ID | #1708966960 |
Added | Mon, 26/02/2024 |
Author | July N. |
Sources | Evening Star [Washington DC] 26 September 1896: p. 22
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Phenomena | |
Status | Investigation
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Initial data
Prophetic spiders The spiders predict that McKinley will become president!
There is a novelty in Bladensburg. This is nothing more than an educated spider, and a well-educated one, local Republicans persistently claim, although Democrats shake their heads and express pity for the stray insect. This spider spun William McKinley's name in the center of its web.
The spider itself is not an ordinary insect, but a real golden beetle. He has two gold stripes on his back, and not a drop of silver is visible anywhere in his makeup. These same stripes, so that the more enthusiastic residents of that area, who are not indifferent to the obverse of the spider candidate, glow at night with a radiant, golden light, so that the candidate's name is always visible. Even more attention is paid to this caprice of nature due to the fact that it was found in the house of the silver man. However, this man firmly asserts in response to the Republican's assertion that "when a spider starts writing a person's name, nothing holds it back," that Brian does not need a spider to glorify his name, and that all the spiders in the country cannot weave enough nets to keep him.
Many people from both this part of the country and this city have seen the strange action of nature. The spider lives in the kitchen of Mr. Alexander Moffitt's residence, which is located on the territory of the old Bladensburg mill, near Highland Station, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The house is an old building, and the spider has settled in the rafters between two heavy beams, almost above the kitchen stove. This phenomenon was noticed at least six weeks ago, and yesterday a Star reporter visited this place to find out the real facts about this case. He found everything exactly as reported, and although the flies and the ravages of time had made some changes to the delicate silky structure of the fly trap, the inscription was still clearly distinguishable.
The text itself is very close in size to the usual large handwriting and is located very close to the center of the web, the first letter begins right in the center. The web is about a foot in diameter, and the lines forming the letter are darker and heavier than other parts of the gauze structure. When the reporter visited the house, the flies destroyed the first three strokes of the letter "W", as well as part of the letters "e" and "y", but Mrs. James Hart painted the remaining strokes as she saw them. Otherwise, the inscription remained intact, and the residents of the house, like the rest of the people who saw this sight, are ready to testify that the whole name was there at the beginning and was clearly legible. The external structure of the web is connected to the letter by thousands of threads, and the letters themselves are connected in the most proven way.
Among those who witnessed the spider's work are Major and Mrs. James P. Hart from 618 11th Street Northeast; Miss Annie Hart, Miss Bell Hart, Miss Clara Hart, Mr. K. Paxton, Mr. Lewis Esper and Mr. Albert Mcconochle of 304 9th Street NW, and as indicated above, they are all willing to give written testimony regarding what they have.
Original news
WOVEN BY A GOLD BUG.
A Curious Bladensburg Spider Spins the Name of McKinley
Bladensburg has a novelty. This is nothing more nor less than an educated spider, and a well-educated one at that, the republicans of that vicinity stoutly maintain, though the democrats shake their heads and express pity for the misguided insect. This spider has woven the name of William McKinley in the center of its web.
The spider itself is not the ordinary insect, but is a genuine gold bug. It has two golden stripes down its back, and there is not a particle of silver coloring to be seen anywhere in its make-up. These same stripes, so the more enthusiastic residents of that section who are partial to the spider’s candidate aver, shine at night with a radiant, golden light, so that the name of the candidate is always visible. Greater stress is laid upon this freak of nature from the fact that it has come to light in a silver man’s house. That individual stoutly maintains, however, in answer to a republican’s assertion, that “When a spider gets to writing a man’s name, there is no holding him back,” that Bryan does not need a spider to bring his name into prominence, and that all the spiders in the country cannot weave enough nets to hold him down.
A number of people both from that section of the country and this city have seen the strange working of nature. The spider resides in the kitchen of the residence of Mr. Alexander Moffit, which is on the old Bladensburg mill property, near the Highland station, on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The house is an old structure and the spider made his home in the rafters between two heavy beams, almost over the kitchen stove. The phenomenon was noticed at least six weeks ago, and a Star reporter visited the place yesterday to ascertain the real facts in the case. He found everything exactly as reported, and, although the flies and ravages of time had wrought a few changes in the delicate silken structure of the fly-catching trap, the writing was still plainly legible.
The writing itself is very nearly the size of ordinary large handwriting, and is situated very near the center of the web, the first letter starting just at the center. The web is about a foot in diameter and the lines which form the writing are darker and heavier than the other portions of the gauze-like structure. When the reporter visited the house the flies had destroyed the three first strokes of the “W” and a portion of the “e” and the “y,” but Mrs. James Hart drew in the remaining strokes just as she had seen them. otherwise the writing was intact, and the occupants of the house are willing to make affidavit, as well as the rest of the people who have seen the sight, that the whole name was there in the beginning and was plainly legible. The outer structure of the web is joined by thousands of strands to the writing, while the letters themselves are joined in the most approved fashion.
Among those who witnessed the spider’s handiwork are Major and Mrs. James P. Hart of 618 11th street northeast; Miss Annie hart, Miss Bell hart, Miss Clara Hart, Mr. C. Paxton, Mr. Lewis Esper and Mr. Albert McConochle of 304 9th street northwest, and, as stated above, are all willing to make affidavit to what they have seen.
Evening Star [Washington DC] 26 September 1896: p. 22
Hypotheses
Pareidolic illusion
A variety of visual illusions (the so-called "sensory illusions additions"); is the formation of illusory images, as a basis which are the details of the real object. Thus, the vague and obscure the visual image is perceived as something distinct and defined — for example, figures of people and animals in the clouds, the image of a man on the moon, "a hidden message", audible when you reverse the audio recordings, the shadows formed by leaves or complexes of objects in certain lighting (sometimes at a certain angle).
Translated by «Yandex.Translator»
Deliberate falsification
This version includes any falsifications that imitate unexplained phenomena both from the outside: practical jokes, flash mobs, fake news, witness fraud, staging, etc.
There are many ways to make something similar to a ghost or a flying saucer from improvised materials, without using video and photomontage.
Many homemade things made for the sake of a joke, a practical joke or a direct imitation of a mystical being or event can be taken as unexplained not only in photos and videos, but also in reality.
Investigation
Argiope aurantia is commonly known as the yellow garden spider, black and yellow garden spider, yellow and black garden spider, golden garden spider, golden ball weaver, corn spider, scribbler spider, writing spider and McKinley spider. A "writing spider" because the bizarre patterns on its web sometimes look like archaic (old) writing. And the "McKinley Spider" that in 1896 one of them predicted the US presidential election by inserting McKinley's name into his web.
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