Anomaly 04 1970 July

Magazine Overview

Title: ANOMALY
Issue: #4
Date: July 1970
Publisher: John A. Keel
Country: USA
Language: English

This issue of ANOMALY magazine, edited by John A. Keel, announces the abandonment of plans for a more elaborate format due to insufficient public interest and support. It urges readers to continue supporting existing publications and organizations involved in research. The cover prominently features a map of Illinois, highlighting various anomalous sightings, and includes a note regarding the discontinuation of the magazine if support does not increase.

Contents

Illinois Anomalies

The cover story focuses on Illinois, detailing sightings of "large bears and big cats, as well as man-like creatures." It also notes reports of "Abominable Snowmen" (ABSM) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), with symbols on the map indicating bears, "X" for reports, and asterisks for sightings.

Ancient Monster of Loch Ness: Sixth-Century Allusion

A letter from J. C. Marsh-Edwards references a sixth-century account from the life of St. Columba. While traveling to meet the King of the Picts, the saint encountered a funeral procession attacked by a monster in the River Ness. St. Columba commanded the beast to stop, and it fled back up the river to the loch.

Dr. Hynek Speaks

Dr. Hynek, testifying before the Committee on Science and Astronautics of the U.S. House of Representatives on July 29, 1968, addresses why he did not alert the scientific world sooner about the UFO problem. He explains that scientists must be sure of their facts and cannot "cry wolf." He highlights the "amorphous nature of the UFO data," the "anecdotal nature of UFO reports," the lack of follow-up and serious inquiry, the absence of adequate scientific staff and funding, and the scarcity of "unimpeachable photographic evidence and of the almost total lack of quantitative data." Despite acknowledging the "paucity of truly hard core data," he notes that "no effort has really been made to gather it."

'Invasion' by Unknown Insects in Spain

This article, from The Daily Telegraph on July 27, 1968, reports on an "invasion" of hundreds of thousands of one-inch-high, brown, beetle-like insects with six-inch-long antennae in Armental, North-West Spain. Health authorities and biologists are mystified, stating the species is unknown. The villagers are near panic, as chemical insecticides and homemade deterrents have failed. Some villagers claim the insects came from outer space, linking it to sightings of unidentified flying objects over a nearby reservoir. The article also notes that Palomares, where American hydrogen bombs fell in 1966, is about 500 miles away, suggesting the beetles are not a mutation from that incident.

Charles Fort Revisited

This section reviews Damon Knight's book, "Charles Fort: Prophet of the Unexplained." It describes Charles Fort as a stout six-footer who refused to keep a telephone, initially a humorist and short story writer, who later became obsessed with anomalies. Knight, a science fiction writer, spent years researching Fort's life and anomalies. The book details Fort's methodical indexing of approximately 1200 major anomalies from his four books, which were then analyzed by C. L. Mallows using a computer at Bell Telephone Laboratories. The results of this study are highlighted as being worth the price of the book.

#### Data Analysis and Cycles

The review discusses Knight's findings from Fort's data, noting a cycle of approximately 9.6 years for anomalous events. Knight charted storms, falls, and things seen in space and the sky, finding correlations during the period 1877-1892. He concludes that these cycles must have a common cause outside the Earth. Knight also discovered a potential influence of planetary movements, particularly Mars, on anomalous events, suggesting a correlation that implies the phenomena are real, even if dismissed as hallucinations. This leads to theories of parallel universes and theology, with Fort's original title for his work being "Skyward Hol" and his editor suggesting "God Is An Idiot" as an alternative. Knight himself questions, "If there is a Universal Mind, must it be sane?" The review expresses sadness that the book is too short and emphasizes the continued need for Charles Fort's work.

John A. Keel: Two New Books

This section provides information on two new books by John Keel: "Strange Creatures From Time and Space," a casebook of incidents involving unknown animals and humanoids, and "UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse," a hardcover detailing documented cases and Keel's personal experiences that shifted him from a "believer" to a skeptic. Both books are indexed and offer extensive bibliographies.

More Lightning Bolts

This section reports on strange coincidences involving lightning. It details the death of Mr. Earl Whitney on June 3, 1970, at the Augusta, Maine Country Club, who was found dead after a thunderstorm and had previously reported seeing UFOs. It also mentions the death of 14-year-old Florencia Gomez in San Francisco in June, whose arteries showed advanced aging.

Groupings of Type I Sightings Around Specific Days of the Month, 1966

A graph and accompanying text analyze 730 reported sightings from 1966. The data suggests patterns and historical groupings of sightings around the 10th of the month and the 21st to 24th days. This cycle also appears to apply to monster events, sightings of hairy creatures, phantom cats, poltergeist manifestations, and ghost appearances. The article estimates that the 730 reports represent a probable total of 530,000 events in similar areas and times, based on a method of squaring the number of known reports.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of ANOMALY include UFO sightings, unexplained phenomena, historical anomalies, and the scientific investigation of the unusual. The editorial stance, as expressed by John A. Keel and through the content selection, is one of serious inquiry into these subjects, acknowledging the difficulties in gathering concrete evidence while advocating for continued research and public support. There is a clear interest in historical accounts of anomalies, as well as contemporary reports and scientific perspectives, even when critical, such as Dr. Hynek's testimony. The review of Damon Knight's book on Charles Fort underscores a deep appreciation for meticulous data collection and analysis of the unexplained.