Comet ice impacts?
Some additional speculation on these
burns with little blast.
--translated from chapter 150 of Andre Thevet's, Les vrais
pourtraits et vies des hommes (Paris, 1584); note the mention
of "the lightning of Jupiter"--a common metaphor for
bolides:
- Lightning Strikes Out of the Blue attributed to Burst
of Naval Gunfire
Nevertheless having observed this
French fleet he considered opposing the power of Olata
more for the natural prowess of a nation experienced in
battle than because of the arquebuses they carried. These
were so impressive for the poor barbarians that Chief
Allycamany, having seen the marvelous havoc that
lightning had made coming from the skies on August 29,
sent to Captain Gourgues six Indians who, after they had
presented some baskets of honey, pumpkins, and grapes,
made known the desire which their Lord Allycamany [had]
to establish friendship and alliance with him; though
finding it strange in view of the obedience that bound
him to the French, that they had set off against their
abode the gunfire which had burned a great quantity of
green prairies even up to the water line, approaching so
close to his shelter that he thought he could see the
fire in his own home. However this may be, the pagans
were not more terrified of the lightning of Jupiter, than
were these poor Floridians of the terrible explosion of
the guns which belched forth fire; and I cannot but
believe that Satouriona cherished and prized the
assistance of the French on account of these pieces of
ordnance in view of the hate that he later fancied
against them, not only because of these thundering pieces
but also for the refusal made by Captain Gourgues to
escort them against Thimogoa, as he had promised him.
The above can be found on page 174 of Laudonniere & Fort
Caroline (history and documents) by Charles E. Bennett (Univ. of
Florida Press, 1964).
In 'A Notable Historie containing foure voyages made by
certaine French Captaines unto Florida' (London: Thomas Dawson,
1587), which is a translation of 'L'Histoire Notable De La
Florida Situee Es Indes Occidentales' (Paris: Guillaume Auvray,
M.D.LXXXVI.), the account below begins: "...,until that on
the 29. of August a lightning from heaven fell within halfe a
league of our fort..." Thus the event occurred within a
mile and a half of the fort but no damaging blast wave is
mentioned. Of course there may have been a blast front that was
not recorded however I have come across other acounts that seem
to suggest more burn than bang, such as the Chinese report below
the following modern translation of Laudonniere's story.
From 'Three Voyages' by Rene Laudonniere, translated by
Charles E. Bennett (The University Presses of Florida,
Gainsville, 1975 pp 88-90):
- So things moved along, and the hate of Chief Satouriona
against me continued. On August 29 there fell on the fort
such a stroke of lightning that I think it more worthy of
interest and of being recorded than any unusual thing
that has yet come to pass, more strange than historians
have ever written about. The fields were at that time
all green and half covered with water, and yet the
lightning in one instant consumed about 500 acres and
burned with such a bright heat that all the birds which
lived in the meadows were consumed. This thing
continued for three days. It left us in wonderment,
because we could not guess where all the fire came from.
At first we had the opinion that the Indians had burned
their houses for fear of us, abandoning their old places.
Then we thought that they might have observed some ships
in the sea and, following their usual custom, lighted up
fires here and there to show that people lived in this
land. Finally not being reassured, I decided to send to
Chief Serranay to find out the truth. But as I was on the
point of sending out a boat to ascertain the facts, six
Indians arrived from the land of Chief Allicamany. On
entering, they made a long statement, but first they
presented several baskets of corn, pumpkins, and grapes.
Then they spoke of the amiable alliance that Allicamany
wished to enter into with me. They said he could hardly
wait, from day to day, until the hour would come when it
would please me to put him in my service. They said that
in view of the obedience that he had given me, he found
it very strange that I should direct such a cannonade
against his dwelling, making many of the green prairies
burn away right up to the waterline, so much so that he
expected to see the fire in his house. Because of this he
humbly begged me to order my men not to shoot any more
toward his lodging, otherwise he would have to abandon
his land and go to a place more distant from us. When we
heard the foolish opinion of this man, which might
nevertheless be very profitable for us, I spoke
expediently as to what I thought of the matter at that
time, responding to the Indians with a happy countenance
and saying that what they had told me of the obedience of
their chief was very agreeable with me because previously
he had not behaved himself in that way toward me,
especially when I had told him to send me the prisoners
that he detained of the great Olata Ouae Outina, even
though he [Satouriona, i.e., Chief of Allicamany] counted
them unimportant. I told him that this was the principal
reason why I had sent the cannonade, and not that I had
wanted to reach his house, as I could easily have done
that if I had wanted to do so. I said that I had been
content to fire just halfway down the course to let him
know of my power. I assured him that if he continued in
his good behavior, my men would not be shooting at him in
the future and I would be his loyal defender against his
greatest enemies. The Indians were content with this
response and returned to reassure their chief who,
notwithstanding this reassurance, kept away from his home
and at a distance of about twenty-five leagues for a
period of about two months. At the end of three days the
fire was entirely extinguished. But for two days after
that there was such excessive heat in the air that the
river near which we had our habitation became so hot that
it seemed almost to boil. Many fish died and of many
species, to such an extent that in the mouth of the river
alone there were enough dead fish to fill fifty carts.
The putrefaction in the air bred so many dangerous
diseases among us that most of my men fell sick and
seemed about ready to finish their days. However, our
good Lord took care of us and we all survived without a
single death.
--below is from 'The
Dragon in China and Japan by M. W. de Visser (Johannes
Muller, Amsterdam, 1913 pp 48-49)
- Devastation caused by lightning was believed to be the
result of sacred fire, sent by Heaven to stop dragon
fights. "In the fifth month of the year yih-wei
(probably 1295) on a place near the lake at I hing, all
of a sudden there were two dragons which twisting around
each other and fighting both fell into the lake, Their
length had no sharp limits. In a short space of time a
heavy wind came riding on the water, which reached a
height of more than a chang (ten ch'ih or feet). Then
there fell from the sky more than ten fire balls, having
the size of houses of ten divisions. The two dragons
immediately ascended (to the sky), for Heaven, afraid
that they might cause calamity, sent out sacred fire to
drive them away. Supposed that Heaven had been a little
remiss for a moment, then within a hundred miles
everything would have turned into gigantic torrents. When
I recently passed by boat the Peach-garden of Teh Ts'ing,
those paddy fields were all scorched and black, some tens
of acres in all. Then we moored the boat to the bank and
asked those villagers (for the reason). They said:
'Yesterday noon there was a big, dragon which fell from
the sky. Immediately he was burned by terrestial fire and
flew away. For that what the dragons fear is fire'"
Though I'm not sure if this account relates only one event and
there does seem to be some shock wave, the report seems to convey
the burning of a large wet area. This type of observation makes
me wonder if there is not some atmospheric chemistry involved. A
biomass in oxygen enriched air makes for pretty good kindling.
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