Dorabella Cipher

The Dorabella Cipher – Enciphered Letter 

The Dorabella Cipher is an enciphered letter which was written by composer Edward Elgar to Dora Penny which was accompanied by another dated July 14, 1897. Penny did not decipher the letter and its meaning remains unknown. Elgar was an old music teacher of forty years who was yet to become a successful composer and Dora Penny was his junior by seventeen years.

They liked each other and remained friends for the rest of the composer’s life. Elgar had sent the short encrypted note to his young lady companion consisting of 87 characters which were written over three lines. The cipher seems to be made up from 24 symbols each consisting of 1, 2 or 3 approximate semicircles oriented in one of 8 directions and a small dot seems to appear after the fifth character on the third line. His nickname for his lady companion being `Dorabella’, the note had acquired the name of `The Dorabella Cipher’,He named Variations 10 of his 1899 Variation on an Original Theme – Enigma and Dorabella was done in dedication to Dora Penny.

Elgar’s Secret Writing 

Elgar seems to be fascinated with secret writing and also cracked a supposedly `uncrackable’ cipher which was published in Pall Mall Magazine and his fame rose from the way he would conceal identities of various friends in his famous Enigma Variation which was named in homage to Elgar after the German Enigma machine. Musicologist too managed to decrypt several of the secrets of Enigma Variation.

The mystery of this cipher is not a `whodunnit’ since Elgar had signed and had mentioned the date, nor a `howdunnit’ since it seems to have the key to the cipher but more on `whodunnwhat’ since it is a mystery to decipher its text. Presently the most persuasive reading is of Tony Gaffney who had proposed that the mysterious text was a written version of Elgar’s and Dora Penny’s shared private language which could be really as a tricky combination of backslang, contraction, abbreviation , in-jokes, puns or much more and inspite of it all, it still remains a mystery.Various attempts to solve the Dorabella Cipher were made with varying levels of success.

Three Rows of Symbols of Squiggles

The cipher has three rows with 24 various symbols of squiggles, which amounts to 80 characters, most of which resemble the letter `E’ which could relate to `Edward Elgar’s initials `EE’. Computers, in 1887, were not capable of spitting out complicated encoding systems and hence it is unlikely that Edward could have expected Penny to decipher anything which would be complicating.

Hence many were of the opinion that it was enciphered using a substitution method. With regards to substitution encoding method it would seem that each squiggly symbol would represent another letter of the alphabet and though there are 26 letters in the alphabet, with 24 other characters in the cipher, Elgar could have worked with ease using infrequent letters like Z, X etc.

The cryptanalysts tend to often use frequency analysis that would match the common squiggles in the cipher to common letters like A, E, T as a form to decode substitution ciphers and this frequency analysis shows that a substitution cipher seems reasonable for the Dorabella Cipher. This discovery supports what Elgar could probably have employed, in a more complicated enciphering method and inspite of frequency analysis usage, the cipher still tends to remain enigmatic.

Baigong Pipes

Credit: panoramio.com

Baigong Pipes – Series of Pipes in Ancient Caves

The Baigong Pipes are said to be a series of pipes like features which have been found buried in the ancient rock cave near Mount Baigong southwest of the city of Delingha, in Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China.

Locals inhabiting the area of Qinghai’s Delingha city were aware of the pipes for centuries. Some of these pipes have been considered to be connected with three caves in Mount Baigong which are within the front area of the Mount. While the openings of the two small caves have been ruined, the largest cave which is around 6 meters high can be explored and Mount Baigong’svague resemblance to a pyramid has been the cause of much speculation.

From the largest cave, two Baigong pipes have been discovered where one of these is around 40 cm in diameter which has been preserved as a reddish brown half pipe. In the same cave another pipe of similar diameter had also been found with dozens of upright pipe like features of about 10 by 40 cm in diameter were also located protruding from the largest cave on Mount Baigong.

Pipes on Shore & Within Toson Lake

Image credit: NationalParkLover

Besides these additional pipes were also discovered on shore and within Toson Lake which is 80 meters from the entrance of the largest cave. Forty meters from the mouth of the largest cave, on the beach of Lake Toson, flat lying hollow, pipe like features were also discovered and these reddish brown pipe tend to range in diameter from 2 to 4.5 cm having an east west orientation.

Below the surface of the lake, another group of pipes probably vertical were also found. The pipes when tested at a local smeltery indicated that they were made of iron but with an unusual silicon dioxide of thirty percent in their matrix and were centuries old according to Xinhua as well as its source, Liu Shaolin, the engineer who had carried out the preliminary tests.

Though dozens of pipes openings have been found in the mountain way beyond the caves, the people who were responsible for it could have some advanced way of drilling which could be probably forgotten since there is no record or trace of any modern industry in the area.

Details Analysis in 2002

Some distance from the foot of the Baigong is the Toson Lake with several more iron pipes on the beach which are of unlikely patterns together with a variety of diameters, of toothpick sizes.Additional pipes were also found in the lake some of which protruding above the water surface while others were buried beneath the bed of the lake.

Dating of these pipes with the use of thermo luminescence, a technique which determines the extent of exposure of crystalline mineral to sunlight or heat was done. It is presumed that humans could have inhabited the region for the past 30,000 years who could have been nomads with no trace of any known lifestyle that could be left behind.

Though nine Chinese scientists had been deployed to make a detailed analysis of the pipes in the year 2002, no further information has been reported regarding the pipes.

The Flannan Isles Lighthouse Mystery

Image Credit: Northern Light Charters

Flannan Isles – Also Known as Seven Hunters

In the Western Isles of Scotland, about eighteen miles from the Isles of Lewis are a cluster of small islands which are known as Flannans and the largest of these Flannan Islands, Eilean More or Big Island in Gaelic is 39 acres in size which is 288 feet above the stormy North Atlantic Ocean. Na h Eileanan Flannach according to Scottish Gaelic name is for small group of islands which in English is called Flannan Isles. It is located in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides and is also known as the Seven Hunters.

The remote islands face the brunt of severe Atlantic storms that whips across the sea, forcing the gulls to stay sheltered in the cliff face crags. For several years it remain uninhabited and the last inhabitants being the lighthouse keepers who between 1899 and it automaton in 1971 had kept the light burning on Eilean Mor, the highest point of the island group.

It was here that for the first time on December 7, 1899 that a 74 foot high lighthouse was constructed and lit, flashing twice in rapid succession every thirty seconds sending a 140,000 candlepower beam, 24 nautical miles out to sea guiding passing vessels safely around Cape Wrath onwards to Pentland Firth.

Mysterious Disappearance of Three Keepers 

A year later, the three keepers those were assigned to operate and maintain the light, disappeared without any trace and over a hundred years have passed and the fate of the Flannan Island lighthouse keepers tends to remain as one of Scotland’s enduring mystery.

It was on December 15, 1900, days after the first anniversary of the light being lit for the first time, that Captain Holman of the steamer `Archtor’ bound for Leith, Scotland, had noticed that the light was not lit and reported through wireless to the Cosmopolitan Line Steamers headquarters who failed to notify the Northern Lighthouse Board since it had escaped from their memory due to other issues. Roderick MacKenzie, Occasional Keeper, who was responsible in noticing the light from nearby GallenHead, had also failed to notice this incident.

Moreover relief keepers that were due on the island on December 20 were further delayed due to severe storms and did not reach the site till December 26th, the day after Christmas. Captain Jim Harvie on noticing that the usual relief flag was not seen flying and the landing being empty sounded the relief vessels’ whistle, shooting a signal flare to which they did not receive any response.

Investigation Done to Identity the Problem but Unsuccessful

Harvie thereafter ordered Relief Keeper, Joseph Moore to go ashore in the dinghy for investigation. On arriving on the island, he found that the gate and the outer door of the quarters were closed while inside the kitchen, the door was left open.

He also noticed that the clock had stopped working and the fire had not been lit. With no trace of the keepers, James Ducat, Thomas Marshall as well as Donald McArthur, Moore rushed back to the relief boat to inform the captain who then along with four members of his crew returned to the island with Moore for further investigation.

There are various accounts to the investigations made which reports that the lamps were cleaned and refilled in readiness for the night. An overturned chain was found on the floor besides the table while in the clothes locker stood a set of oilskins with a pair of willies or galoshes though the other two sets were missing. The west landing was hit by bad weather and the iron railings seemed to be bended, a life buoy was ripped from its mountings with a stone weighing over a ton had been displaced high up on the island with no trace of the keepers.

White Death

Simo Hayha Nicknamed – White Death

Simo Hayha nicknamed White Death by the Red Army, was a Finnish marksman. Born in Rautajarvi, Finland on December 17, 1905, Simo lived as a farmer and a hunter and lead a very simple and a peaceful life. Once Finland gained its independence and the Soviet Union was formed, his town was only a very short distance from the Russian border.

His childhood was spent with a lot of hard work on the farm and the Finnish wilderness moulded him to be a tough man and a patient person. Towards 1925, he served for a year in Finland’s army and during that time he made the best of it and by the time he was honourably discharged, he had been promoted to the rank of corporal. He then joined the Finnish Civil Guard, which was a military organization as the National Guard in the United States.

 He had gained a lot of knowledge and training during his time with the Civil Guard which comprised of target shooting and shooting was always an interested focus for Hayha. He utilised his every spare moments with outdoor shooting at any target that came his way. His first rifle was a Russian built Mosin-Nagant bolt action M91. This was later introduced to be an improved M28/30 and the 9mm Suomi submachine gun.

An Excellent Sniper

With his interest in shooting together with the training that he received, Hayha was capable of hitting a target, 16 times per minute at around 500 feet away which made him an excellent sniper, a skill which served him well in his later stage of life.

The Soviet Union made an attempt to invade Finland in 1939 and Hayha being a member of the Civil Guard, was called to serve under the 6th Company of JR 34 on the Kollaa River and under the command of the Major General Uiluo Tuompo, the Finns faced the 9th and the 14th Soviet armies and were fighting against a total of around 12 divisions at one point of time with about 160,000 soldiers.

Moreover, there were only 32 Finns fighting against over 4,000 Soviets, in the same area. Inspite of being outnumbers, the Finns gained victory at the end of the day. The invading Soviets seemed to be unorganized, spoke several languages and were also not accustomed to the harsh Finnish winters. Besides, the winter of 1939-40 also happened to be very snowy with temperatures ranging from -40 to -20 degrees Celsius.

Racked up 500 Kills in 100 Days

The involvement of Hayha in the Winter War was remarkable. With his Mosin-Nagant M91 rifle, he would attire himself in white winter camouflage, carrying with him a day’s supply of ammunition and hide in the snow. He would then take out any Russian who would enter his range of shooting using his iron sights on his guns instead of scopes. Scopes had a tendency to glare in the sunlight, revealing the position of the person.

Acquiring the skills of shooting, he racked up over 500 kills over the course of 100 days during winter which lead him to receive the nickname `White Death’. He was feared by the Soviets to such an extent, that they mounted several counter sniper as well as artillery attacks to eliminate him which failed miserably. But on March 6th, 1940, he had was hit in the jaw by an explosive round from a counter sniper and fell into coma for a period of eleven days and woke up only when the war came to an end.

Babushka Lady

Babushka Lady – Mysterious Woman Present during the President’s Assassination

The Babushka Lady is a nickname which has been given to a mysterious woman who had been present at the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, who could have photographed the events which took place in Dallas’ Dealey Plaza when the President had been shot.

This nickname probably arose from the headscarf that was seen on her head which is normally worn by elderly Russian women, where babushka means grandmother or old woman in Russian language. The Babushka Lady was noticed holding a camera by several witnesses, who was seen in film accounts of the assassination and was standing between Elm and Main streets where she is seen in the Zapruder film and in the films of Orville Nix,, Marie Muchmore as well as Mark Bell, a 44 seconds and 49 seconds in the Bell film, though the shooting had already taken place. While most of the other witnesses took cover, she was seen standing with the camera in focus. After the shooting event, she was observed crossing Elm Street and mingled in the crowd that went up the grassy knoll in search of the person responsible in the shootout.

Beverly Oliver’s Claim as Babushka Lady

She is seen last in photographs walking away eastward on Elm Street, with neither she nor the film which she could have taken, have been identified. It is presumed that due to the proximity of the distance to the President’s car during the assassination and continuing with her focus on the camera, she could have captured critical events on her camera though the lady has never been identified ever since that fateful day nor has she made any appearance.

She has been described as a lady, wearinga brown coat and a scarf on her head and appeared to be holding a camera in front of her face and is also seen in several photos of the scene. The FBI had also made a public request for the lady to come forward and provide the footage which she could have taken at the time of the assassination, but she never showed up.

Towards 1970, a woman called Beverly Oliver, claiming to be Babushka Woman came forward, stating that a federal agent identified as Regis Kennedy had confiscated her camera on the day of the assassination and that she had to flee the scene and remain hidden to save her life. Moreover the camera which was used by her was not produced till several years later after the assassination.

Mystery Unsolved

Eventually, photographic evidence indicated that the Babushka Lady to be much older as well as heavier than Beverly Oliver and her story having many inconsistencies was regarded as a fraud. No one till date knows who the Babushka Woman was and what was her purpose of being seen during the assassination event. It is also a mystery in her refusal in coming forward to provide the evidence of that particular scene on that fateful day. No one till date knows who the Babushka Lady was, except the lady herself. Fifty years thereafter, she could have been dead and if the possibility of anyone knowing about her existence, they too have remained silent like her and have refrained in providing any information about the mysterious lady known as Babushka Lady.