Strange Tales of Yester Year - No.1, Part 2 - More Paper Premonitions

Aftermath of Aberfan Disaster, 1966

So after trying to work out how I was going to go about these posts, I've decided to focus this one on more predictions from old newspapers, and then my own weird predictions will feature in part three, which will hopefully appear before or on Halloween.

The sheer number of predictions that I'm finding in old newspapers helped lead to this decision. There really are a phenomenal amount....which only reinfores my belief that this is definitely something that more attention should be paid to. 

And I'm not alone. In 1967, Dr. John Barker would suggest a bureau be set up to log and check peoples predictions, after a large number of psychic hits became apparent after a tragedy in Wales.  This tragedy was the Aberfan disaster....

For those who have never heard of Aberfan, here is a brief recap.  The Aberfan disaster was the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip on 21 October 1966. The tip had been created on a mountain slope above the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, and overlaid a natural spring. Heavy rain led to a build-up of water within the tip which caused it to suddenly slide downhill as a slurry, killing 116 children and 28 adults as it engulfed Pantglas Junior School and a row of houses. The tip was the responsibility of the National Coal Board (NCB), and the subsequent inquiry placed the blame for the disaster on the organisation and nine named employees.

One of the children killed in the landslide, Eryl Mai Jones, had a dream the night before and tried to warn her mother of it.. "I had a dream I went to school and there was no school there.  Something black had come down all over it."  Sadly, her mother, believing it to just be a dream... still sent to her to school, and to her death.

Another child, Paul Davies, drew a picture the day before of figures digging into a hillside and titled it "The End".....he also perished in the disaster.

This first article then, goes into a little more detail of Dr. John Barker's mission....

From the Daily Post (Merseyside Edition), dated Tuesday, September 3rd 1968

FRONTIERS OF THE UNKNOWN

Did their dreams really foretell disaster?

By Andrew Mackenzie

A further extract from a new book that tells of some of the strange insights of psychical research into the unconcious

In 1965 Mr. G. W. Lambert in a paper in the Society for Psychical Research's journal, enumerated five requirements,  all of which were necessary to establish any connections between a dream and a future event.

These were:

(1)  The dream should be reported to a credible witness before the occurrence of the event to which it appears to relate.

Fourteen of the dreams in this series fulfil this requirement.  Two others were pre-recorded.  Such confirmation of data helps to exclude retrospective falsification of the material by hindsight on the part of the percipient.

(2) The time interval between the dream and the event should be short.

The possibility that the two are linked by coincidence increases as the time interval extends.  In these cases dreams occurred between six weeks to a few hours in advance of the tragedy,  the majority occurring within the week before the Aberfan disaster itself.

(3) The event should be one which,  in the circumstances of the dreamer,  seemed extremely improbable at the time of the dream.

In other words, the event must be so unexpected that it cannot reasonably be inferred afterwards that both the dream itself and the subsequent event arose out of the same set of circumstances,  there being no element of precognition in the dream.

Dr. Barker maintains that this requirement is amply fulfilled in the majority of cases.  Very similar dreams were reported from persons entirely unconnected with the disaster from different parts of the country.  It seems improbable,  therefore,  that personal hopes or fears alone could induce dreams resembling the Aberfan disaster.  Afterwards,  however,  the full realisation that a dream or other premonition might have had some connection with the tragedy was regarded by several correspondents as a shocking experience.

(4) The description in the dream should be of an event destined to be literally fulfilled and not merely symbolically foreshadowed.

(5) The details of the dream should tally with the details of the event.

Both these criteria were fulfilled in many instances cited here.  Several dreams showed an undeniable resemblance to the disaster or parts of it.  Afterwards,  several dreamers claimed to be able to pinpoint the scene of their dreams in the pictures of the aberfan disaster which were flashed on television or appeared in newspaper photographs.  Dreams were generally literal,  requiring no symbolic interpreatation whatsoever.  Several symbolic were received but were omitted from the series,

Acute anxiety before disaster

In addition,  seven cases,  four men and three women,  developed non-specific symptoms of acute mental and physical unease from four days to a few hours before the Aberfan disaster.  Two percipients in this category claimed forewarning of the date of  a disaster.

Four days beforehand,  one man became convinced that "something terrible was going to happen on Friday," and nine hours before the Aberfan disaster another man predicted an earthquake for the following day.  Symptoms were in general characteristic of an acute anxiety state,  and in five instances were either witnessed or reported to others before the disaster occurred.

"It is tempting" Dr. Barker says "to ocnjecture that some persons might act like 'human seismographs' in advance of major calamities,  but it would,  of course,  need to be proved that they do not also 'react' in this strange way in the absence of impending disasters...

"Despite individual variations,  the experiences of these seven persons who claimed to have had premonitions of the Aberfan disaster had several features in common.  Their symptoms included general non-specific feelings of unease,  apprehension,  depression,  loss of concentration and in one instance a compelling thought.  Their distress was in all instances apparently relieved by the occurrence of the diaster or of hearing news of it.

"I have termed this constellation of symptoms 'Pre-disaster syndrome'

"If there is a link between some of these experiences and the tragedy itself then it might be possible,  for instance,  to imagine that the screaming reported by several dreamers resulted from the screams of some of the dying children of Aberfan which had somehow 'gate-crashed' the time barrier so as to be detected by these percipients in advance of the disaster...

"The principal difficulty is that few of the premonitions are in any way specific.

"Most of them might be regarded as rather vague prognostications of doom,  and with 50 million or so people in the country dreaming several dreams a night,  it would indeed be surprising if they did not produce a few dozen premonitions of doom among them.  Nevertheless,  the Aberfan disaster was an extremely unusal one so that dreams resembling it are likely to be fairly improbable."

Mrs. Eagleton's dream is one of the best documented.  In this dream she was in a valley with a big building filled with young children.  Mountains of coal and water were rushing down upon the valley,  burying the building.  The screams of the children were so vivid that the dreamer also screamed.  Mrs. Eagleton's dream took place a week before the disaster and she related it to her neighbour,  Mrs. Rollings,  three days later.

Mrs. Armstrong's dream is also convincing.  In this dream,  which she had about two weeks before the Aberfan disaster,  she was at a school "somewhere in England".  Teachers and children began running and screaming,and were pointing behind them at a "black, slimy substance" creeping towards them.  Her husband confirmed that she had told him of this dream before the disaster occurred.  There is no mention in this dream of Wales or a mountain,  but it is surely strange that a school should be involved and a black slimy substance from which she was saved by climbing a tree.

Dreams gave exact details

Eryl Mai Jones

The most convincing dream,  in my opinion,  is that of Eryl Mai Jones.  The child had a premonition of her own death,  of which she was not afraid,  and that of her friends Peter and June.  She did not know in advance the manner of her death,  but the indications are that it was connected with the destruction of the school by "something black" which had come down all over it. 

I think it may be said that the dreams of Eryl Mai Jones and Mrs. Eaglton,  and the vision of Mrs, Milder,  contain so many unlikely details that one hesitates to ascribe what they saw,  in relation to the tragedy that followed,  to chance-coincidence.  There is a considerable amount of evidential material in some of the other cases.

"No opportunity should be lost" (Dr. West says) "to impress upon the public the importance of posting to the Society for Psychical Research,  accounts of vivid dreams or impressions - which might turn out to be precognitive - as soon as they are received.  If the impression is strong enough for the percipient to tell other people about it at once (as is often the case, according to the published accounts),  there is no reason why he should not also tell the Society."

Dr. Barker says that the implications (of the Aberfan case) are that the public should be invited to report their premonitions to a central bureau,  perhaps linked with a computer to detect peaks or patterns in the incoming material and to help exclude false,  trivial or irrelevant information.  An official early warning could then be issued only if the place,  date or nature of an impending disaster became clear.

©1968 by Andrew Mackenzie "Frontiers of the Unknown" will be published by Arthur Baker Ltd,. on September 5, price 30s.

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From the Evening Standard, dated Wednesday, January 4th 1967....part of an article on the daeth of Donald Campbell, who died in a water speed attempt.

IF YOU DREAM OF DISASTER...

Donald Campbell apparently had a premonition of disaster the night before he died.  He went ahead heedless. 

Other people apparently had a premonition of the Aberfan tragedy.  More than 75 replies were received in a reponse to an Evening Standard appeal for authentic examples.

After investigating these reports,  a senior British psychiatrist beleives that there is sufficient evidence to justify the setting up of a national "early warning centre" to analyze premonitions,  detect common patterns in them and sound the alarm if a particular disaster seems imminent.

Such a centre might need a computer - an expensive piece of equipment.  But if it did prove possible tp harness premonitions so that loss of human life or damage to property could be avoided the reward would be incalculable.

We shall never know unless we try to find out.

'Clearing house'

In the belief that the time has come to investigate this phenomenon further the Evening Standard announces an experiment.

For the next 12 months Evening Standard Science Correspondent Peter Fairley will act as a 'clearing house' for premonitions.  Anyone who has a dream,  vision or intensely strong feeling that disaster is about to befall somebody or some place is invited to contact him by letter or by ringing FLE 3000.

Fairley will keep a record of all such notifications.  At the end of 1967 they will be matched against actual events.

Investigators

A small team of investigators is standing by to follow up the premonitions:  and a ,edical consultant has offered his sevices.

From time to time progress reports will appear in the Friday World of Science column in the Evening Standard.

Callers should give their names,  adresses,  details of the premonition and the time at which it occurred.

The reports of Aberfan predictions were timed from six weeks to a few hours before the actual event.  Other premonitions,  reliably tabulated in history,  have occurred years before an event.

The mechanism of them,  the truth about them,  the implications of them are unknown.

We hope to find out.

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From the Evening Standard, dated Thursday, April 20th 1967....part of an article about a Britannia airliner crash in Cyprus...

INCREDIBLE STORY OF MAN WHO DREAMED DISASTER - 30 DAYS AGO

Peter Fairley

At 6am on March 21,  30 days ago - the telephone rang in the Shropshire home of the pyschiatrist who,  with me,  is operating the Evening Standard Premonitions Bureau.

"I was hoping not to have to ring you," a man's voice said. "But now I feel I must."

The voice was that of Mr. Alan Hencher, 40, of Dagenham, Essex.  He was,  in the words of the psychiatrist,  "in an acutely disturbed state - het up and very worried."

For Mr. Hencher had had a vision.  And this was what he described :

"An aircraft was coming over mountains.  It was early morning,  and a weekday.

"It is coming over the mountains," he went on excitedly.

"It's going to radio a message that it is in trouble.  Then it will cut out and - nothing.

"There are 123 people.  Possibly 124.  One hundred and twenty three people.  It is going to crash - shortly after take off.  I cannot tell exactly where it is going to happen.  One person is saved in a very poor condition.  Where?  I have had this feeling for three days.

Swissair Brittania Disaster, 1967

Similarities

"I have felt for a week that I have been in communication with one person in this aeroplane.  This person is trying to create a peace."

Mr. Hencher went on to describe how - in the vision - he could see a church above two houses.

There were two statues, one on each side of the church.  "The nearewst one is that of Christ," he went on. "There is a light flashing on and off on this statue.  It directs me to this terrible air crash."

Did Mr. Hencher - a batchelor, described by his mother as "rather reserved" - have a premonition of the Swissair Britannia disaster?

There are some fascinating similarities.

Mountains,  early morning,  a brief radio message,  the number 123 "or possibly 124" and the sentence "one person will be saved in a very poor condition."

A total of 124 people were killed on impact - one survivor died soon afterwards.

It is tempting even to search for a link between the statue of Buddah found in the wreckage at Nicoia and the statue of Christ seen by Mr. Hencher,  with a light (perhaps an aircraft identification light?) flashing on and off.

But there are differences.

The number of survivors.  The fact that the aircraft was coming in to land - not taking off.  And the aircraft which Mr. Hencher saw in his vision was believed a Caravelle - not a Britannia.

Intriguing

But the intriguing thing is that a Caravelle never carries more than 89 passengers.

As the psychiatrist put it:  Few of these impressions that people seem to get are perfect in every detail.  But this is a most intersting report.

"What is especially interesting is that Mr. Hencher also had a premonition of the Aberfan disaster  - which he communicated to a witness - although we did not record that one in advance."

This one we did.  As with all premonitions reported to the Evening Standards, the name,  the date,  the details were all logged. 

But it happened at 6am on March 21.

What does Mr. Hencher say about his premonitions?

"On some occasions I get a sick headache,  a heavy dull feeling,  until it is as if a band of steel were round my head.

"This will last anything up to two weeks.  While in this state I am able to say what sort of vehicle will be involved - plane,  train,  car, etc., etc.

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From The Spokesman Review, dated Monday June 1st 1914

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From The Richmond Daily Register, dated Thursday, 9th September 1920

PREMONITION OF DEATH PROVES TRUE

Rev. Solomon Blythe,  colored,  died at his home on Irvine street Wednesday at noon,  death resulting from a stroke of paralysis sustained while attending the Baptist Association at Berea last Saturday.  He is survived by his wife and two children.  He was one of the most highly respected coloured citizens in the city,  honorable and upright,  and his loss will be deeply felt in his church and in his family.  Funeral services will be conducted at the Baptist Church Sunday morning at eleven o'clock by the pastor,  Rev. T.H. Broaddus,  assisted by Dev. D.P. Francis.  In the last prayer he delivered at the Association,  Rev/ Blythe said he had a premonition that it would be his last - and it was.

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From The Newcastle Herald, dated Tuesday, June 13th 1911

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From The Lawrence Daily Journal, dated Sunday, September 7th 1879

MR. COTTON'S PREMONITIONS.

It is remarkable the premonition which Mr. Cotton seems to have had that he would be murdered.  It is still more remarkable that there seems to have been no sufficient motive for the terrible deed,  unless we ascribe it to tramps who sometimes murder a man for a sixpence.

The Oskaloosa Independent says :

We learn that Mr. Cotton some time before his death took his wife into the store and pointed out to her the spot where she would find any money that he might have on hand,  except change in the drawer,  should he be murdered some night while attending to his duties.  The day following his assassination, she went to the place designated, we are told,  and found $300 which had been sent to him the previous day from Kansas city.

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From The Herald and Review, dated Saturday, 7th September 1929

Premonition of Death Shown in Girl's Will

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A will,  made on a piece of scrap paper by Martha Koob,  16 years old High school girl,  who was killed instantly in an automobile accident east of Decatur Monday night,  has been found by relatives,  it became know Friday.  The girl is believed to have made it just before leaving her father's home in Hannibal, Mo., on the day of her death.

Relatives of the girl told of the discovery of the will soon after the girl had left Hannibal,  with her brother,  John Koob,  who died in St. Mary's hospital Friday night,  with injuries sustained in the same accident.

In it she disposed of her few personal possessions including a diamond ring,  a necklace and other articles.

With the will was a note explaining that she was writing in case she "didn't return from the trip" she was taking with her brother and his family to Anderson, Ind. where she planned to enter school.

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It seems that Dr. Barker and Peter Fairley had an interest in premonitions before the disaster at Aberfan too, as this clipping from the Evening Standard in October 1965 shows.....

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That was just a very small number of the many, many articles I've found....I might have to make this an ongoing series all of it's own!  Anyway, as promised, next time I'll be diving into my own predictions,  so expect things to get even weirder as you hear of this weird paranormal peculiarity first hand from a blogger of stuff!

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