| ID | #1708965911 |
| Added | Mon, 26/02/2024 |
| Author | July N. |
| Sources | San Francisco [CA] Bulletin 17 September 1868: p. 2
|
| Phenomena | |
| Status | Hypothesis
|
Initial data
At 188 North Summer Street, a few doors below the Line, there is a small shoe store run by an honest and hardworking man named Wally Williams, whose family occupies the back of the building.
All yesterday, this small shop and modest dwelling had been the scene of a surprised and excited crowd, attracted there by a very curious, but nevertheless true story that was widely spread throughout the city. According to this story, a large spider wove a large web in a small shoemaker's workshop and actually wove thin scraps of his work into letters and put these letters into words.
This story seemed too cool to be believed without any convincing evidence, and so we decided to go and see for ourselves.
So, yesterday afternoon, in the company of several other curiosity hunters, we visited this place. It took some clever engineering to get through the crowd of surprised people outside the house, and even more skillful management to get inside, as Willie was forced to close and lock the windows and doors to keep out the excited crowd. But finally, having achieved success, we received a generous reward for our efforts.
Doubt gave way to confirmation; for, of course, there was a spider and the result of its amazingly delicate and beautiful work. The web was woven in the corner of a small shop and hung by a single thread from the ceiling. It was about a foot in circumference and was made quite smoothly and smoothly. In the center was a hardworking manufacturer of this linen fabric, busy with his literary work.
He was much larger than the usual size of spiders, but in all other respects he bore a perfect resemblance to a brotherhood that invites flies into its living rooms.
Upon entering the room, it was easy to discover that the spider was working and working on the alphabet, since the letters already written were large, simple capital letters, beautifully and perfectly shaped and shiny like gems in the middle of the web. They were located close to each other, and upon closer inspection we were able to distinguish the symbols with the utmost clarity. The first two letters were WW, followed by others, which, when viewed in one direction, represented the word "MERCER", and when viewed from above, clearly represented the word "BEWRE". When we left this place, the spider was working on another letter, but did not go so far that we could distinguish the hieroglyph.
Nashville (Tenn.) Gazette
Original news
The earliest example I’ve found is this story, from 1868 Tennessee:
A Wondrous Spider
He Weaves Words in His Web.
At 188 North Summer street, a few doors below Line, is a little boot and shoe shop, kept by an honest and industrious man named Walley Williams, whose family occupy the rear portion of the building. All day yesterday this little shop and humble dwelling was the scene of a wondering and excited crowd, attracted thither by a most curious, but nevertheless truthful story, which gained general currency throughout the city. According to this story a big spider had weaved a big web in the shoemaker’s little shop, and was actually weaving the delicate shreds of his work into letters, and arranging those letters into words. The story seemed almost too steep for belief, without the most positive proof, and therefore we concluded to go and see for ourselves. So, yesterday afternoon, in company with several other curiosity hunters, we visited the place. It required some skillful engineering to get through the crowd of wondering people outside the house, and still more skillful management to get inside, for Willey had been compelled to shut and bar his windows and doors to keep out the excited crowd. But succeeding at last, we were abundantly compensated for the trouble taken. Doubt gave place to confirmation; for, sure enough, there was the spider and the result of his wondrously delicate and beautiful work. The web had been woven in a corner of the little shop, and hung suspended by a single thread from the ceiling. It was about a foot in circumference, and quite evenly and smoothly wrought. In the centre was the industrious builder of this linsey fabric, busy at his literary labors. He was much above the usual size of the spider family, but in all other respects bore a perfect resemblance to the fraternity who invite flies into their parlors. It was easy to discover upon entering the room, that the spider had been, and was, at work on the alphabet, for the letters already made were large, plain capitals, beautifully and perfectly formed and glistening like gems in the middle of the web. They were arranged close together, and upon a nearer inspection we were enabled to make out the characters with the utmost distinctness. The first two letters were W.W. followed by others which, viewed in one direction, plainly made the word “MERCER,” and, when looked at from above, plainly represented the word “BEWRE.” When we left the place, the spider was at work on another letter, but had not gone so far along as to allow us to distinguish the character. Nashville (Tenn.) Gazette.
San Francisco [CA] Bulletin 17 September 1868: p. 2
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
Resume
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