In relation to the period of the visit of the Myers party to B----
House, Lord Bute received several journal letters from Professor
Lodge, as well as from Mr. Myers, which, as he has made no request to
the contrary, might be quoted here _in extenso_, were it not that
they relate in considerable part to the proceedings of the medium, as
to which the present editors agree with Mr. Myers, that "they greatly
doubt if there was anything supernormal."
Professor Lodge was from the first much interested in the B----
inquiry, and wrote to Lord Bute on April 14th, two days after arrival:
"I have not found anything here as yet at all suitable for physical
experiments. I have heard a noise or two, and intelligent raps.
Nothing whatever can be normally seen so far."
And on April 17th: "The noises and disturbances have been much quieter
of late, in fact have almost ceased _pro tem_.... We have not heard
the loud bang as yet. Knocks on the wall, a sawing noise, and a
droning and a wailing are all we have heard. The droning and the
wailing, some whistling, and apparent attempts at a whisper, all up in
the attic, may have been due either to the wind or birds. They were
not distinct enough to be evidential, though they were just audible to
all of us. The sawing noise was more distinct. I think I will go to
the attic about 3 A.M. to-night to see if anything more can be heard.
Most of the noises occur then, or else at 6 A.M. Mr. Campbell has
heard a dragging along the floor in his bedroom, No. 3. I have heard,
like many others, the knocking on the wall, but for the last two
nights things have been quiet.
"_April 20th._--There has been nothing here for me to do as a
physicist, and I return home tomorrow, but nevertheless the phenomena,
taken as a whole, have been most interesting.... I know that you are
hearing from Mr. Myers the details of our sittings.... There is
certainly an interregnum of noises, the last three nights having been
undisturbed. [After describing recent seances with Miss 'K----.'] I
write just as if what we have been told were true.[F] The cessation of
the noises may of course be merely a temporary lull as before, and
they may break out again...."
On April 22nd, he wrote to Miss Freer "The sounds are not very strong,
and latterly there has been one of your interregna in the noises, but
still we heard some of them; only knocks, however, except once a low
droning, a sawing noise, and a whistling whisper. Some of the raps
seemed intelligent, but there was nothing to investigate on the
physical side...."
And in another note, undated:--
"There has been nothing capable of being photographed. The sounds are
objective though not impressive.... I have seen nothing to suggest
electricity or magnetism, or any of the ordinary physical agents in
connection with the disturbances; but the noises are so momentary and
infrequent, that they give no real scope for continued examination."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account