Scientists still cannot explain what happened in Devonshire in 1855. And they are unlikely to be able to …
In 1855, in the county of Devonshire, strange footprints were found that greatly excited the locals: did they belong to the devil himself, a bird unknown to science, or were they created by a group of pranksters? No one still knows what or who left these footprints on the ground. Scientists of the 19th century put forward a variety of hypotheses about this. One of them, phenomenological, argued that we are talking about "something" that lives between the tangible and intangible world, sometimes leaves evidence of its existence, but still is inaccessible to humans.
What happened then, on a snowy night in the distant 1855? On 7 February, heavy snow fell in Denwonshire, and the entire vast basin of the Aix River was painted white. Henry Pilk, a baker from the village of Topsham, rose very early that morning to light the oven and begin his usual work. He was one of the first to see the clear crisp snow covering the village and surrounding fields. But in this snow he noticed something unusual: tracks that seemed to be left by a very small donkey. Henry noted another oddity, besides the size - although the tracks were donkey, they did not differ at all from each other, and it was impossible to understand where which hoof was imprinted. The baker had never seen a donkey or pony walk so unusual. Although intrigued by such interesting marks in the snow, he had too much work in the bakery,to pay attention to them, and soon returned to his studies. Albert Brailford, the headmaster of the local school, reacted differently. On the same morning, Albert turned to the organizer of a whole group of residents, seized by the excitement of the hunt, and at the head of them rushed along mysterious tracks. The group reached the bakery and obtained permission from Henry to enter the courtyard. But from here, as it turned out, the footprints stretched further through the village. Commoners poured out of their homes and quit their jobs to join the group. The members of the search party split up, and each unit began to survey its territory, and all these units reported that they had traces of them too. Little by little, the excitement turned into fear, as it turned out that, among other things, the creature that passed that night was able to jump over four-meter-high walls in a way that there were none at all.
Traces appeared in Exmouth, Limpstone, Woodbury, Powderham, Mehmed, Dawlish and other villages in the county, on an area with a total length of 150 km. Dr. Benson, who practiced in this area, followed them from Mahmed. Crossing fields and meadows, they ran into a haystack 6 meters high. The doctor cautiously walked around the stack and was surprised to find that the tracks continued on the other side, as if the obstacle did not exist at all. Having examined the stack itself, covered with a layer of pure snow, Benson did not find any traces on it. Everything seemed to indicate that in some inexplicable way, "something" flew over the stack. Two hunters from the same area followed the tracks for many hours through the area, where a dense forest of thorny thickets grew.
The chain of footprints was suddenly interrupted here, but they reappeared on the snow-covered roofs of nearby houses. After examining what was left of the footprints in the gardens, the hunters realized that they were leading directly to Mahmed. The Aix estuary in some places reached a width of almost three kilometers, and the water was not yet frozen. The tracks dropped off on one bank at the very edge of the water, but then reappeared on the other, as if the creature had flown over a wide mouth. When the footprints began to gradually disappear under the influence of the weak February sun, which broke through from behind the clouds, their appearance changed. The edge of them split and they began to resemble a mark from a cloven hoof. Soon the condition of the townsfolk changed completely. The men began to hastily arm themselves with guns and various tools - scythes, pitchforks and rakes. While the bravest scoured the fields in search of a horrible creature from this or another world capable of leaving such traces, most people locked themselves in their homes and barricaded doors in fear. Crosses, crucifixes, and large Victorian leather-bound bibles began to appear, which were believed to protect against any demonic intrigue.
During this time, the hunters almost made one terrible mistake. The fact is that in the village of Woodbury lived Daniel Plummer, a quiet madman who wandered in rags decorated with feathers through the forests and imitated the voices of various animals and birds. The inhabitants of Woodbury knew him well and considered him completely harmless, the majority did not take any part in his life, although some occasionally gave him food when he came to them for alms. Unfortunately for Daniel, the group of hunters tracking the "monster" in the forest did not know him. When he tried to run away from them, he was quickly caught and were about to get rid of him, believing that he was the very "monster". Then Esquire Bartholomew, the local magistrate, approached the hunters, and barely had time to explain who Daniel was. So, on that February night, "something", unlike any species of animals that lived in this area,left a chain of horseshoe-shaped footprints for 150 km. They looked completely different from the paw prints of any four-legged or even two-legged creature.
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On the other hand, these tracks were convex, which means the leg, hoof, or something else was concave. Each track was separated from the previous and subsequent by a distance of 20 cm, and so they stretched for many, many kilometers, and the distance was maintained regardless of whether there was a mountain or flat terrain under the tracks. Each was 10 cm long and 7 cm wide, and these dimensions also remained the same throughout the journey. What could have left such traces? There are many theories on this score. The Illustrated London News, The Times, Inverness Courier and the Brighton Guardian all echo this story. In the mid-19th century, there were many amateur naturalists in Great Britain, eager to share their hypotheses and ardently defend them. As in the case of circles in wheat fields, here it is possible that the tracks were made by some jokers. It must be admitted that in Victorian England there were many young aristocrats, well-off with money and time and toiling from idleness. They just adored such jokes and frauds, and often themselves confessed to the authorship of certain “clever riddles”.
However, it is impossible for one man to run 150 km just for the night, therefore, there had to be a whole gang of jokers. Besides, everyone knows how difficult it is to hide this kind of secret. When there are many who know her, someone will let it out. But no one ever said about the Devonshire footprints, "It was my company that made them." Since Devonshire is on the coast and seawater enters the Aix estuary, many naturalists considered it possible that some injured seagull left footprints. But for any seagull to run 150 km in such conditions is a feat. No seabird can pass so much on the ground, and there are no birds whose paws, without membranes and claws, could leave such marks. One article, published in the Illustrated London News, March 10, 1855, referred to another, in the Brighton Guardian, late February. And there, in turn,there is a reference to Cosmos, a book by Baron A. von Humboldt, in which he speaks of Björn Heriolfson's semi-legendary journey in 1001. This traveler, who appears to have reached the coast of the Labrador Peninsula, describes a very funny animal he calls one-legged. He, as the name implies, has only one paw, but with its help this exceptional creature "is able to fly, or rather run, with incredible speed, often pushing off the ground, at an equal distance …". An interesting story, although its sources remain unclear. Thus, both Illustrated London News and Brighton Guardian, in turn, slipped another duck to readers.reached the coast of the Labrador Peninsula, describes one very funny animal, which he calls one-legged. He, as the name implies, has only one paw, but with its help this exceptional creature "is able to fly, or rather run, with incredible speed, often pushing off the ground, at an equal distance …". An interesting story, although its sources remain unclear. Thus, both Illustrated London News and Brighton Guardian, in turn, slipped another duck to readers.reached the coast of the Labrador Peninsula, describes one very funny animal, which he calls one-legged. He, as the name implies, has only one paw, but with its help this exceptional creature "is able to fly, or rather run, with incredible speed, often pushing off the ground, at an equal distance …". An interesting story, although its sources remain unclear. Thus, both Illustrated London News and Brighton Guardian, in turn, slipped another duck to readers. Both Illustrated London News and Brighton Guardian, in turn, slipped another duck to readers. Both Illustrated London News and Brighton Guardian, in turn, slipped another duck to readers.
Prancing rats, toads, frogs, rabbits, hares, badgers, and many others were suggested by naturalists of that time as a creature that left its footprints. But the length of the chain of traces, their disappearance and reappearance on the other side of obstacles such as a rick or wide rivers - all these facts weaken such theories to their complete destruction. Another interesting hypothesis was that some kind of airship or hot air balloon got off the anchor and was blown into Devon. Allegedly, it was his chain dragging along the ground that left such horseshoe-shaped traces. But their regularity makes this theory untenable. Any ball dominated by gusts of wind will gain and lose altitude from time to time, and the chain will not trace a straight line of tracks on the ground, but will leave them completely different. It is also important thatthat at the time no one claimed the loss of the airship or balloon. Moreover, in 1855 there were very few balloons. Without a doubt, many of the inhabitants of Devonshire, who saw strange footprints, seriously thought that this was the work of the devil himself, or at least some minor devils in his submission. At that time everyone was tormented by the idea of sin, and the thought that the messenger of hell was wandering among people, approaching their doors and looking into the windows, many were very alarmed.approaching their doors and looking into the windows, many were very alarmed.approaching their doors and looking into the windows, many were very alarmed.
There are riddles without a clue - such is this one, which has resisted being solved for more than a century, not giving in to modern science with its improved research methods. The facts remain, but the explanation is still missing.