(from articles about him)
+ + +
[Article about Mansill's work:] "Richard Mansill, of Rock Island, Ill., contributes to the Chicago Journal an extended scientific article on the recent auroral displays and other disturbances, together with some prophecies. The planets appear to be the
causes of our literal earthly ills. The transit of Venus in December, 1874, promises to be very annoying. The first time this occurred, in 1631, Vesuvius, previously quiet for a century, began a violent eruption. 1874, says the scientist, will be an irregular year for seasons. In 1879, he prophesies, will begin a series of poor crops in Ireland and other portions of Northern Europe, though they will grow better in 188S and 1884. Mercury he considers a persistent worker of mischief among us, producing earthquakes and other disturbances at the passages of its perihelion and aphelion. Mr. Mansill thinks he has developed a new system of natural science, proven by meteorological facts, and that if it was properly understood the scientist would be able to tell the correctness or incorrectness of any scientific proposition that might be set before him, simply by knowing the amount of motion that matter of a certain density could produce in a certain, length of time."99
+ + +
[Article about Mansill's work:] "MR. RICHARD MANSILL has a theory. He indulges in this theory to the extent of issuing an annual Almanac of Planetary Meteorology.100 This almanac is compiled for no particular part, but for the whole
globe. He undertakes to establish a planetary law or cause for the principal meteoric disturbances occurring upon the earth. The theory is that when a planet, moving along in its orbit, comes in a line with the sun, the earth or any other planet, and, when the perihelion and aphelion passages occur, agitations, earthquakes, storms, extremes of heat or cold, or what not, will occur in some portion of the globe. At first sight there appears to be a suggestion of unfairness about this. The movements of the planets, their conjunctions with each other and the time of their positions nearest to and most remote from the sun are established. It is quite probable that some agitation or
99 Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Dec. 3, 1872. It may be noted that famine came to Ireland, just as Mansill prediced seven years in advance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Famine_(1879 .
100 The 1897 edition of Mansill's Almanac of Planetary Meteorology: Almanac Makers' and Weather
Forecasters' Guide and New System of Science is online http://books.google.com/books? id=ECnOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA105 .
meteoric disturbance occurs upon some portion of the globe at all times. It appears to be no hard matter to hunt up some meteoric data somewhere at specified times, and triumphantly hitch it to some assumed planetary cause as a natural result. Perihelion and aphelion passages are said to be the primary base of nearly all meteorological disturbances. It is claimed that these disturbances are caused by the reversible change of electric currents passing between the sun and planets and the interruption of these currents where conjunctions occur.
"Mercury appears to be the champion mischief-maker in our planetary system.101 Yesterday the planet Mercury was in conjunction with the moon, and to-
morrow it will be in perihelion. At this writing we are having a January thaw. Stormy weather, with rain and snow areas, prevails generally. The Signal Service and the telegraph put this beyond doubt. In the Ohio Valley we have a rapidly swelling river, already above the danger line, filled with merciless ice, bringing, perhaps,
unprecedented destruction in its resistless course down the rapid current; heavy, persistent rains and a slowly moving area of low barometer passing eastward, and promising rainy and stormy weather in that direction, to add to our own already booming and riotous river. Whether Mercury is responsible for this, planetary meteorologists should decide, but probably will not."102
+ + +
[Mansill quoted, summarizing his theory, in a magazine article about him:] "The planets are governed by an UNIVERSAL RECIPROCATING (electric) force, or
currents that undulate between all bodies of matter, regulating their densities, volumes, motions, and distances from each other; and they go through a change of volume, density, and motion at about the times of their perihelion and aphelion passages; and through these electric currents the sun, moon, and planets are convulsed and agitated at those times. Earthquakes, tornadoes, electric (ground) currents, &c, are produced at these periods, also at the times of the occurrence of interruptions of these electric currents by planetary conjunctions, particularly the inferior and superior conjunctions of Venus and Mercury, the oppositions of the principal planets, and the longitudinal conjunctions of the planets, the perigees and apogees of the moon, &c. The reciprocation of electric currents existing between the earth, sun, planets, and moon, producing earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, violent hurricanes, tornadoes, auroral displays, &c, was discovered in 1866, and the first notice of the discovery was published in the winter of 1868—9."103
101 Another article about Mansill, speaking of Mercury, adds this clarification: "It is comparatively well behaved, he says, except when in aphelion or perihelion, and it is in these unfortunate positions much oftener than any other planet. At these times, owing to the malign influence of this vicious little planet, most of the melancholy tragedies on this earth take place." The Worcester [MA] Daily Spy, May 20, 1882, p. 2.
102 The Cincinnati [OH] Commercial Tribune, Jan. 16, 1877, p. 4. 103 English Mechanic and World of Science, Aug. 1, 1879 p. 520.
+ + +
[A Mansill forecast, quoted within a newspaper account:] "For June, he finds 'Venus in conjunction with Saturn, 7th; Venus in perihelion, 26th; Mercury in a
longitudinal line with Neptune, 20th; in a like line with Saturn, 26th; it is in ascending node 19th; and in perihelion, 23d.['] Apparently from this, he concludes that the
principal 'planetary storms' this month will occur as follows: "6th and 7th — Saturday and Sunday.
"10th to 18th — Wednesday to Saturday. "17th to 20th — Wednesday to Saturday. "23d — Tuesday.
"26th to 28th — Friday to Sunday."104