COMPLETE: Short Nonfiction Collection, Vol. 097 - jo

[Alister]

Ooohh. Does this cover the Carrington Event?

I've looked (very unsuccessfully) for PD materials on it.

I'm afraid it doesn't:

The remarkable disturbing influences on telegraph wires and cables of the aurora borealis observed from the 11th to 14th of August, 1880,...

You may be lucky in finding newspapers from around that time, they are bound to report something of that magnitude even though the name would appear only much later in literature.

The wikipedia page points to a number of newspaper articles about the "Aurora from 1859" or something like that:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event

Here is an accessible one from 1909:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77351480

Thanks, Ava!

On reflection I may have been looking in the wrong sort of papers for contemporary accounts. Illustrated London News and the 'popular' papers readership would not likely have been interested at that time - the science largely wasn't there yet after all - and their reporters may not even have picked up on it; they are the kind of thing which would have popped up instead in journals, or specialty periodicals! Silly me.

[Sue Anderson]

As a general comment, any readings suggested by the BC, if read by a reader, don't count against the "2 selections per reader per volume" quota. The SNF is strictly reader's free choice!

[Alister]

As a general comment, any readings suggested by the BC, if read by a reader, don't count against the "2 selections per reader per volume" quota. The SNF is strictly reader's free choice!

Oh, goodie. I'll do it right now then

[Alister]

Description of a Singular Appearance seen in the Sun on September 1, 1859
by Richard Christopher Carrington (1826 – 1875)
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_singularappearenceseeninthesun1859_carrington_alister_128kb.mp3 (6:11)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015011952366&view=1up&seq=21

Some say a direct hit by a Carrington-level CME today would wreck most of Earth's power grids/electronics. And I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in an electric vehicle if one hit, because boy oh boy can electric car batteries cook off.

[elsieselwyn]

History of Astoria Railroad by Leslie M. Scott

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_historyofastoriarailroad_scott_es_128kb.mp3 (46:49)

link to text: https://archive.org/details/jstor-20609974/page/n1/mode/2up

[Sue Anderson]

Description of a Singular Appearance seen in the Sun on September 1, 1859
by Richard Christopher Carrington (1826 – 1875)
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_singularappearenceseeninthesun1859_carrington_alister_128kb.mp3 (6:11)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015011952366&view=1up&seq=21

Some say a direct hit by a Carrington-level CME today would wreck most of Earth's power grids/electronics. And I sure as hell wouldn't want to be in an electric vehicle if one hit, because boy oh boy can electric car batteries cook off.

Hi Alister, I'm glad to see you took the hint! After spending a good part of a morning tracing down the PD Carrington material, I wanted to see it recorded. A good while back (SNF vol. 057 to be exact), I had a similar situation, regarding PD material relevant to Gerard Manley Hopkins' account of the sunset phenomena following the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano. The reader didn't want to read the technical stuff, and so I ended up reading that selection myself: https://librivox.org/short-nonfiction-collection-vol-057-by-various/ At least Gerard Manley Hopkins was a poet.

Carrington reminded me of one of today's selfie photo addicts. He was so excited, he ran off to find somebody for a "look see" and missed the main event. I liked Hodgson's description better, more lyrical: "While observing a group of solar spots on the 1st September, I was suddenly surprised at the appearance of a very brilliant star of light...illuminating the upper edges of the adjacent spots and streaks, not unlike in effect the edging of the clouds at sunset..."

I'll have time to PL this tomorrow.

[Sue Anderson]

History of Astoria Railroad by Leslie M. Scott

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_historyofastoriarailroad_scott_es_128kb.mp3 (46:49)

link to text: https://archive.org/details/jstor-20609974/page/n1/mode/2up

Hi Elsie, Thanks for this! I'll have time to PL it tomorrow.

[Alister]

Hi Alister, I'm glad to see you took the hint! After spending a good part of a morning tracing down the PD Carrington material, I wanted to see it recorded. A good while back (SNF vol. 057 to be exact), I had a similar situation, regarding PD material relevant to Gerard Manley Hopkins' account of the sunset phenomena following the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano. The reader didn't want to read the technical stuff, and so I ended up reading that selection myself: https://librivox.org/short-nonfiction-collection-vol-057-by-various/ At least Gerard Manley Hopkins was a poet.

Carrington reminded me of one of today's selfie photo addicts. He was so excited, he ran off to find somebody for a "look see" and missed the main event. I liked Hodgson's description better, more lyrical: "While observing a group of solar spots on the 1st September, I was suddenly surprised at the appearance of a very brilliant star of light...illuminating the upper edges of the adjacent spots and streaks, not unlike in effect the edging of the clouds at sunset..."

I'll have time to PL this tomorrow.

Well I wasn't going to miss the chance to put Carrington himself in the catalogue!

And here is Hodgson's. Recorded separately for integrity and ease of attribution as well as ease of search.

On a curious Appearance seen in the Sun (1859)
by Richard Hodgson (1804 – 1872) ----> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hodgson_(publisher)

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_curiousappearanceseeninthesun_hodgson_alister_128kb.mp3 (1:55)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015011952366&view=1up&seq=21

[Sue Anderson]

History of Astoria Railroad by Leslie M. Scott

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_historyofastoriarailroad_scott_es_128kb.mp3 (46:49)

link to text: https://archive.org/details/jstor-20609974/page/n1/mode/2up

Hi Elsie, This chapter of tangled Oregon railroad history should delight railway buffs! Promises...promoters...land grants, right of way grants, $$$ subsidies... And deal after deal falls through. The final "winner," buys (1894) a defaulted railroad (the Yaquina, cost to build $5,250,000) for $100,000 and then accepts subsides from the citizens of Astoria to build a RR from Astoria to Goble [55 miles of track? ] for subsidies which include 4500 acres of land and $300,000 cash.

Lots and lots of names and detail! You read all 46 minutes virtually flawlessly, which is quite an accomplishment! I'm giving it a PL OK!

----------

I'll make one general comment, since this question came up once before in the course of vol. 097, which is, is it wise to correct an obvious printing mistake in a text? In HeartandStars' reading, the problem was a missing verb ("is") in a sentence.

It seemed to me that you might have unconsciously "corrected" a date at 18:52.5 (page 229). The text here reads "The Legislature of Oregon memorialized Congress in 1882, urging the repeal. The bill passed a year later, in January 1885." You said "The bill passed a year later in January 1883." "5" and "3" look a lot the same in print... And, it's true that "a year later" than 1882 is 1883... however...

I traced the sequence of events starting on page 228 and forward from there, and my best guess us that it's the date that the Oregon Legislature memorialized Congress given on page 229 that has the printing error. [Of course I'm not sure]. But, sequentially, Villard goes broke in 1883 (p. 228); the citizens of Astoria memorialize Congress for repeal of their RR land grant in December 1883; then, AFTER the Astoria citizens' plea, the Oregon legislature memorializes Congress for repeal of the same land grant. Congress repeals the land grant "a year later, in January 1885." So, by my reasoning, the Oregon Legislature probably memorialized Congress in 1884...

Dates are slippery. In this case, I would probably have read the date on page 229 (1895) as written on the page. Hope this makes sense.

Anyway, PL OK! and thank you for this date-packed contribution to snf097!

[elsieselwyn]

History of Astoria Railroad by Leslie M. Scott

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_historyofastoriarailroad_scott_es_128kb.mp3 (46:49)

link to text: https://archive.org/details/jstor-20609974/page/n1/mode/2up

Hi Elsie, This chapter of tangled Oregon railroad history should delight railway buffs! Promises...promoters...land grants, right of way grants, $$$ subsidies... And deal after deal falls through. The final "winner," buys (1894) a defaulted railroad (the Yaquina, cost to build $5,250,000) for $100,000 and then accepts subsides from the citizens of Astoria to build a RR from Astoria to Goble [55 miles of track? ] for subsidies which include 4500 acres of land and $300,000 cash.

Lots and lots of names and detail! You read all 46 minutes virtually flawlessly, which is quite an accomplishment! I'm giving it a PL OK!

----------

I'll make one general comment, since this question came up once before in the course of vol. 097, which is, is it wise to correct an obvious printing mistake in a text? In HeartandStars' reading, the problem was a missing verb ("is") in a sentence.

It seemed to me that you might have unconsciously "corrected" a date at 18:52.5 (page 229). The text here reads "The Legislature of Oregon memorialized Congress in 1882, urging the repeal. The bill passed a year later, in January 1885." You said "The bill passed a year later in January 1883." "5" and "3" look a lot the same in print... And, it's true that "a year later" than 1882 is 1883... however...

I traced the sequence of events starting on page 228 and forward from there, and my best guess us that it's the date that the Oregon Legislature memorialized Congress given on page 229 that has the printing error. [Of course I'm not sure]. But, sequentially, Villard goes broke in 1883 (p. 228); the citizens of Astoria memorialize Congress for repeal of their RR land grant in December 1883; then, AFTER the Astoria citizens' plea, the Oregon legislature memorializes Congress for repeal of the same land grant. Congress repeals the land grant "a year later, in January 1885." So, by my reasoning, the Oregon Legislature probably memorialized Congress in 1884...

Dates are slippery. In this case, I would probably have read the date on page 229 (1895) as written on the page. Hope this makes sense.

Anyway, PL OK! and thank you for this date-packed contribution to snf097!

You're right - I probably just fixed it automatically when reading since I try to read it as is on the page. I am amazed that I managed to read it without any more mistakes - it had a lot of dates and names!

[Sue Anderson]

Well I wasn't going to miss the chance to put Carrington himself in the catalogue!

And here is Hodgson's. Recorded separately for integrity and ease of attribution as well as ease of search.

On a curious Appearance seen in the Sun (1859)
by Richard Hodgson (1804 – 1872) ----> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Hodgson_(publisher)

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_curiousappearanceseeninthesun_hodgson_alister_128kb.mp3 (1:55)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015011952366&view=1up&seq=21

Hi Alister,

Thanks for these! Both accounts are well read and PL OK! Now, all that is left to do is to figure out how to get Carrington's and Hodgson's accounts to follow in sequence when Jo catalogs vol. 097. Selections are cataloged in alphabetical order.

LibriVox catalog search utilizes, in addition to the author's name, key words from the title of a selection. Therefore, I often try to include key words in SNF titles (leaving the original titles alone in the recordings, of course.)

You've used the acronym "CME" to describe the event of 1859. CME was not, obviously, a term either Carrington or Hodgson used. However we could title the two selections in the catalog to include this acronym, as for instance:

The Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) of September 1, 1859: as witnessed by Richard Carrington
The Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) of September 1, 1859: as witnessed by Richard Hodgson.


Carrington and Hodgson both referred to "magnetic storm," so, alternately, that term could be the title, as for instance:

The Magnetic Storm of September 1, 1859 as witnessed by ...

This U.S. Government website would lead me to believe either term is applicable to the event these men witnessed: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-a-magnetic-storm

Please let me know if a title change is agreeable to you.

[Alister]

CME probably is too modern an acronym perhaps?

Magnetic Storm fits, but I don't know how applicable the term is nowadays.

How does Solar Storm sound? I've seen that used alot, including on Wikipedia to refer to the Carrington Event. And more generally.

Edit~

Actually, ignore me. Go with CME as that is exactly what they witnessed. The magnetic storm/solar storm refers more to the events here on Earth resulting from it, I think, and not what they observed. Which makes CME by far the most fitting.

[vviera]

Bedside Books
Wm. Davenport Adams
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_bedsidebooks_adams_vv_128kb.mp3
From By-Ways in Book-Land: Short Essays on Literary Subjects
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/31034
8:28

A delightful short essay on the immorality and unhealthiness of reading books in bed.

[Sue Anderson]

Bedside Books
Wm. Davenport Adams
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_bedsidebooks_adams_vv_128kb.mp3
From By-Ways in Book-Land: Short Essays on Literary Subjects
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/31034
8:28

A delightful short essay on the immorality and unhealthiness of reading books in bed.

Hi VViera,

Thanks for this enjoyable essay! I couldn't help thinking that Mr. Adams was recommending his own book as bedtime reading: "What is wanted is a series of short somethings which the mind can readily grasp and as easily retain...Let is be a volume of short essays."

Since Adams also describes the desired physical characteristics of the bedside book ("fairly diminutive, bound and stitched in a way as to allow the hand to clutch it and hold it with ease..." ), I decided to look at a copy of the 1888 original on archive.org. https://archive.org/details/bywaysinbookland00adam/page/n1/mode/2up By-Ways of Book Land met the all the criteria. Some lucky soul received the copy which has been uploaded to archive.org as a Christmas present in 1888!

PL OK!

[elsieselwyn]

Here is another railroad related piece to round out the collection:

The Northern Pacific Railroad and Some of Its History by Hanford W. Fairweather (April 1919)

text: https://archive.org/details/jstor-40474001/page/n1/mode/2up
for the JSTOR page with all the publication details: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40474001?seq=4

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/snf097_northernpacificrailroad_fairweather_es_128kb.mp3 (13:05)


Note for Jo: I accidentally first uploaded a file that had the author's name mistakenly spelled as fairwether instead of fairweather. That fairwether file can be deleted. Sorry about that!