1947 06 00 Amazing Stories - Vincent Gaddis - Visitors from the Void

Magazine Overview

Title: AMAZING STORIES
Issue: Volume 21, Number 6
Date: June 1947
Publisher: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company
Country: USA
Price: 25¢
Cover Headline: The SHAVER MYSTERY THE MOST SENSATIONAL TRUE STORY EVER TOLD

This issue of Amazing Stories features a striking cover illustration depicting a futuristic red vehicle and various alien figures, highlighting 'The Shaver Mystery' as the central, sensational true story.

Visitors from the Void by Vincent H. Gaddis

The lead article, 'Visitors from the Void' by Vincent H. Gaddis, compiles a series of unexplained aerial phenomena and mysterious events reported between 1931 and 1945. Gaddis presents these incidents as potentially related, posing questions about their origin and significance.

Early Incidents (1931-1933)

The article begins with three reports collected by David Markham from the New York Times:

• October 11, 1931: A blimp or dirigible was reported to have crashed in flames near Point Pleasant, West Virginia, with witnesses seeing men parachute from it. Despite extensive searches by local authorities and nearby airports, no wreckage or explanation was found.
• December 5, 1931: An aviator was observed parachuting into the Folsom Swamp in Hammonton, New Jersey, with no accompanying plane. A large-scale search involving state police and fire companies was fruitless, and all eastern airports confirmed their planes were accounted for.
• December 29, 1932: A large tri-motored airplane was reported forced down near New Brunswick, New Jersey. Observers noted its motors were silent and its lights blinking as it disappeared behind wooded hills. State police conducted an unsuccessful search, and all eastern planes were accounted for.

Gaddis notes that these reports are not unique and are similar to accounts collected by the late Charles Fort. Tiffany Thayer of the Fortean Society is mentioned as having received preliminary conclusions from David Markham about these phenomena, which Markham deemed too dangerous to publicize.

Further Sightings and Phenomena (1933-1945)

The article continues to detail a range of unusual occurrences:

• December 26, 1933: A plane's motor was heard circling above Manhattan during a snowstorm, with the pilot seemingly unable to find a landing spot. Despite efforts by the National Broadcasting Company and notification of all airports, no aircraft was seen, and all planes were accounted for.
• December 31, 1933: A mysterious plane was reported over Lapland, leading to Swedish army aviators being ordered to investigate.
• March 1935: An object described as a 'large shining form resembling a gigantic snake' was observed in the northwestern sky over southern Norway and Denmark.
• May 24, 1935: A Universal Service dispatch reported that mysterious rays were stopping airplane motors over New York City, causing puzzling engine trouble and near-disasters. Similar incidents were reported in Germany (1930) and France (1923) involving stalled automobile and airplane motors, attributed to a practicing German experimenter.
• November 24, 1935: A 'flaming word' was seen between Palestine and Dallas, Texas, described by Dr. J. D. Boon as a stationary, vertical shaft of light.
• February 1936: The 'phantom light of Ringold' near Pasco, Washington, was reported as a mysterious light that caused motorists to drive into ditches.
• January 18, 1937: A 'ghost scare' in a mine near Bishop, Virginia, was attributed to a phantom form.
• July 20, 1937: A mysterious plane was observed hovering over the Hendon Aerodrome and London, baffling the Air Ministry.
• October 2, 1938: Mysterious blue flashes in Sussex, England, were followed by a 'fiery body' dropping from a rift in the sky.
• December 1939: A phenomenon in Finland began as a ball of fire that grew larger, changing color and emitting rays, with a shining object resembling a human-like figure appearing briefly.
• September 1943: A large light with a tail, resembling a comet or scimitar, was observed in Transylvania.
• May 10, 1944: A strange light, like a large kite moving erratically, was observed in Mexico, Missouri.
• June 27, 1944: A brilliant red and green meteor with a tail of red sparks was seen over Cass County, Indiana.
• August 18, 1944: An object described as 'man-made' by Chicago astronomers appeared over eastern Illinois, Indiana, and western Ohio. Reports varied, describing it as a ball of fire moving in a zig-zag course, screaming, and rattling windows. It was reported to have fallen at widely-scattered points, with one exception yielding a piece of stone resembling 'petrified wood' near Lyons, Illinois.
• January 1945: A large luminous ball, larger than the moon, was seen moving west in Tierquin, Ireland.
• April 1945: A light observed over Fisherville, Kentucky, glowed and receded like a heart throb.
• May 4, 1945: A flash of light and an explosion were reported over six states, shaking buildings.
• June 1, 1945: A tubular, shiny object with a blue flame spurting from its tail was seen traveling northwest over Morganton, North Carolina, disappearing near Brown Mountain, known for mysterious lights.
• July 9, 1945: A mysterious aircraft resembling a bird, moving at great speed over Vaesterbotton, Sweden, was noted by the Swedish General Staff.
• November 29, 1945: A flaming object over Modesto, California, exploded and transformed into a ball of fire, moving northeast at high speed.

Gaddis concludes that meteors do not linger or hover and do not resemble rockets or airplanes, implying these reported phenomena are distinct and unexplained.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around unexplained aerial phenomena, mysterious aircraft, and strange lights, often referred to as 'phantom planes' or 'visitors.' The magazine appears to present these accounts as factual reports, collected from various sources including newspapers and eyewitness testimonies, and often highlights the lack of conventional explanations or the failure of official investigations. The editorial stance seems to be one of presenting intriguing, often baffling, cases to the reader, encouraging speculation and interest in the unknown. The prominent feature of 'The Shaver Mystery' on the cover suggests a particular focus on a sensational, possibly controversial, narrative within this issue, aligning with the magazine's historical interest in speculative and extraordinary claims.