Civlilian Saucer Intellligence of New York - No 01

Magazine Overview

This document is a newsletter or summary from Civilian Saucer Intelligence (CSI), dated February 15, 1955, with content pertaining to meetings held in January and announcements for February. The publication focuses on UFO sightings, Fortean phenomena, and scientific inquiry into unexplained aerial objects.

Announcement of Next Meeting

Civilian Saucer Intelligence announced its next meeting, scheduled for Friday, February 25, 1955, at 8:30 p.m. at Steinway Hall, 113 West 57th Street, New York City. The featured speaker is Richard Victor, described as a Field Service Representative in the Electronics Division of Curtiss-Wright Aviation. Victor has extensive background in electronics and aviation and has been interested in UFOs for over 16 years. He planned to discuss saucers from the perspective of aviation and radar, share personal sightings and others reported to him, and propose a theory for their origin and purpose.

Summary of January 28 Meeting

The meeting on January 28, 1955, featured a lecture by Dr. Ivan Sanderson, a naturalist, author, and long-time student of Fortean phenomena. He discussed saucers and other Fortean phenomena. Additionally, Mr. Tex Zeigler showed a moving picture of a saucer that he reportedly took in December 1952 in Minnesota. A two-page summary of these talks was available to members. Non-members could obtain a copy by sending 10 cents and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Marty Meyerson, Secretary-Treasurer of CSI.

Corrections, Please

This section addresses inaccuracies in a February 7, 1955, column by Meyer Berger in the New York Times concerning flying saucer enthusiasts. CSI clarified several points:

1. CSI does not hold its meetings at the Rigberg bookshop or the Philosophical Research Building.
2. CSI does not publish a journal, and has no connection with "Flying Saucer News" or Mr. and Mrs. Rigberg, despite references to "the society's New York journal."
3. The description of the group as having "a rather strong strain of occultists in it and some wide-eyed teen-agers gripped by space virus" was deemed a false picture. CSI aims to concentrate seriously and responsibly on factual material concerning unidentified flying objects.

Frank Edwards

It was announced that Frank Edwards was making recorded commentaries for Sunday broadcasts, sponsored by locals of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Readers interested in hearing Edwards in the New York area were directed to contact specific locals of the union in Manhattan and Queens.

Summary of Meeting January 28, 1955 (Continued)

On page 2, the summary of the January 28 meeting continues. Mr. Meyerson (Secretary) outlined the Spring program, and Mr. Oksenkrug (Vice-President) introduced Dr. Ivan Sanderson. Dr. Sanderson noted that the negative attitude towards "saucers" highlights the lack of tangible evidence. He recalled his grandmother's reaction to an early TV show, finding it outside her experience. Sanderson believes UFOs might be government devices but also acknowledges the popular theory of extraterrestrial origin. He emphasized that saucers are not the only unexplainable phenomena, citing Charles Fort's work on various "inexplicable" sights like cigar shapes, spheres, and lights. He referenced a possible early UFO account in the Old Testament concerning Elijah's "fiery chariot."

Dr. Sanderson discussed the possibility of natural means of transporting objects without known forces, citing two cases from Sumatra. In one case, small stones appeared on a tablecloth during dinner, originating from a volcano 400 miles away. The stones appeared nightly and were found in a large pile accumulated over years.

Discussion on Faster-Than-Light Travel and UFOs

Page 3 delves into theoretical discussions about exceeding the speed of light, including concepts like "time dilation." Scientists are exploring how such travel might explain UFO phenomena like "appearances" and "disappearances." Dr. Sanderson's hypothesis is that UFOs might come from "outer time" rather than outer space.

Tex Zeigler's UFO Film

Dr. Sanderson introduced Mr. Tex Zeigler, who presented a film of a UFO taken in December 1952. Zeigler, a pilot and lecturer, described seeing a brilliant red light while driving in Minnesota. The object, estimated to be about 40 times the diameter of Mars, changed color from red to white and pink, appearing elliptical and sometimes round with a discernible blue central spot. The film, shot at 8 frames per second, showed the object vanishing and reappearing instantly over distances of 6-8 degrees of arc within a total area of 8-10 square degrees. Zeigler believed motion might be detectable if the film were run at a higher frame rate. The object was still visible when they left due to the cold (-30 degrees).

Radar Observation

Zeigler also recounted a similar phenomenon observed on a radar screen in June 1951 aboard the Coast Guard icebreaker Icewind in the Bering Sea. A UFO radar pip made jumps between East Cape, Siberia, and Alaska. At times, the object appeared to move slowly, leaving multiple pips, then vanish and reappear. Visual confirmation was impossible due to fog. The Air Force in Nome reported no aircraft in the vicinity. While a report was sent in, its outcome is unknown. Zeigler agreed that the object might have moved between radar pulses at very high speeds.

After these presentations, the Vice-President adjourned the meeting.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this CSI summary are the investigation of unidentified flying objects, the exploration of unexplained phenomena beyond conventional science (Fortean phenomena), and the rigorous examination of evidence. The editorial stance appears to be one of serious, responsible inquiry, aiming to focus on factual material and correct misinformation, as evidenced by the "Corrections, Please" section. There is an openness to theoretical explanations, including those involving advanced physics (faster-than-light travel) and unconventional concepts like "outer time."