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The Book of the Damned
·
Charles Fort
17
2
In
the
autumn
of
1883,
and
for
years
afterward,
occurred
brilliant-colored
sunsets,
such
as
had
never
been
seen
before
within
the
memory
of
all
observers.
Also
there
were
blue
moons.
I
think
that
one
is
likely
to
smile
incredulously
at
the
notion
of
blue
moons.
Nevertheless
they
were
as
common
as
were
green
suns
in
1883.
Science
had
to
account
for
these
unconventionalities.
Such
publications
as
Nature
and
Knowledge
were
besieged
with
inquiries.
I
suppose,
in
Alaska
and
in
the
South
Sea
Islands,
all
the
medicine
men
were
similarly
upon
trial.
Something
had
to
be
thought
of.
Upon
the
28th
of
August,
1883,
the
volcano
of
Krakatoa,
of
the
Straits
of
Sunda,
had
blown
up.
Terrific.
We're
told
that
the
sound
was
heard
2,000
miles,
and
that
36,380
persons
were
killed.
Seems
just
a
little
unscientific,
or
impositive,
to
me:
marvel
to
me
we're
not
told
2,163
miles
and
36,387
persons.
The
volume
of
smoke
that
went
up
must
have
been
visible
to
other
planets--or,
tormented
with
our
crawlings
and
scurryings,
the
earth
complained
to
Mars;
swore
a
vast
black
oath
at
us.
In
all
text-books
that
mention
this
occurrence--no
exception
so
far
so
I
have
read--it
is
said
that
the
extraordinary
atmospheric
effects
of
1883
were
first
noticed
in
the
last
of
August
or
the
first
of
September.
That
makes
a
difficulty
for
us.
It
is
said
that
these
phenomena
were
caused
by
particles
of
volcanic
dust
that
were
cast
high
in
the
air
by
Krakatoa.
This
is
the
explanation
that
was
agreed
upon
in
1883--
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