual Manifestations. [A; 299. "Spiritual Manifestations." London Times, August 20, 1852, p. 6 c. 4. Two anecdotal accounts of spirit communications via rappings and mesmerism.]

1852 Aug 20-25 / (Destruction of Santiago de Cuba by an Earthquake.) / Port of Spain Gazette, (24th September, 1852). [II; 1642. Newspaper clipping. ("Destruction of Santiago de Cuba by an Earthquake." Port of Spain Gazette, 24th September, 1852).]

1852 Aug 21 / one of the greatest recorded / Etna—last 9 months / "Etna" / Rodwell. [II; 1643. Rodwell, George Farrer. Etna: A History of the Mountain and of its Eruptions. London: C. Kegan Paul, 1878, 105-109.]

1852 Aug 28 / 5:15 / Crieff / q. and loud rumbling noise like distant thunder / Timbs 1853-249. [II; 1644. "Earthquake in Scotland." Timbs' Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1853, 249.]

1852 / first week in Sept / D-112 / Th. stone of Andover, Hants / L.T., Sept 16, '52. [II; 1645. The note copies information from page 112 of The Book of the Damned. Bayley, George E. "Meteorolite in Hampshire." London Times, September 16, 1852, p. 6 c. 6. "I have just examined a meteoric stone which, during  a heavy thunderstorm last week, fell in the garden of Mr. Robert Dowling, Lower Claford, Andover, Hants. It is a 'martial pyrites," of an irregular surface, reddish yellow colour, without lustre, grayish yellow metallic fracture, about the size of a cricket ball, and weighing four pounds. It fell with six yards of the roof of the dwelling, and was picked up in the garden path immediately after the storn by his lady, who had been watching the lightning." Wilson, George. "On a supposed Meteoric Stone, alleged to have fallen in Hampshire in September 1852." Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 3 (1852-1853): 147-148.]

1852 Sept / Va / Severe q / Bull Seis Soc Amer '13/129. [II; 1646. Taber, Stephen. "Earthquakes in Buckingham County, Virginia." Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 3 (1913): 124-133, at 129.]

1852 Sept 2 / [LT], 8-f / 3-3-f / Ext story / a fasting girl. [A; 300. "Extraordinary Story." London Times, September 2, 1852, p. 8 c. 6 & p. 9 c. 1. Elizabeth Squirrell, about twelve-years-old, was said to have become deaf and blind, due to an illness, and claimed to have angelic visitations and extraordinary abilities, while fasting, (with no food nor drink for a period of sixteen weeks). During a watch over the girl, odors and a bundle of napkins were discovered, hidden next to her in her bed, that suggested a fraud perpetrated by the girl and her parents. "A Psychological Study." Eclectic Magazine, 31 (1854): 552-558. Howitt, William. The History of the Supernatural. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1863, v. 2, 247-251. Klattowsky, W. Klauer. "Long Privation of Food." London Times, September 3, 1852, p. 3 c. 6. Another "fasting girl," Engeltje van der Vlies, (born in 1787), was said to have not eaten any food since March of 1822, at Pijnakker, near Delft, Holland. However, upon her death on December 23, 1853, (when 66 years-old), an autopsy revealed an amount of fresh fecal matter in her intestines that was indicating a more substantial diet than her alleged fast would have produced. "Amsterdam." Nederlandsch Weekblad voor Geneeskundigen, 4 (February 25, 1854): 81-82.]

[1852 Sept 3] /1853 Sept. 3 / met / ab 1 a.m. / Maidenhead / met like star that expanded to size of moon was seen in London. / Times, Sept 4-6-7-8 / detonated at Cardiff and Dolgelly. [II; 1731. “To the Editor of the Times.” London Times, September 4, 1852, p. 7 c. 3. Burnham. “The Meteor.” London Times, September 6, 1852, p. 5 c. 6. “To the Editor of the Times.” London Times, September 8, 1852, p. 8 c. 2. Dolgelly. “Meteor.” London Times, September 9, 1852, p. 2 c. 6. “Singular and Beautiful Meteor.” Manchester Guardian, September 8, 1852, p. 4 c. 6.]

1852 Sept 4 / Metite / Mezo-Madaras, Siebenburg. / A. J. Sci 2/22/272. [II; 1647. "Meteoric Stone of Mezö-Madaras in Siebenburg." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 22 (1856): 272. Greg, 92.]

1852 Sept 4 / Transylvania / Met stones closely resembling those of May 13, 1855 / See. / (F). [II; 1648. Fletcher, 101. This is the Mezö-Madaras meteorite.]

[1852 Sept 11 /] 1852 Sept 9 / (moon) / Brilliant star like meteor / from 4:15 to 4:45 a.m. / varied remarkably / "Venus and the moon were, curiously, in the same region." / E Mec 90/188 / (see 11.) / (Wrong date). [II; 1649. Packer, David Elijah. “The Daylight Stars....” English Mechanic, 90 (no. 2322; September 24, 1909): 187-188. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1852-53." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1853, Reports on the State of Science, 1-36, at 8-9 & 35-36.]

1852 Sept 11 / B Assoc 1853/35—said that after the disap. one observer saw Venus in nearly the same place. Lord W. says that a drawing that he had received, giving its position rel to moon, makes me doubt whether it could be Venus at all." Seems was widely observed. He mentions [Pabst: "end of note).] [II; 1650.1, 1650.2. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1852-53." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1853, Reports on the State of Science, 1-36, at 8-9 & 35-36, (illustration on page 35). In proportion to the size of the Moon in the illustration, Venus would be too distant to fit onto the same page; however, at 4:45 A.M., Venus would have been about 27.5° above the horizon and about 11° to the south of the Moon's position, (which was about 24.5° above the horizon). "Altitude estimated 30° or 35° at a little distance from the moon (estimated altitude probably too great)."]

1852 Sept 16 / 7 p.m. / q. / Manilla / then volcs at Albay and Taal / A. J. Sci 2/17/135 [235?]. [II; 1651. "On the Earthquake at Manilla, of Sept. 16, 1852." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 17 (1854): 135-136.]

1852 Sept 16 / q. / Manilla nearly destroyed / others to 22nd / then Oct 11-13 / An. Reg. [II; 1652. "Chronicle." Annual Register, 94 (1852): pt. 2, 1-214, at 208, cv. "Manilla Destroyed by an Earthquake."]

1852 Sept 20-21 / night / Etna starts long duration. / Cosmos 2/55 / See stone, Feb 10, '53. / several months. [II; 1653. "Éruption du Mont Etna." Cosmos, 2 (December 11, 1852): 55-59. See: 1853 Feb 10, (II: 1685 and 1686). The "stone" is the Girgenti meteorite.]

1852 Sept 24 / [LT], 8-f / Etna / Nov. 15-8-e. [II; 1654. "The Eruption of Etna." London Times, September 24, 1852, p. 8 c. 6 & p. 9 c. 1. "Eruption of Etna." London Times, November 15, 1852, p. 8 c. 5.]

1852 Sept. 25 / St. Ives / Met listed by Lowe as "Large and curious". / Rec. Sci., 1/137 / 8-35 / BA 53-14. [II; 1655. Lowe, 134, 137. In Figure 17, this meteor was observed at "8h. 35m. p.m." Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1852-53." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1853, Reports on the State of Science, 1-36, at 14-15. Greg, 92.]

1852 Sept. 25 / Th. stone / India / See March 18. [II; 1656. See: 1852 Mar 18, (II; 1597).]

1852 Sept 25 / q / Philippines / BA '11. [II; 1657. A class I earthquake. Milne, 711.]

1852 Sept 28 / 8:45 a.m. / Met seen all over Silesia. / BA 60-92. [II; 1658. Greg, 92.]

1852 Oct 5 / Namur, Belgium / Met streak lasted for a long time. / BA 67-417. [II; 1659. Glaisher, James, and, Robert Philips Greg, Edward William Brayley, Alexander Stewart Herschel, Charles Brooke. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1866-67." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1867, 288-430, at 417. "Étoiles Filantes, Bolides." Cosmos, 2 (December 11, 1852): 66-68, at 67.]

1852 Oct 11 / A nebula discovered in Taurus. Toward end of 1861, announced b Prof. d'Arrest, of Copenhagen, that it had vanished. / A. J. Sci 2/33/437 / 2/35/108. [II; 1660. "Letter from the eminent astronomer, J.R. Hind of London, announcing the disappearance of a nebula." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 22 (1862): 436-437. Gautier, Alfred. "Recent Researches relating to Nebulae." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 35 (1863): 101-110, at 108. Gautier, Alfred. "Notice sur Quelques Recherches Récentes Relatives aux Nébuleuses." Bibliothèque Universelle, Revue Suisse et Étrangère, 15 (1862): 5-19, at 16. Forte, Ted. "The Inconstancy of Nebulae." Sky & Telescope, 135 (no. 2; February 2018): 22-27, at 26. Hind's Variable Nebula is now identified as NGC 1555.]

1852 Oct 13 / q. / Manilla / See Sept 16. [II; 1661. See: 1852 Sept 16, (II; 1652).]

1852 Oct 13 / (F) / 3 p.m. / Metite of Borkut, Hungary / A. J. Sci 2/26/299. BA '60. [II; 1662. Fletcher, 101. This is the Borkut meteorite. "Meteoritc Stone of Borkut." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 26 (1858): 299. Greg. 92.]

1852 Oct 25 / Times of, 6-e / At (Hull) "haunted house" sounds—dull heavy sound and sometimes a scratching sound. For 4 weeks. [A; 301. "'Spirit Rappings' at Hull." London Times, October 25, 1852, p. 6 c. 5. "It seems that about a month ago the inmates were startled in the stillness of night by a sharp sudden knocking on the walls of the room from some invisible hand." The continued knockings attracted the attention of curious crowds anxious to witness the phenomenon. "The Haunted House on the Anlaby Road." Hull Packet, October 22, 1852, p. 5 c. 4."The Haunted House on the Anlaby Road." Hull Packet, October 29, 1852, p. 5 c. 5-6. "The Hull Spirit Rappings." London Morning Chronicle, October 29, 1852, p. 7 c. 2.]

1852 Oct 31 / Nov 1 / Etna detonations / Etna / LT, Nov/ 15-8-e. [II; 1663. "Eruption of Etna." London Times, November 15, 1852, p. 8 c. 5. Further activity is reported between October 26 and November 1st.]

1852 Nov. 9 / 4:30 a.m. / q. / Liverpool / etc. / A. reg. [II; 1664. "Chronicle." Annual Register, 94 (1852): pt. 2, 1-214, at 187-188, cv. "Earthquake in England."]

1852 Nov. 9 / q. / Manchester / M. Post, Oct 9, 1863. [II; 1665. "Earthquakes in Manchester." London Morning Post, October 9, 1863, p. 8 c. 3.]

1852 Nov 9 / North Wales / morning / q and a sound "more fearful than the most violent thunder" (?) / Timbs '53-248—from letter in Times. [II; 1666. "Earthquake in Wales." Timbs' Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1853, 248-249. The earthquake was preceded by a violent gale on the previous day, which subsided to a calm, after sunset. "The Earthquake in Wales." London Times, November 11, 1852, p. 8 c. 5, cv. "W.H. Baker." "The air seemed to be surcharged with electric fluid to such an extent that the bells in many parts of the town kept up a vibratory motion, and produced that peculiar humming sound which is perceived after a bell has been violently rung and the pulsations of the clapper have ceased. Towards midnight, the air became almost stifling...."]

1852 Nov 9 / Arizona / Fort Yuma / began qs that continued almost daily for many months / BA 1911-42. [II; 1667. Turner, H.H., et al. "Seismological Investigations." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1911, 30-67, at 42. A class I or II earthquake. Milne, 711.]

1852 Nov. 10 / [LT], 4-f / Sup. Ext. / Blackley. [A; 301. "Extraordinary Superstition at Blackley." London Times, November 10, 1852, p. 4 c. 6. A ghost, or "boggart," attracted considerable attention in a house reputed to have been haunted for as long as 85 years, but had only begun to disturb William Whitehead, who have taken up residence 10 months earlier. "He states that he first heard the 'boggart' about six weeks ago, when it made noises like the cackling of a hen, or the moaning whistle on a railway; and when any of the family stood upon a certain flag in the back room it screamed like a child." "The 'boggart' is heard every night in the week, and occasionally during the day."]

1852 Nov. 20 / France and Java / q's / BA '11. Sim q's Feb 18, 1889. [II; 1668. Milne, 711. Two class I earthquakes. See: 1889 Feb. 18, (VI; 1555).]

1852 Nov. 23 / ab. midnight / q and thunder and lightning / California / Smithson Misc. Collec. 37/39 / [pro]bably a met. [II; 1669. Holden, Edward Singleton. "A Catalogue of Earthquakes on the Pacific Coast 1769 to 1897." Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, v. 37 art. 5 (1898): 1-253, at 39.]

1852 Nov. 26 / Moluccas and Cuba / qs / BA '11. Sim q's Feb 18, 1889. [II; 1670. A class II earthquake. Milne, 711. See: 1889 Feb. 18, (VI; 1555).]

1852 Nov 27 / 11 p.m. / (Mass). / q. / sound of explosion and roar / An Sci D 1854-326. [II; 1671. "Earthquakes in 1853." Annual of Scientific Discovery, 1854, 326-328, at 326.]

1852 Dec. 2 / Jena / Large met / BA 69-282. [II; 1672. Glaisher, James, and, Robert Philips Greg, Edward William Brayley, Alexander Stewart Herschel, Charles Brooke. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1868-69." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1869, 216-308, at 282.]

1852 Dec. 2 / Bustee / N.W. Provinces, India / (F). [II; 1673. Fletcher, 101. This is the Bustee meteorite.]

1852 Dec 6 / See Aug 15. / Meeting of French Acad / (C.R. 35-833) / Was discussed a fall at Rheims of liquid like blood or of highly colored iron rust. A chemist had found in it little globules of organic matter. They appeared to be "sporules" of a fungus. However, a commission appointed to examine the substance. [II; 1674.1, 1674.2. "Pluie rouge tombée à Reims...Examen de l'eau recueillie." Comptes Rendus, 35 (1852): 832-833. See: 1852 / ab. Aug 15, (II; 1641).]

1852 Dec 6 / Substance / Reims / See Aug 15, 1852. [II; 1675. See: 1852 / ab. Aug 15, (II; 1641).]

1852 Dec 11 / 8 a.m. / Silesia and Germany / det met / BA 60-104. [II; 1676. Greg, 92.]

1852 Dec 17 / California / q / BA '11. [II; 1677. A class I earthquake. Milne, 711.]

1852 Dec 17 / Met cloud in storm / Gt. Brit / D-97. ** [II; 1678. The note copies information from page 97 of The Book of the Damned. Higginson, Francis. "An Explosive Meteorite." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 6 (1850-1854): 276-277.]

1852 Dec 17 / from the report of Lieut Higginson, R.N., of the Coast guard service / 5:30 a.m. / he saw the main body fall in the sea near Dover, and, searching on the beach, found several hot meteoric stones. / L.T., Dec 29, 8, e, 1863. [II; 1679. "Meteors." London Times, December 29, 1863, p. 8 c. 4. Lowe, 138. "Half size of moon, hissing, fell in sea, causing spray." Greg, 92-93. Higginson, Francis. Official Report of the Fall of a Thunderbolt, or Meteorolite, at Dover, on the 17th of December Last 1852. London: W.J. Golburn, 1853. The specimens of these meteoric stones sent by Higginson to the British Museum were promptly identified by George Robert Waterhouse as being "nodules of bisulphuret of iron (or iron pyrites) undoubtedly from the chalk cliff." Higginson refuses to abandon his claim of their meteoric origin, despite this identification, and claims, (at page 75), of his report: "All the meteoric masses which have been preserved, and whose descent is well authenticated, are in fact iron pyrites...."]

1852 Dec 18 / Yellowish dust in China / Ref—May 16, 1846. [II; 1680. 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 206-208. Milne, William Charles. Life in China. London: G. Routledge, 1857, 396-399. See: 1846 May 16, (II; 961).]

1852 Dec 30 / See Aug 7, 1852. / star of 9th mag / 8h, 47m / + 17° 44 / It disappeared. [II; 1681. "Note de M. Chacornac, sur plusiers étoiles observées par lui, et ultérieurement disparues." Comptes Rendus, 40 (1855): 835-838, at 836. Chacornac noticed the disappearance of this star when he looked for it on December 4, 1853.]

1853:

1853 / Norfolk, Va. / fishes / D-175. [II; 1682. The note copies information from page 175 of The Book of the Damned. "L'Argus, de Norfolk, annonce un fait extraordinaire...." Cosmos, 3 (July 15, 1858): 120. No date is given regarding this story reported by the Southern Argus, of Norfolk, Virginia. "Fall of Catfish." Weekly National Intelligencer, (Washington, D.C.), May 21, 1853, p. 1 c. 5. "The Norfolk Argus states that a curious phenomenon attended the hail storm in that city on Tuesday night. Quantities of catfish, some measuring a foot in length, fell in different sections of the city, and some of the fields were literaly strewed with them. Hundreds were picked up in the morning. This (says the Argus) is no piscatorial fabrication, but a fact which is attested by hundreds of citizens."]

1853 / about / Light like Coggia's at Paris / C Rendus 73-755. ** [II; 1683. Guillemin, A. "Sur deux observations qui paraissent offrir quelque analogie avec celle du météore signalé récemment par M. Coggia." Comptes Rendus, 73 (1871): 755-756. For a red auroral phenomenon, with "a patch of orange light in Leo," see: 1853 May 24-25, (II; 1704).]

1853 / Sleeper Susan C. Godsey, near Hickman, Ky / See Oct 27, 1873. [A; 303. See: 1870 Oct 15, (A; 633), and, 1873 Oct 27, (A; 861).]

1853 Feb 10 / Girgenti, Sicily / A drawing of it in l'Astro 2/131, with "veinules noires" traversing the pâte. / See Dec 5, 1846. [II; 1684. Flammarion, Camille. "D'ou Viennent les Pierres Qui Tombent du Ciel?" Astronomie, 2 (1883): 129-141, at 131. See: 1846 Dec 5, (II; 1084).]

1853 Feb 10 / Stone in Girgenti, Sicily / L'Astro 2-131. [II; 1685. Fletcher, 101. This is the Girgenti meteorite. Flammarion, Camille. "D'ou Viennent les Pierres Qui Tombent du Ciel?" Astronomie, 2 (1883): 129-141, at 130-131. Greg, 92.]

1853 Feb. 10 / Stone / Sicily / See Etna, Sept 20-21. [II; 1686. See: 1852 Sept 20-21, (II; 1653).]

1853 Feb 26 / [LT], 5-c / Singular Meteor at Lincoln. [II; 1687. "A Meteor." London Times, February 26, 1853, p. 5 c. 3. "At about a quarter before 4 p.m. a ball of fire descended upon the centre tower of the cathedral, and burst with a loud explosion, emitting beautiful rose-coloured flames, and accompanied by a flash like lightning. No other signs of electricity in the air either preceeded or succeeded the appearance of the meteor." A fire was discovered at the base of a pinnacle on the Lady Tower, where the "meteor" struck, and was extinguished.]

1853 March 4 / [LT], 6-a / q / Inverness. [II; 1688. "Earthquake." London Times, March 4, 1853, p. 6 c. 1.]

1853 March 6 / 17 miles east of Betiah (Bet.) / Segowlee / metite / J. A. Soc Ben 30/132 / See Aug 25, 1865. [II; 1689. (Haidinger, Wilhelm Karl Ritter von. "Report on the Shalka, Futtehpore, Pegu, Assam, and Segowlee, Meteorites sent from the Asiatic Society of Bengal, (Calcutta) to the Imperial Museum of Vienna." Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 30 (1861): 129-138, at 135-138. Greg, 92.]

1853 Mar 6 / Segowlee, India / and 1861, May 12 / Butsura / neighboring state / CR 85/678. Wedge-stone / D-118. [II; 1690. Fletcher, 101. This is the Segowlie meteorite. The note copies information from page 118 of The Book of the Damned. Glaisher, James, and, John Hall Gladstone, Robert Philips Greg, Edward Joseph Lowe. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1860-61." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1861, 1-44, at 34. "The fall of the Segowolee meteorites took place on March 6th, 1853. All the stones were pyramidal, and weighed from ¼  to 4 lbs." Greg, Rupert Philips. "On some Meteorites in the British Museum, &c." London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science,s. 4 v. 24 (1862): 534-542, at 538. Greg describes the Duruma meteorite, (labelled as having fallen in March 6, 1853, in Wanika-land, East Africa): "The stone, judging by the large fragment at Munich, appears to contain a good deal of nickeliferous iron, and is rather coarse-grained, is more or less oxidized, and much resembles the Segowlee stone in the British Museum, said to have fallen in India the very same day." Smith. Lawrence. "Description des pierres météoriques de Rochester, Warrenton et Cythiana, qui sont respectivement tombées les 31 décembre 1876, 3 janvier et 23 janvier, 1877, avec quelques remarques sur les chutes prècédentes de météorites dans le méme region." Comptes Rendus, 85 (1877): 678-681, at 681. See: 1861 May 12, (III; 101).]

1853 March 12 / Lowville, N.Y. / bet. 2 and 3 a.m. / shock and great explosive sound / not known whether q or meteor. A. J. Sci 2/16/294 / BA '11. [II; 1691. "A Supposed Earthquake." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 16  (1853): 294. A class I earthquake. Milne, 711.]

[1853 March 12 /] 1853 March 16 / Lowville, N.Y. / loud explosive sound and shock / Am. J. Sci 2/16/294. [II; 1693. "A Supposed Earthquake." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 16  (1853): 294. "March 16" was the publication date of a newspaper report of this event.]

1853 March 13 / ab 5 a.m. / or twice? / q / Niagara and Toronto / Timbs '54-268. [II; 1692. "Earthquakes in 1853." Timbs' Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1854, 267-271, at 268-269. "The Earthquake Shock of 13th March, 1853." Canadian Journal, 1 (March, 1853): 185-186.]

[1853 March 16. Wrong date. See: 1853 March 12, (II; 1693).]

1853 March 20 / ab 5 a.m. / 4 shocks and rumbling sounds / Niagara / Timbs '54-269. [II; 1694. "Earthquakes in 1853." Timbs' Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1854, 267-271, at 269.]

1853 March 24 / [LT], 8-f / Met. [II; 1695. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "Meteor." London Times, March 24, 1853, p. 8 c. 6. Lowe observed the meteor at Beeston, on March 21.]

1853 March , late in / March 28? / Shock at Hereford / Times, Ap. 4, 1853. [II; 1696. "Another Earthquake." London Times, March 30, 1853, p. 5 c. 5. The earthquake was felt about 11:30 p.m. on March 27. "Shock of an Earthquake." London Times, April 1, 1853, p. 7 c. 5. Altho reported in correspondence, on March 30, a correspondent blames the lack of news about its occurrence, in Hereford, in the Times for some doubt about its having been an earthquake. "A Neglected Earthquake." London Times, April 4, 1853, p. 4. c. 6. "What a tribute is this to the power of the press. The earthquake was an earthquake, or no earthquake at all, according to its recognition in The Times or the contrary."]

1853 March 30 / [LT], 5-e / q. / Wales. [II; 1697. "Another Earthquake." London Times, March 30, 1853, p. 5 c. 5. This was the same earthquake felt in Hereford, about 11:30 p.m. on March 27.]

1853 Ap. 1 / (Fr) / Sèvres and Avranges / (q. / C.R., 36/661) / Rennes and Laval / (699 / 748 / 748 / 800). [II; 1698. "Secousses du tremblement de terre du 1er avril, ressenties à Sèvres." Comptes Rendus, 36 (1853): 661-662. "M. Chevreul signale, parm les pièces de la correspondance...." Comptes Rendus, 36 (1853): 699-700. "M. Lecoq adresse, de Besançon, une Note...." Comptes Rendus, 36 (1853): 748. "Errata." Comptes Rendus, 36 (1853): 800.]

1853 Ap. 1 / 10:45 p.m. / Jersey and Guernsey / q and rumbling / LT, Ap. 5-7-e / Also Havre, 5-6-b. [II; 1699. "Earthquake in Jersey." London Times, April 5, 1853, p. 7 c. 5. "Latest Intelligence." London Times, April 5, 1853, p. 6 c. 2, cv. "France."]

1853 Ap 8 / Rain as black as ink near Croyden. Gardener's Chronicle. Ap 16. [II; 1700. "Temperature and Black Rain." Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1853 no. 16 (April 16): 245.]

1853 Ap. 12 / [LT], 8-d / Sun phe. [II; 1701. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "Solar Phenomenon." London Times, April 12, 1853, p. 8 c. 4. Lowe observed a mock sun at Beeston, between 3:40 and 4:50 p.m., on April 10.]

[1853 Apr. 14 /] 1852 / White hairs said been found after a q, in China / Nature 34-56. [II; 1574. Thiselton-Dyer, William Turner. "Collection of Hairs After Earthquakes in China." Nature, 34 (May 20, 1886): 56-57. Taylor, Bayard. A Visit to India, China, and Japan, in the Year 1853. New York : G.P. Putnam & Son, 1870. After the earthquake, on April 14, 1853, at Shanghai, Taylor wrote: "The Chinese servants stated in the morning that hairs were always found in the earth after an earthquake, and brought up two or three gray horse-hairs—or what appeared to be such—which they professed to have found in the yard. Several of the gentlemen immediately went down and commenced searching, and to their astonishment found numbers of gray filaments from four to ten inches long. They projected two or three inches from the soil, and were most abundant among the grass. They were strong, like a coarse hempen fibre, and were readily drawn out without breaking. After a careful examination with a powerful magnifying glass, it was found that they had not the tubular structure of hair, but what they were and whence they came, was a mystery. Some of the profane summarily accounted for them by declaring that the shock of the earthquake caused the earth's hair to stand on end, from fright. They were picked up in nearly all the gardens in town. The Chinese say they are only found for three days after a shock, which, so far as I could learn, also proved correct." Meriam, Ebenezer. "Earthquake Phenomena." New York Tribune, June 2, 1854, p. 6 c. 5. Meriam notes a similar phenomenon at Chautiban, Siam, on May 13, 1848: "During the shock, there spontaneously came out of the ground a species of human hairs, in almost every place—in the bazaars, in the roads, in the fields, and the most arid places. These hairs, which are pretty long, stand upright and adhere strongly to the ground. When they are burned, they twist like human hairs, and have a burned smell, which makes it believed that they are really hairs; they all appeared in the twinkling of an eye during the earthquake." Fortune, Robert. A Residence Among the Chinese. London: John Murray, 1857, 2-5. Fortune's observation was made soon after his arrival in Shanghai, in March of 1853, and may also have occurred on April 14, 1853. A class II earthquake. Milne, 711.]

1853 Ap. 21-22 / Persia / great q / 20,000 lives lost / [BA] '11. [II; 1702. A class III earthquake. Milne, 711.]

1853 May 24 / (It) / Det met / Ragusa / had been preceding phe. See 1805. [II; 1703. Galli, Ignazio. "Raccolta e classificazione di fenomeni luminosi osservati nei terremoti." Bollettino della Società Sismologica Italiana, 14 (1910): 221-448, at 362. See: 1805 July 26, (I; 146).]

1853 May 24-25 / aurora and atmosphere / L.T., May 27-7-d / 11:20—1:22 a.m. / Nottingham / Aurora—red haze on horizon all night. 2 mock moons. / Streams moved easterly. On Feb 21, '52, they moved westerly. Whole time a patch of orange light in Leo. [II; 1704. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "Aurora Borealis." London Times, May 27, 1853, p. 7 c. 4.]

1853 May 25 / bet 10 and 11 a.m. / Croydon / Sun appeared to be partly obscured by a dark cloud of almost circular form with prismatic outlines. / LT, May 28-4-f , 30-8-e, June 3-3-f. [II; 1705. "To the Editor of the Times. London Times, May 28, 1853, p. 4. c. 6. Gladstone, J.H. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, May 30, 1853 p. 8 c. 5. Gladestone observed a solar halo, on May 25, and questioned if the aurora was an independent phenomenon. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, June 3, 1853, p. 3 c. 6. Lowe states that the aurora was "distinct" from the phenomena of mock moons and halos, caused by ice crystals.]

1853 May 28 / between 9 - 10 p.m. / Weld. Maine / Great numbers of vivid flashes of lightning / sky slightly smoky or dingy at horizon / Smithson Inst Rept, 1855-280. [II; 1706. "Phenomena of Lightning." Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 10 (1855-1856): 280-282, at 280. The "smoky or dingy" description belongs to another event, and, in this instance, "not a cloud was to be seen in the visible concave."]

1853 May 31—June 1 / night / (Larvae) / In gardens of Louvain, after a rainstorm appeared enormous numbers of "vers" four to five "pouces" long. Of several hundred examined, all were females, full of eggs—all very lively. In 1841, worms of the species had been named Mermis Nigrescens. [II; 1707.1, 1707.2. Van Beneden asks: "D'où viennent-ils, ces vers? Sont-ils tombés du ciel tout formés?"; but, he does conclude that the thunderstorm prompted these female nematodes to emerge from the ground and lay their eggs. Van Beneden, Pierre-Joseph. "Note sur une apparition de vers après une pluie d'orage." Bulletin de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique , 20 pt. 2 (1853): 317-323, at 321. Mermis nigrescens is commonly known as the grasshopper nematode. Dujardin, Félix. "Memoire sur la structure anatomique des Gordius et d'un outre Helminthe, le Mermis qu'on a confondu avec eux." Annales des Sciences Naturelles, 18 (1842): 129-151, at 133-142.]

1853 June 1 / (obj) / 4:30 a.m. / sun rise / obj or spot N of sun like small new moon. Other ab 1/2 degree beyond first. Like a large star. Reported by Prof. A. C. Carnes, of Burritt College, Tenn. / Sci Amer 8/333. [II; 1708. "Singular Phenomenon." Scientific American, o.s., 8 (July 2, 1853): 333. "Two luminous spots were seen, one about 2° north of the sun, and the other about 30 minutes further in the same direction. When seen, the first had the appearance of a small new moon; the other that of a large star.— The small one soon diminished, and became invisible; the other assumed a globular shape, and then elongated parallel with the horizon. The first then became visible again, and increased rapidly in size, while the other diminished, and the two spots kept changing thus for about half an hour. There was considerable wind at the time, and light fleecy clouds passed by, showing the lights to be confined to one place." "The phenomenon was certainly not an electrical one, so far as we can judge, and possibly was produced by distant clouds of moisture." One notable celestial object in this place would have been Tau Tauri, a triple star system, with an apparent magnitude of 4.3, (too dim to see in this vicinity of the Sun). Also, Comet Klinkerfues (C/1853 L1), was discovered on June 11, 1853. (Was this comet in this vicinity of the Sun, at this time?)]

1853 June 22 / Cl. burst at Ahmedabad / Times of India, Aug 26, 1868. [II; 1709. “The Rains at Ahmedabad.” Times of India, August 28, 1868, p. 2 c. 4-5.]

1853 July 5 / Star 9th mag / 16h, 8m / -22° 8m /Looked for, May next year. Had disappeared. / See Aug 7, 1852. [II; 1710. "Note de M. Chacornac, sur plusiers étoiles observées par lui, et ultérieurement disparues." Comptes Rendus, 40 (1855): 835-838, at 836. See: 1852 Aug 7, (II; 1639).]

1853 July 8 / [LT], 8-a / Spon Comb. [A; 304. "Spontaneous Combustion." London Times, July 8, 1853, p. 8 c. 1. A piece of calico, treated with linseed oil, blackened and became smoking hot, overnight, as a result of spontaneous combustion.]

1853 July 9 / (Augs) / "Little suns" in sky / An. Soc Met de France 1853/227. Like little suns—great number of red points in sky at Urrugne. [II; 1711. "Communications." Annuaire de la Société Météorologique de France, 1 (1853): 227-229. (New Lands, pt. 2 ch. 5. Charles Joseph Sainte-Claire Deville.)]

1853 July 9 / Hail /Rouen / C.R. 37-612. [II; 1712. Preisser. "Grêle tombée à Rouen, le 9 juillet 1853."  Comptes Rendus, 37 (1853): 612-613.]

1853 July 9 or 5 / Ice / Rouen, Fr. / (D-180). [II; 1713. The note copies information from page 180 of The Book of the Damned. "Samedi 9 juillet, vers neuf heures...." Cosmos, 3 (July 15, 1858): 116-117. The date of this fall was July 9, 1858, (not July 5).]

1853 July 11 / Persia / great q / 10,000 lives lost / [BA] '11. [II; 1714. A class III earthquake. Milne, 711.]

1853 July 13 / Mayon volc / Philippines / Ref, Feb 1, 1814. [II; 1715. Refer to: 1814 Feb 1, (I; 479). Masó, Miguel Saderra. Report on the Seismic and Volcanic Centers of the Philippine Archipelago. Manila: Bureau of Public Printing, 1902, 14.]

1853 July 15 / q—darkness / Cumana, Venezuela / "on the Spanish Main" / q and "frightful noise and deep darkness" / Timbs '54-269. An Reg, 1853. [II; 1716. "Earthquakes in 1853." Timbs' Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1854, 267-271, at 269-270. "Chronicle." Annual Register, 95 (1853): pt. 2, 1-168, at 87-88, cv. "Dreadful Earthquake in Venezuela."]

1853 Aug. 6 / Eruption of mountain of Korabetoff, near Taman, in the Crimea. Timbs '54-267. [II; 1717. "Volcanic Eruption in the Crimea." Timbs' Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1854, 267. Korabetoff, (or Korabetov), was the name given to one of the Taman Peninsula's mud volcanoes. The Taman Peninsula (Таманский полуостров) is in Russia, (not in Crimea).]

1853 Aug 9 / Eng / mets mostly from Cassiopeia / BA 53/26. [II; 1718. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1852-53." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1853, Reports on the State of Science, 1-36, at 26-27.]

1853 Aug 11 / A / Am J. Sci 2/16/288. [II; 1719. Herrick, Edward Claudius. "Shooting Stars of August 10, 1853." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 16 (1853): 288.]

[1853 Aug 12. Wrong date. See: 1852 Aug 12, (II; 1720).]

1853 Aug 17 / Waterspout over Leghorn / Timbs'  '54-280. [II; 1721. "Whirlwind and Waterspout in the Mediterranean." Timbs'  Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1854, 280. "On the following day, a huge Waterspout passed over the town of Leghorn at nine in the morning...." The date of the waterspout was on August 17, (not August 16).]

1853 Aug 18, etc. / 29, etc. / qs / Greece / C.R. 42-24 / Timbs—'54-270. There had been no volc activity. Denied that, as said by Paris papers, had been fire and smoke. [II; 1722. Gaudry. "Sur les tremblements de terre quiont renversé, en août 1853, la ville de Thèbes." Comptes Rendus, 42 (1856): 24-27, at 27. "Earthquakes in 1853." Timbs' Year-Book of Facts in Science and Art, 1854, 267-271, at 270.]

1853 / ab Aug 20, etc. / New Comet bet Leo and Ursa Major / LT 23-7-f / 24-8-a / 26-7-f / 30-9-c. [II; 1723. "A Bright Comet." London Times, August 23, 1853, p. 7 c. 6. "Ireland." London Times, August 26, 1853, p. 7 c. 5-6. Hind, John Russell. "The Comet." London Times, August 30, 1853, p. 9 c. 3. "Ireland." London Times, August 24, 1853, p. 8 c. 1-2.]

1853 Aug 23 / Met "Curious" / by Lowe / Highfield House / Rec Sci 1/137. [II; 1724. Lowe, 133-134, 138, (Figure 16).]

1853 Aug 26 / Mazzow / met tain / 10 minute . BA 60 / N.M. [II; 1725. Greg, 92.]

1853 Aug 26 / 7:51 p.m. / bolide / Constantine, Algeria / C.R. 37-431. [II; 1726. "M. Gaultier de Claudry donne quelques détails sur un bolide...." Comptes Rendus, 37 (1853): 431.]

1853 Aug 23 / Mazzow / met train / 10 minutes / BA 60-17. [II; 1727. Glaisher, James, and, John Hall Gladstone, Robert Philips Greg, Edward Joseph Lowe. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1859-60." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1860, 1-27, at 17.]

1853 August 30 / Vulcan / (3) / M. Jaennicke, of  Frankfort on the Main, had seen—not sure of date—black point on sun. Round, well defined, and no penumbra—next day not seen. / Cosmos 20-64 / Webb, Cel. Objs., p. 44. [II; 1728. Webb, Thomas William. Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes. London: Longmans, Green, 1881, 4th ed., 44. "Point noir et rond sur le soleil." Cosmos, 20 (January 17, 1862): 64. The date of Jaennicke's observation was on August 30, 1853. "Nachtrag." Zeitschrift für populäre Mittheilungen aus dem Gebiete der Astronomie und verwandter Wissenschaften, 1 (1869): 51-61, (with illustration).]

1853 Sept / Hurricane in Atlantic / Am J. Sci 68-1, 176. [II; 1729. Redfield, W.C. "On the first Hurricane of September 1853...." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 18 (1854): 1-18, 176-190.]

1853 Sept. / (Invader) / Ab 8 p.m. one evening on Loch Seavig, Scotland, told by Mr T. K. Edwards to Dr Phipson, "Familiar Letters," p. 21, he in a boat, a luminous obj that moved toward him, but then curved away, visible 2 minutes. [A; 305. Phipson, Thomas Lamb. Familiar Letters on Some Mysteries of Nature and Discoveries in Science. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1876, 21. "Loch Seavig," (and, "Scavig"), would be a misspelling of Loch Scavaig, (Skye); and, Phipson gives the year 1853 as the date in this book, but as 1852 or 1853 in a previous book with more details. Phipson, Thomas Lamb. Phosphorescence: or, The Emission of Light by Minerals, Plants, and Animals. London: Lovell Reeve, 1862, 60-61. "Loch Scavig appears destined to become celebrated for luminous phenomena. Besides the phosphorescent cloud seen there by General Sabine, my friend Mr. T. K. Edwards tells me of another curious case of a luminous meteor seen in the same locality. It was in the month of September, 1852 or 1853, and the phenomenon was observed about eight o'clock in the evening. He was being rowed by four stout men from Torrin, in the Isle of Skye, to one of the opposite shores. On entering Loch Scavig the boat containing Mr. Edwards, his friend Mr. Raymond, four boatmen, and a guide, steered across the little bay situated on their right, when a light was distinctly seen at a great distance to the seaward. At first it appeared like the light from the cabin window of a steamboat being near to the surface of the water, and moving with great rapidity towards them. The four men at the oars noticed it with evident alarm, and spoke hurriedly to each other in Gaelic. When the guide was asked what they were talking about, he answered, 'About yon light; it's no canny thing, neither.' The rapidity with which the light moved, and its proximity to the boat after a few seconds had elapsed, fully convinced every one that it belonged to no boat; besides, as the guide remarked, 'no bird could fly so quick.' It appears that this phenomenon, which I believe to have been globular lightning, is not unprecedented in the neighbourhood of Loch Scavig; for though the four oarsmen had never witnessed it before, they had heard it spoken of on the land as betokening evil, and were so much afraid of it that they pulled the boat along most lustily. The light curved off and was soon lost to sight, having been in view and indeed very near to the boat, for about two minutes. The next day was extremely sultry."]

1853 Sept 2 / A / Am. J. Sci 2/16/446. [II; 1730. Boye, M.H. "On an Aurora Borealis of September 2nd, 1853." American Journal of Science, s. 2 v. 16 (1853): 446.]

[1853 Sept. 3. Wrong date. See: 1852 Sept 3, (II; 1731).]

1853 Sept / Times bound with Oct-Dec. [II; 1732.]

1853 Sept 9 / [LT], 7-c / Ghst / Chelsea / 12-5-f. [A; 306. "A Ghost at Chelsea." London Times, September 9, 1853, p. 7 c. 3. The male spectre with deathly features was seen by four people who became horrorstruck, fainting or seized by fits; and, police searched the house, hearing horrible moans and seeing doors opened and slammed shut "without any visible agency."]

1853 Sept 10 / [LT], 9-a / New Comet. [II; 1733. Hartnup, John. "The Comet." London Times, September 10, 1853, p. 9 c. 1. Comet C/1853 L1.]

1853 Sept 11-17 / Comet—nebula in Great Bear / An Sci D 1854-360. [II; 1734. "Comets of 1853." Annual of Scientific Discovery, 1854, 359-360. Comet C/1853 R1.]

1853 Sept 30 / ascend met / Gt. Brit. ** [II; 1735. Greg, 92. Lowe, 138.]

1853 Oct 5 / See Aug 7, 1852. / Star 12th mag / 0h, 44m / +8° 46' / Star not catalogued. It disappeared. [II; 1736. "Note de M. Chacornac, sur plusiers étoiles observées par lui, et ultérieurement disparues." Comptes Rendus, 40 (1855): 835-838, at 836. Observed on the 5th, clouds prevented Chacornac from observing this star until the 7th, but it had disappeared by then.]

1853 Oct 7 / New comet near B Virgo on 7th / LT, Oct 7. [II; 1737. "Another Bright Comet." London Times, October 7, 1853, p. 7 c. 6. Comet C/1853 R1.]

1853 Oct 18 / [LT], 7-e / Ext. [A; 307. "Extraordinary Case of Imposture." London Times, October 18, 1853, p. 7 c. 5. A woman from Dumfries confessed to poisoning her baby with laudanum; but, when authorities in London investigated, they discovered that had previously confessed to the same crime in Doncaster, and that the baby had died before the drug was obtained. She was believed to be sane and trying to use the confession only to get into a gaol or into a workhouse.]

1853 Oct 26 / Large met, in Pomerania, left a spiral train that contracted into a ball and then passed into a Z. / BA 60-16. [II; 1738. Glaisher, James, and, John Hall Gladstone, Robert Philips Greg, Edward Joseph Lowe. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1859-60." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1860, 1-27, at 16. Greg, 92.]

1853 Oct. 28 / Det met / Eng / stones / Hanover / BA -92. [II; 1739. Greg, 92-93.]

1853 Oct 28 / De Demsvaart, Holland / Metite fell. / LT, Nov 5-7-d. [II; 1740. "Holland." London Times, November 5, 1853, p. 7 c. 4. "On Friday last some singular meteorological phenomena occurred at the Dedemsvaart. Several meteors of extraordinary size and beauty descended suddenly from the zenith, and, bursting into the most brilliant fragments, disappeared, some in the south-west and others in the north-west direction. Those in the former direction had the appearance of rockets as they gradually disappeared, those in the latter appeared more as confused masses of fire. A meteoric stone of large size fell at the feet of a man, and remained burning there nearly two minutes. It so frightened him that he was for a short time deprived of reason."]

1853 Oct 28 / Sound / det met / 3:57 p.m. / Great daylight met / Beeston / BA 54/414. [II; 1741. Powell, Baden. "Report on Observations of Luminous Meteors, 1853-54." Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1854, Reports on the State of Science, 386-415, at 414. Lowe, 138.]

1853 Oct 28 / Beeston / 3:57 p.]m.] / met seen and det like distant thunder / L.T., Nov 1-5-f / Nov 3-10-b. [II; 1742. Lowe, Edward Joseph. "Extraordinary Meteor." London Times, November 1, 1853, p. 5 c. 6. "It was first seen as a circular body, of about half the apparent diameter of the sun, being accompanied by a stream of light; afterwards it increased to almost the diameter of the sun, and then burst into fragments, with an explosion." "Meteors." London Times, November 3, 1853, p. 10 c. 2. A governess and her pupil had also seen this meteor, at Tunbridge, but did not see nor hear its explosion.]

1853 Oct 29 / Violent eruption and a new island off coast of Formosa. / Trans China Branch Roy Asiatic Soc 1855-147. [II; 1743. MacGowan, Daniel Jerome. "Physical Phenomena in Japan and China." Transactions of the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1855, 143-150, at 147-148, "Submarine Volcano." "Among recent physical phenomena in this part of the globe, the most remarkable was the rise and subsidence of a volcanic island within ten miles of Formosa.... The island must have quickly subsided, as vessels have since sailed in sight of, and indeed over, the place, which is situated in 24°N., 121° 50'E." An unnamed volcano identified as volcano number 281030 by the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution.]

1853 Oct 31 / Cherbourg / Aurora / CR 37/746. [II; 1744. Liais. "Observations sur une aurore boréale vue à Cherbourg, le 31 octobre 1853." Comptes Rendus, 37 (1853): 746-749.]

1853 Nov. 2 / [LT], 8-e / Rara Avis. [II; 1745. "Rara Avis." London Times, November 2, 1853, p. 8 c. 5. A male sea bird, (the Great Northern Diver, or Colymbus Glacialis), was found in Bronham, far inland.]

1853 Nov 7 / 6 p.m. / Pembroke-dock (London?) / luminous band in sky / stationary 20 minute[s] from 5 principle stars of Cassiopeia to Iota and Kappa Ursae Majoris / LT, Nov. 11-4-f. [II; 1746. Good, Samuel A. "Meteor." London Times, November 11, 1853, p. 4 c. 6. Her Majesty's Dockyard, (the Pembroke-Dock), was in Pembrokeshire, in Wales.]

1853 Nov. 25 / Comet in Cassiopeia / An Sci D 1854-360. [II; 1747. "Comets of 1853." Annual of Scientific Discovery, 1854, 359-360. “New Comet.” Astronomical Journal, 3 (1853): 144. Comet C/1853 W1.]

1853 Dec 10 / LT-13-7-f / 4:45 p.m. / Rev. N. Straton writes from Aylestone Rectory for information of comet he had seen near Venus. There was a new telescopic comet at the time. [II; 1748. Straton, Norman Dumenil John. "To the Editor of the Times." London Times, December 13, 1853, p. 7 c. 6. Straton, (then, 13 years-old, and not yet ordained), described the object as exhibiting a coma, “in the neighbourhood of Venus” and “so bright an object as Venus is at the present time.” This does not match the locations nor the descriptions of Comets C/1853 L1, C/1853 R1, and C/1853 W1, (the telescopic comet discovered on November 25, 1853); and, Jupiter would be setting on the southwest horizon at this time, (between the Sun and Venus).]

1853 Dec. 21 / Germany / det met / BA 60-92. [II; 1749. Greg, 92.]

1853 Dec 27 / See Aug 7, 1852 / Star 10th mag / 4h, 14m / +23° 58' / looked for, following March—had disappeared. [II; 1750. "Note de M. Chacornac, sur plusiers étoiles observées par lui, et ultérieurement disparues." Comptes Rendus, 40 (1855): 835-838, at 837. A group of three stars, of 8th, 9th, and 10th magnitudes, observed on December 27th, had lost this star when searched for on March 26th.]

1853 Dec 30 / star 11th mag / See Aug 7, 1852. / 3h, 33m / +20° 51. / It disappeared. [II; 1751. "Note de M. Chacornac, sur plusiers étoiles observées par lui, et ultérieurement disparues." Comptes Rendus, 40 (1855): 835-838, at 836. This star had been seen from September 4th to November 29th, 1853; and, Chacornac also searched for it as a possible planet, without seeing it again.]