Soot in the Montreal Rain

Transcript

In Montreal, in November 1819, rain left behind a strange soot-like substance. Gibb’s account offers a puzzling report, but not a confirmed explanation. On November eighth, dense black clouds brought heavy rain. The deposit resembled ordinary soot in its appearance, taste, and smell. The next day, around noon, the sky grew extremely dark. About three hours later came thunder, lightning, rain, and an earthquake shock. The rain left still more of the material, while runoff carried thick foam, described as like soap suds, through the streets. Gibb suggested that the substance probably came from a distant volcano. But he also said its source had never been accurately traced. That distinction matters: the soot-like deposit and the earthquake shock are part of his report; volcanic dust was his proposal, not an established cause. Its origin remained uncertain.