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AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3040
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 6:14 pm: | 
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Just to start this thread going.
1888 was a very exceptional year, for the weather as well.
The October of 1888 was the hottest October since records began, with 20.3C being recorded, a record only broken in 2005 when 22.1C was mapped in the Scottish islands.
Believe it or not 1888 also saw widespread snow all over southern England on the 11th & 12th July, extending as far down as the Isle of Wight, with many Londoners thinking it was sleet or hail, but it was classified by the Met. as snow. |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3041
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 6:40 pm: |
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More from an exceptional year:
'1888
(Summer) In July of this year, ICE is reported to have disrupted the fishing fleets in/out of the Faeroes .. this must imply markedly COLD conditions at these latitudes, probably extending to at least the Shetland Isles. By the CET series, it was a notably COLD summer, with a mean of 13.7degC - in the 'top-10' of coldest summers in that series. CET, 1
The average July temperature for London is around 22C (72F). However, during July 1888 the maximum temperature failed to exceed this. While away from the mountains of Scotland, night-time temperatures close to freezing can become regular occurrences in July, it has even been known for air frosts to occur in the far south of England. ' |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3042
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 3:46 am: |
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The other side of the pond was not immune to the strange weather either:
'The worst blizzard in history to hit the eastern United States occurred on March 11th and 12th 1888. This storm wreaked havoc from Maine to New Jersey, with some areas receiving 50 inches of snow. The greatest snow accumulated in central New England, and the greatest consequence was borne on New York City. About 400 people tragically lost their lives. The storm quickly became known as The Blizzard of 1888 or The Great White Hurricane.
Weather forecasting was inaccurate in 1888. The Blizzard of 1888 was not predicted, and as people went about their normal lives, a massive storm struck without warning. Rain quickly turned to sleet then heavy snow. Trains loaded with passengers were stranded on the tracks. People weary of losing their jobs went to work in defiance of the storm, and a few were frozen to death while attempting to return home. In some rural areas people were stranded in their homes for nearly two weeks.' |
Jennifer Pegg
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Jdpegg
Post Number: 3488
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 11:00 am: |
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Ap
thanks - interesting stuff.
the hottest Oct sinc e records began - blimey!
Jenni
"I bid him look into the lives of men as though into a mirror"
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Diana
Chief Inspector
Username: Diana
Post Number: 947
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 11:11 am: |
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Wondering if weather or climate could have had any influence on the activity of SK's, I did a quick and dirty analysis of Kemper, Manson, Rader, Bundy, and JTR. I didn't get all the dates for each one, just culled what I could from Douglas' Mind Hunter and The Crime Library website. If heat or cold has an influence, I reasoned then there should be a pattern through the months of the year, though it would not be perfect because of unseasonable weather.
Ed Kemper
August shoots grandparents
May kills 2 college students
September kills high school student
January kills college student
January/February kills college students
April kills mother and her friend
Charles Manson
August Tate La Bianca Murders
Dennis Rader
January (Otero)
April (Bright)
March (Vian)
December (Fox)
April (attempt failed)
September (Vicki Wegerle)
Bundy
January (Lenz)
January (Healy)
July (Ott, Naslund)
October (Smith)
October (Aime)
November (Da Ronch)
January (Campbell)
January (Sorority slaughter)
February (Leach)
JTR
August (Nichols)
September (Chapman)
September (Stride/Eddowes)
November (Kelly)
This works out as follows:
February 1
March 1
April 3
May 1
June 0
July 1
August 3
September 3
October 2
November 2
December 1
January -- a whopping 7!
There are all sorts of statistical problems with what I've done (database not big enough, not all killings for a given sk listed, etc. etc.) so I would expect indications to be vague.
However the lowest month (June) was in summer, and the highest (January) was the coldest month in the year. |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 5505
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 11:24 am: |
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I can't understand this January thing, though I would expect the numbers in the northern hemisphere to cluster around the winter months with their longer nights. The figures don't seem to make much sense though.
Robert |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3043
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 1:03 pm: |
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Actually, Diana & Robert, the French did an enormous amount of work at the turn of the last century regarding the impact of weather and season on criminal behaviour.
Unfortunately they did not extend this research to killers, but did cover sexual crimes.
Some weeks ago I did come across the charts they produced but didn't bother with them then, I'll see if I can't find them again.
Thanks Jenni, glad it rocked your boat.
Rather than post the entire weather reports of London on the nights of the murders, I will make a brief summary of the conditions prevailing, but if anyone wants the charts, then myself and Robert will start drawing them now. |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 5506
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 1:40 pm: |
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It's either us or Michael Fish.
Robert |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3045
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 1:52 pm: |
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Emma Elizabeth Smith.
From 6pm 2nd April London experienced the following weather for the night:
Changeable and unsettled with hail, sleet and cold rain.
Moving into the early hours of the 3rd April, varying Northerly winds, moderate to fresh, cold and unsettled with showers.
The temperature was very low for that time of year, a maximum of only 44F being recorded, with snow expected to fall in many parts of England, including London.
Because of the late Spring and inclement weather the Great Eastern Railway was only able to record 73,000 passengers on Easter Monday, while in 1886 they had 125,000 passengers, and in 1887 100,000.
London had to sing for fish as the Mackerel Fleet of West Cornwall were unable to sail because of the unfavourable weather. |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3046
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 4:12 pm: |
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Martha Tabram.
From 6pm 6th August London experienced the following weather for the night:
Treacherous, severely cold with showers.
South-West wind, moderate to fresh.
A steady downpour of rain began in the evening, continuing for some hours, causing serious interference.
The temperature was very low for the time of year, reaching only a maximum of 61F.
Because of the cold and unseasonal weather for a summer Bank Holiday the Great Eastern Railway reported a decrease in the number of passengers from the previous year, falling from 107,000 in 1887 to 92,000 in 1888. |
Diana
Chief Inspector
Username: Diana
Post Number: 948
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 7:29 pm: |
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Great Stuff AP. Now I know why they went with him. He must have had an umbrella!
I now have to revise my mental picture. He was cold and wet when he cut them up, probably with water dripping off his chin.
(Message edited by diana on January 05, 2006) |
Sir Robert Anderson
Chief Inspector
Username: Sirrobert
Post Number: 717
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 7:41 pm: |
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"Martha Tabram.
From 6pm 6th August London experienced the following weather for the night:
Treacherous, severely cold with showers. "
Hmmmm.....makes one rethink the whole idea of Martha and Pearly Poll going for a stroll with their soldier boys.
Sir Robert
'Tempus Omnia Revelat'
SirRobertAnderson@gmail.com
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AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3048
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 4:46 am: |
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Mary Ann Nichols.
The overnight weather for London 30-31st August 1888:
Thunderstorms and sharp showers, feeling very cold at below 60F.
North Westerly and South Westerly gales and thunderstorms passing on into the Channel, weather improving but getting colder with rain and thunder locally.
‘The continuing wet and cold weather has had a discouraging effect upon game prospects in East Anglia; and a decision has been made to postpone the partridge shooting until September 15th.’
The summer’s cricket:
1888. ‘Wet, turf saturated, matches spoilt.’
1887. ‘Hot and wickets fast.’ |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3049
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 5:16 am: |
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Annie Chapman.
The overnight weather in London 7th- 8th September:
A generally fair day but the evening was unsettled and showery, South West and West winds, moderate to fresh, feeling cool.
Cricket:
‘The recent rain had left the turf in favour of the bowlers.’
The National Dahlia Society Show, Crystal Palace:
‘Notwithstanding the unpropitious character of the weather which has been experienced.’
A small note under The Times weather chart for the 7th September:
‘The Whitechapel Murder.
The funeral of Mrs. Nicholls took place yesterday afternoon.’ |
John Ruffels
Chief Inspector
Username: Johnr
Post Number: 501
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 5:46 am: |
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A.P.,
Greetings,
I don't want to rain on your parade,and some of the snippets you have included herein are very interesting...
However, your observation that October 1888 was the hottest October since recording began(till 2005), seems at odds with the data supplied for the weather on "murder nights" as placed on Casebook at:
http://casebook.org/victorian_london/weather.html
At least for the nights in question. Other than the night after the Martha Tabram killing, 7th August, when the maximum was 78.9 degrees.
Reading a discussion on another thread about the Lusk kidney package, it seems to have taken a few days for the kidney to have reached Dr Openheimer, so I hope the weather wasn't too hot.
That was late September, of course. |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 5507
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 6:00 am: |
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John, things would certainly have hotted up when the Dr exploded his atomic device. 
Robert |
Diana
Chief Inspector
Username: Diana
Post Number: 950
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 8:21 am: |
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Just so this discussion can be meaningful to all of us, here is a link to a site that converts between fahrenheit and centigrade. http://www.eskimo.com/~jet/javascript/convert.html
I'm assuming the temperatures you are listing are fahrenheit? |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3050
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 1:02 pm: |
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Yes, Diana & Sir Robert
such basic data on the weather can influence our view of the crimes quite dramatically, so that is good and positive.
John, no worries, for all along I thought this weather data might not meld with the information currently avaliable here and elsewhere.
However be assured that all the weather data I am providing is from official and impeccable sources of the time period we discuss.
The quote you mentioned from October was an average view of the entire month, and not a day by day report, which I am sure will show cooler and colder periods of weather.
I haven't reached October yet, but I do know that summer seemed to have suddenly arrived in London the very day after Chapman's murder.
We will see. |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3051
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 1:48 pm: |
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These killers got no respect. Killing people on weekends when no weather reports are published!
Elizabeth Stride & Catherine Eddowes.
(report of the 29th September)
The spell of fine, bright weather which prevailed over the United Kingdom the greater part of this month was broken somewhat abruptly at the beginning of the present week. A more permanent disturbance is now at hand. A depression spreading over the country will probably cause a complete breaking up of the fine weather.
The forecast for the night of 30th September in London was:
South West to North West winds, light, colder with rain at times.
The actual weather experienced on the night:
Temperatures fell rapidly on this night, London was 16 degrees (F) colder than it was on the previous night. There was a fall of rain.
The Corn Trade (29th September):
‘The weather has been fine lately, but it is now warm and damp.’
The Cotton Trade (29th September):
‘The summer home trade, owing to the dull and wet weather has been most disappointing.’ |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3052
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 06, 2006 - 1:59 pm: |
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John, from the Guardian, October 28th 2005:
'Queen Victoria was on the throne, Winston Churchill had just started school and the world's first ballpoint pen was about to fail leakage trials the last time Britain experienced October weather anywhere near as hot as yesterday.
After a classically dull, wet week, thermometers soared at Met Office stations across the country, breaking record after record until the mercury stopped rising comfortably above the previous best, 20.3C (68.54F), recorded in 1888.
It was hotter than Istanbul, not only in London but as far north as the Scottish crofting community of Aultbea, near Gairloch. The village notched up the country's high point of 22.1C.' |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3055
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 4:23 am: |
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Mary Jane Kelly.
A postcard from Gandhi in London on the very day Mary Jane Kelly was murdered:
‘Gandhi’s first postcard from London addressed to his brother, Laxmidas, dated Friday, November 9, 1888. “LONDON, Friday, November 9, 1888; RESPECTED BROTHER, I am sorry that there has been no letter from you for the last two or three weeks. Your silence is due perhaps to your not having heard from me. But it was impossible for me to post any letters before I reached London. That you should not have written to me on that account is indeed surprising. As I am far from home we can meet only through letters. And if I do not get letters I feel very much worried. Therefore please drop a postcard every week without fail. I would not have been anxious if you did not have my address. But I am sorry that you have stopped writing after having written to me twice. I joined the Inner Temple on Tuesday last. I will write in detail after I hear from you next week. The cold here is now bitter but such bad weather generally does not last long. In spite of the cold I have no need of meat or liquor. This fills my heart with joy and thankfulness. I am now keeping very good health. Please give my respects to mother and sister-in-law.”
The past week the weather has been extremely gloomy and very unsettled. Considerable fall of rain. Wind blowing with some considerable violence. Temperatures considerably reduced. On Monday the maximum was 55F, but by Wednesday was only 39F.
The London forecast for the night of the 8th-9th November was:
East or South East winds, blowing with force. Temperature low expected to fall fast overnight with cold rain or sleet.
On the night between the hours of two and four a.m. the temperature actually fell as low as 32F, and there was a steady downpour of heavy rain in the early morning which did not clear until about 10 o’clock, leaving the streets ‘extremely dirty’ for the Lord Mayor’s Day procession which eventually got underway with ‘threatening clouds’ above. |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 5514
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 5:34 am: |
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Thanks for that extra info, AP. Now, if you were unscrupulous you could put Gandhi in the frame....
Best seller!
Robert |
AP Wolf
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Apwolf
Post Number: 3056
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 6:47 am: |
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Indeed I could, Robert, though I think it would have been remarked upon… a small Indian gentleman wandering around Whitchapel in his white wrap.
He would have froze his cashews!
Talking about the cold weather.
Have you also noticed that Jack appears to have picked the absolute coldest night of each month to carry out his awful business?
Only Annie Chapman was killed in reasonable weather described as ‘cool’.
This seems to tell me that he was not acting out of choice, but rather circumstance and hasty opportunity.
I would imagine that even serial killers feel the cold.
The weather pertaining to MJK’s death and Hutchinson’s statement seems to make a mockery of his claims to have stood around so long in temperatures almost below freezing with a heavy downpour that lasted the entire time he was supposedly stood there.
It is also useful to re-examine a lot of witness testimony to see if the clothing they describe fits the weather at the time. |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 5516
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 7:33 am: |
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AP, I think that cold, rainy nights would be ideal for him, whether he set out with the idea of killing, or whether he just didn't like people.
In fact, someone who goes out at night to have a quiet walk on his own, only to find himself propositioned by women who doubtless are reluctant to let him go because of the shortage of custom, might react violently.
Robert |
Robert Charles Linford
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Robert
Post Number: 5517
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 9:50 am: |
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Here is some info on weather-crime correlation from AP :
Robert |
Diana
Chief Inspector
Username: Diana
Post Number: 954
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 7:15 am: |
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Maybe it just reflects the fact that these women were more desperate, more willing to go with someone they didn't quite trust, just to get the price of a roof over their heads. |
Diana
Chief Inspector
Username: Diana
Post Number: 955
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 7:17 am: |
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Maybe it just reflects the fact that these women were more desperate, more willing to go with someone they didn't quite trust, just to get the price of a roof over their heads. |
Gareth W
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Saturday, January 07, 2006 - 11:37 am: |
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AP,
Have you also noticed that Jack appears to have picked the absolute coldest night of each month to carry out his awful business?
I may have missed it, but I haven't seen a complete set of daily weather reports spanning the period of the murders. I presume you must have, to have made that statement.
Anyway, it all sounds pretty random to me. One cold, drizzly night in London feels much like any other and there were probably plenty of them from August through November that year.
In addition, do we have any records of the wind during the "Autumn of Terror"? Wind-chill could certainly have been a factor, especially down those narrow alleyways. Assuming JTR did happen to kill on the coldest nights as measured by a thermometer, those nights may not have felt subjectively colder compared to the next, if the air was still on one night and a sharp northeasterly was blowing the next. |
Gareth W
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Thursday, January 05, 2006 - 3:59 pm: |
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As I pointed out on another thread recently, the moon's phases were uncannily similar - crescents moons, of varying thickness,either waxing or waning, when each of the murders took place.
If this is significant, then those who put Kelly in the C5 might be interested to know that the moon was also in a crescent phase on the night of the Miller's Court murder. Indeed Nichols, Stride/Eddowes and Kelly were all murdered when the moon was approximately a 30% crescent. There was an extremely thin crescent moon when Chapman was murdered, but with the faint glow of dawn in the sky, the killer didn't need much illumination for that one.
This may be entirely fortuitous, but one might expect some other lunar phases (gibbous, waxing/waning; half-moon) to feature in the series, if the killer was random in respect to the nights he chose, or if there was more than one killer around.
Perhaps Jack needed a little light, but not too much. Given that the skies were relatively overcast for most of the time, perhaps illumination was not a concern, but he saw the crescent moon as auspicious for some other loopy reason.
To risk ridicule, there are sections of the Bible that might get twisted by a warped mind, as indeed AP has noted in print already. There are plenty of examples of "the moon turning to blood" and all that, but they tend to be generic apocalyptic symbols. I have only found two examples of non-apocalyptic lunar references, however. Here the phases of the moon are discussed, and in passages with quite some resonance of their own. I give them below, with sensible edits that I promise do not alter the meaning.
Isaiah Chapter 1, 11-15: "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. [...] Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me [...]. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you [...] your hands are full of blood."
Isaiah 66, 23-24: "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me. [They shall] look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me [...]; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."
Cue "Omen" music ;o) |
Sir Robert Anderson
Chief Inspector
Username: Sirrobert
Post Number: 730
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 10:29 pm: |
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"Cue "Omen" music ;o)"
Or open one's copy of the "Patristic Gospels"...
Sir Robert
'Tempus Omnia Revelat'
SirRobertAnderson@gmail.com
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Gareth W
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, January 09, 2006 - 2:41 pm: |
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Sir Robert,
Or open one's copy of the "Patristic Gospels"...
Darn! So d'Onston beat me to it! Never mind.
By the way, I've used my funky astro-software to transport me back to the "Autumn of Terror" and, whilst the moon-phase stuff still holds true, the moon was barely above the horizon on just about each of the times in question. Not much good for partial illumination, then, even if the skies had been cloudless.
I am, however, left with the nagging truth that - whether visible or not - the moon was in the crescent phase for all but one of the murders. Anyone got a copy of Old Moore's Almanack for 1888? |
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