Ness Information Service

Magazine Overview

This document is a newsletter from Ness Information Service, issue number 188, dated June 1988. It has an ISSN of 0264-7001 and appears to be published in the USA. The cover headline announces the arrival of the second issue of 'Strange Magazine'.

Strange Magazine Review

The newsletter reviews the second issue of 'Strange Magazine', which features "The Strongest UFO Cases" presented by eight ufology experts. It also includes articles on "Earth Mysteries" by Paul Devereux, a study of "Mad" Scientists in movies, and columns on Crypto-zoology and Natural Strangeness. Editor Mark Chorvinsky apologizes for the lateness of the issue, explaining that it takes approximately six months to assemble. He assures subscribers that they will receive four issues per subscription and asks for their patience. The magazine aims to maintain a high standard despite the production time.

Champ Channels and Lake Champlain Investigations

'Champ Channels', published by Joe Zarzynski, has resurfaced with a double issue covering work at Lake Champlain and news about Loch Ness. Zarzynski also contributes a column to 'Strange Magazine'. Future issues of 'Champ Channels' will be published on a four-issue subscription basis, with the hope of releasing them within a calendar year. In 1987, two firms donated equipment for a six-day intensive bottom search of Lake Champlain for possible carcasses. Klein Associates, Inc. provided side scan sonar, and Kaselaan & D'Angelo Associates, Inc. loaned their MiniRover Mk11 ROV with a video camera. The Lake Champlain Phenomena Investigation team, using the vessel NEPTUNE STAR, employed this equipment to trace possible bottom targets. Although only a small portion of the lake was searched and no carcasses were found, the method is considered viable. A significant success was the relocation of the shipwreck of an 86-foot tugboat, the 'William H. McAllister'.

In 1987, John Becker and the LCPI trialed a video digitizer/computer system to monitor the lake and activate a VCR when surface movement, possibly from a surfacing 'Champ', was detected. Seven reported 'Champ' sightings for 1987 are listed, described as humps, a head/neck, and a dark sinuous object. On September 12th, Marilynne and Brent Holden reported seeing two dull black humps, about three feet long, at a distance of 24 feet. Photographs were taken with a Canon AE1 camera, but they were inconclusive. Joe Zarzynski has also produced an updated version of his book, 'Champ-Beyond the Legend', first published in 1984, which includes recent sightings and expedition news from 1984-1987. The book is priced at $12.95 plus postage.

BILK 22 and Loch Ness References

'BILK 22' (May 1988), produced by Ulrich Magin, is described as a treasure trove of references. One reference is a book of essays by Spanish ufologist Antonio Ribera, which mentions a land sighting by Ulrich. In late 1958, AA patrolman James MacIntosh observed an unidentified object crossing a road at daybreak, later finding tracks in the mud. Skeptics suggested he had seen a deer. Ribera's source was an article by William A. Nicholas in 'El Enigma de Loch Ness' (Mundo Submergido, Jan/Feb 1960). Witchell's book 'Loch Ness Story' provides a similar account from an AA patrolman at Brackla in February 1959, where Hamish Mackintosh witnessed a large humped body and a tall thin neck moving slowly towards the shore. Other witnesses joined him, and the sighting ended when the body sank without commotion. Ulrich Magin wonders if these reports are connected and if Nicholas's facts might be incorrect, seeking assistance to solve the riddle.

Books on Loch Ness

The University of Illinois Press is publishing a paperback edition of Henry Bauer's book, 'The Enigma of Loch Ness', due out June 3rd, 1988, priced at $9.95. The book is considered an important contribution to the Loch Ness debate and essential reading for serious students, though it may be heavy for casual readers.

A new book about Loch Ness, titled 'Loch Ness', written by Richard Frere, is scheduled for September/October publication. It is described not strictly as a 'monster' book but as a history of the loch and its people, including accounts of swimming and speed attempts. The final chapter, 'The Monument To The Dragon', presents Frere's views on the monster, which are expected to be interesting from a local perspective.

Historical Notes on The Inverness Courier

The Inverness Courier, founded in 1817, changed editorship/ownership in May 1988. Miss Eveline Barron stepped down after 52.5 years due to ill health, succeeded by Mr Stuart Lindsay. The Courier was involved in the Loch Ness Monster story when Miss Barron's uncle reportedly tagged the animal as a 'monster'. Dr Evan Barron commented on a sighting by Alex Campbell, stating that if the creature was as big as Campbell described, it must be a real monster. This account appeared in the Courier on May 2nd, 1933.

Alastair Boyd's Research and the Macnab Photograph

Alastair Boyd is noted for his extensive interest in Loch Ness, maintaining a large collection of books, articles, and cuttings, and conducting research into the evidence. His research led him to contact Mr P. Macnab, who took a photograph of a creature on July 29th, 1955, and Mr Richard Frere, who was believed to have information about the Lachlan Stuart photograph from July 14th, 1951. Boyd's inquiries yielded mixed results: confirmation in one instance and the revelation of a hoax in another.

Richard Frere, in a letter to Boyd, explained that the Lachlan Stuart photograph was a hoax. Frere recounted meeting Stuart in August, discussing a horse, and then being shown three or four bales of hay and tarpaulin concealed in alder or hazel, which Stuart claimed were the 'humps'. Stuart was proud of his joke and surprised the photograph came out. Frere stated he did not participate in the hoax but acknowledged his silence might be construed as accessory. He referred to 'his mate', possibly the elusive Taylor Hay. Frere believes Steuart Campbell's book provides a convincing explanation of human credulity. Frere's acknowledgement of the hoax removes the Lachlan Stuart photograph from the file of acceptable evidence, illustrating the need for researchers to be careful, as Constance Whyte had previously been convinced by Stuart's account and photograph.

Mr Macnab's Account of the Photograph

Mr Macnab confirmed the accuracy of the description of his photograph, stating the viewing lasted only a minute or two, allowing just enough time to change lenses and take the shot. He speculated about a second creature behind the main humps, possibly a tailpiece, noting the extreme upper parts appeared undulating rather than sideways. He saw no signs of propulsive organs. The picture was taken from about 30 yards above Urquhart Castle. He admitted his memories were hazy due to the time lapse until experts investigated. He later realized that the discrepancy between the original and later photographs was due to a copy made by a local photographer, where marginal details were omitted. He no longer has the original negative, which has disappeared. Copies appeared in the 'Weekly Scotsman' and in Mrs Constance Whyte's book 'More than a Monster'. Macnab stated that his (copy) negative was analyzed by two leading universities in the USA and accepted as genuine. He expressed that he, as an amateur photographer, wouldn't know how to fake such an image. He also mentioned that a party of motorists had a similar viewing experience on the same day but had no camera. Macnab dismissed claims of 'logs' and 'waves' as wishful skepticism, noting the difficulty of research in Loch Ness due to its depth, underwater cliffs, and peaty water. Now 84 years old, he stated his recollections might be hazy.

Alastair Boyd had written to Mr Macnab to seek an answer to a question raised by Roy Mackal regarding the Macnab photograph. Macnab explained that by the late 1960s, the original negative showed signs of wear and tear. A local photographer advised re-photographing a good print to produce a new negative. This process resulted in slight differences between the two negatives, explaining why later prints were taken from the reproduced negative. Macnab stated that he never suggested the object was a duck, but rather a diver of some type.

Sightings and Analysis

The Press and Journal reported a sighting in early January where a group of five people saw "something like a black log" with two humps in the loch near Urquhart Bay, creating noise and waves. No further details on weather or boat traffic were provided.

On May 9th, 1988, Frank Iannella from Colorado reported seeing "several backs swimming westwards" in a slow, graceful movement with no visible head, while walking down the hill towards Castle Urquhart.

Another account describes objects that looked like a monster, with a large dark shape beneath humps re-appearing and disappearing. One witness thought they might be fish.

Erik Beckjord, from NIS83, disagrees with the assessment that these sightings are of waterbirds. He sent a list of people who state the object causing the wake is not a loon, cormorant, duck, swan, snake, whale, porpoise, seal, manatee, deer, otter, or invertebrate. He suggests it must be an animal new to science or something moving that is not an animal. Erik proposes a third theory: that the phenomenon is a form of intelligent energy. He states that the time for zoologists at Loch Ness is over, and the time for physicists and cosmologists has arrived.

Erik mentioned that Dr Bruce Maccabbee, an optical physicist working for the US Navy, has become interested in Loch Ness and analyzed the Crosbie photos, finding something extraordinary. He feels the object is 48 feet long with a shield-shaped head. Charles Wyckoff, who has photographic expertise, also examined the Crosbie photos and agrees the object is extraordinary. Wyckoff, Maccabee, and Erik are co-authoring a field report. A critique from an English photo-analyst noted a "larger object at the front of the pattern," which could be interpreted as a "head," but stressed that this is a matter of interpretation and the object is not clear enough to identify.

Erik plans to visit Loch Ness in August, accompanied by American and UK members of the Cryptozoological Society. Contact can be made by leaving a message at the Loch Ness Lodge Hotel.

Editorial Stance and Recurring Themes

This newsletter consistently reports on sightings, investigations, and research related to the Loch Ness Monster and other unexplained phenomena, including UFOs. It presents various perspectives, from eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence to scientific analysis and skeptical debunking. The publication seems to favor detailed reporting of claims and evidence, while also acknowledging the need for critical evaluation, as seen in the analysis of the Macnab and Stuart photographs. The recurring theme is the ongoing mystery of Loch Ness and the persistent efforts to understand its phenomena, with a shift in focus suggested by Erik towards physics and cosmology rather than zoology. The newsletter also serves as a platform for researchers like Alastair Boyd and publishers like Joe Zarzynski to share their work and findings with a dedicated audience.