PHOTO: The Gurdon Light - Gurdon, Arkansas

Gurdon Light

The Gurdon Light is one of the better-known, and examined, cases of "ghost lights."  First reported in Gurdon, Arkansas (US) around 1931, the Gurdon Light is seen over the railroad tracks in the small town in Clark County, Arkansas.  It is clearly visible, and attracts flocks of spectators -- especially around Halloween.

This photograph was taken in 1994 by the immensely popular US TV show, Unsolved Mysteries (see sidebar).  It was one of the first photos of the phenomenon considered "credible" by the scientific community.  Other photographs and footage of The Gurdon Light captured both before and since 1994 have taken on added significance, but I chose this one due to its historical import (and Fair Use).

Ghost Lights go by many names, including faery fires and corpse candles, and have been seen across the world for centuries.  They seem to be most prolific in Welsh legend, but are far from unique to the UK.  Prevailing theories explaining the Ghost Lights phenomenon include magnetic fields, mineral deposits, and the infamous "swamp gas."  While some instances are known to be manufactured (usually by, and for, criminal means), there is no official explanation for Ghost Lights.

Arkansas' Gurdon Light remains unexplained.

© The Weirding, 2018

Ball Lightning: Eastern Airlines March 19, 1963

After Eastern Airlines Flight EA 539 was struck by lightning on March 19^th, 1963, passengers say Ball Lightning emerged from the pilot's cabin and floated down the aisle.  The Ball Lightning was about 20cm in diameter, perfectly symmetrical, and "almost solid in appearance."  It produced light equivalent to that of a 10-watt bulb and gave off no heat.

The Ball Lightning maintained "the same height and course for the whole distance over which it could be observed," according to witness, R.C. Jennison, who spoke to Nature in 1969.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning: Salina, KS 1919

In the early evening of October 8^th, 1919, a "ball of fire as big as a washtub floating low in the air" hit a building, ripping out bricks and destroying a window on the second story.  It then exploded with a report a correspondent likened to a gunshot, "filling the air with balls of fire as big as baseballs, which floated away in all directions."

Some of the Ball Lightning followed wires and powerlines as one might expect, but others simply floated away "independently of any objects near by [sic]."  One ball of lightning hit an electric switch box, blasting it open and plunging the east side of Salina, Kansas, into complete darkness.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning: The Account of Maxwell Lyte

Henry Maxwell Lyte lead an impressive career and remains well-respected for his work to this day.  It may surprise some to know that Lyte gave an account of Ball Lightning he witnessed in the Pyrenees some years prior to the Science Club on August 17^th, 1881.

Lyte said he was inside of a barn renovated into a church in the French mountains when a great storm arose.  The congregation moved to secure the barn when Lyte saw a ball of fire he estimated at 6' in diameter "leisurely" moving at 10-12mph up the valley.  Lyte threw himself to the ground, and the ball passed over the makeshift church to strike a plum tree behind it.  The tree was "shattered to atoms."

While no one in the barn was killed, nine shepherds had taken refuge in a small cabin on the mountainside above.  Discharge from the Ball Lightning that struck the plum tree hit the cabin, setting it ablaze.  Four of the men were killed there, another three died from complications due to injuries sustained in the accident, and the remaining two were maimed for life.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning: Remenham, England - 1871

A truly unexplained event of Ghost Lights was reported by a woman in Remenham, England in January, 1871 which some researchers think may have been a case of Ball Lightning. According to the eyewitness, "air bubbles" appeared in her home, coloring the wallpaper and furniture "rose... which gradually deepened into crimson," into golden orange, then lilac and deep violet. Nothing in her home sustained damage.

The report continues with the woman looking outside to see more of these "air bubbles" floating over the snow outside. Several inches in diameter, they colored the snow as they had her home's interior. Soon, the first set of bubbles was blown away by a wind, only to be replaced by a second set rising from the ground! A servant returning home also witnessed the phenomenon from a different viewpoint.

No sparks or electrical odors were reported, as is usually reported with Ball Lightning. None of the inexplicable "bubbles" exploded with a report or discharge, either. While the phenomenon sounds more akin to Ghost Lights than Ball Lightning, the 1871 incident has yet to be scientifically explained.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning or Ghost Lights: England - September 2, 1786

On September 2^nd, 1786, a hurricane struck England. Accompanying the hurricane was a "bright ball of fire and light," the nature of which has never been fully explained. While some researchers have suggested it could have been Ball Lightning, it lasted for a full 40 minutes and did not disappear with a signature explosion. The inexplicable phenomenon may have been more closely related to the phenomena known as Ghost Lights.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning: The Sidmouth Incident

On the early evening of August 12^th, 1970, a particularly violent thunderstorm swept over Sidmouth, England. Suddenly, a "red ball of fire" appeared above the town. The Ball Lightning crackled for several seconds before exploding with a roar. The lightning bolts that shot from the Ball Lightning headed toward the ground. At the moment of explosion, 2500 TV sets across the area were cut-off.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning: The Paris Incident

Ball Lightning is rarely associated with death, though they do occur (and we've already detailed one of the more famous incidents, which wasn't directly the cause of ball lightning, per se, but fits our purposes). In one of the more spectacular incidents, which occurred in Paris in July 1849, Ball Lightning hit a house and three pedestrians.

According to reports, a red ball hovered approximately 20' above a tree during a lightning storm. The ball soon caught fire, then burst, spraying lightning in every direction. One bolt punched a cannonball-sized hole in a nearby house. The Ball Lightning continued spinning, though diminished in size, before exploding again. This time, the resulting offshoots knocked down three pedestrians.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning: Louise Matthews

Louise Matthews was lying on her couch in South Philadelphia during the summer of 1960 when she heard something sizzling.  She saw a large, red ball coming through her window, leaving the Venetian blinds undamaged.

The ball lightning (presumably) continued through Mrs. Matthews' living room into the dining room, where it exited the house through another closed window.  Again, the window was undamaged.

Mrs. Matthews later noticed that the back of her hand was burned.  The hair at the back of her head later fell out, leaving the skin beneath as smooth as that on her face.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning: The Death of a Researcher

According to Jerome Clark's well-researched Unexplained!, G.W. Richman was the first researcher to describe ball lightning in scientific literature.  He also became one of its few recorded victims. 

In 1754, Richman was attempting to measure the energy of a lightning strike.  Ball lightning formed from the electrodes of his equipment and floated toward his face, where it exploded with such a force that it killed him and knocked his assistant unconscious.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ball Lightning: Paris, 1852

Probably the most renowned case of Ball Lightning occurred on July 5^th, 1852 in Paris. According to the tale, a ball of fire about the size of "a human head" came from the fireplace of a fourth-story apartment. The ball knocked the frame aside and darted across the room, seemingly toward the man, who described its actions as being "like a cat." It then moved to the center of the room before ascending slowly up the chimney. It exploded just before reaching the open air, nearly destroying the chimney. While the phenomenon was bright, it produced no heat.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ghost Lights: Ball Lightning

Marfa Ghost Lights (Texas)

Ghost Lights are sometimes classified as ball lightning, especially when they appear indoors or during a thunderstorm.  Theories as to what comprises Ghost Lights include combustible methane (marsh gas), light from distant stars or planets refracting through atmospheric layers, headlights of traffic from a distance, concentrated magnetic force, nearby mineral deposits, and more -- however, most credible sightings of Ghost Lights defy explanation.  Ball lightning is often described as acting as though it were under intelligent control, or had a mind of its own.

However, most self-proclaimed atmospheric "experts" dismiss the ball lightning theory out-of-hand, noting that only surface similarities with Ghost Lights exist.  Ball lightning is a proven phenomenon that continues to intrigue researchers.  Strikes typically last under one to two minutes near, and after, a lightning strike or thunderstorm.  Many times, ball lightning dissipates violently, exploding with a sulfuric smell.

Ghost Lights, also known as faerie fires, are harmless and appear repeatedly in the same location over a lengthy period, regardless of atmospheric conditions.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ghost Light Transmissions - Silent Weaponry at Yakima, Washington

In a significant number of Ghost Lights reports, witnesses claim to have heard voices or felt strong emotions which strongly affected, or even dictated, their behavior. Many say they felt restrained, or even heard a voice telling them to, "Stay away!" or otherwise warning them of danger from the Ghost Light itself. 

In other cases, they felt wildly compelled to leave the area and avoid the Ghost Lights entirely.  Those affected reported experiencing a panic state forcing a "Fight or Flight" response that was hard to ignore.

More remarkably, many of these reports involve ghost lights seen from hundreds of yards away or farther.  These peculiar cases, likely involving the use of silent weaponry technology, are particularly common to sightings of the Yakima Ghost Lights near the Yakima Indian Reservation in Washington state.

The OddBlog knows that the US military, and its various criminal offshoots, have technology specific to weaponized (manufactured) ball lightning, ghost lights, and mouth-to-skull broadcasts.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010