1986 12 00 OMNI - Jerome Clark

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue Date: December 1986
Price: $3.00
Cover Headline: INTERSPECIES COMMUNICATION THE EXPERIMENT BEGINS

This issue of OMNI magazine prominently features the theme of 'Interspecies Communication' on its cover, accompanied by a surrealistic illustration. The magazine also includes a detailed article under the 'UFO UPDATE' section that delves into a historical anomaly: a purported UFO sighting and crash in Dundy County, Nebraska, in June 1884.

UFO Update: The 1884 Dundy County Incident

The 'UFO UPDATE' article recounts a story that originated from a June 1884 issue of the Nebraska Nugget and was later reprinted in the Lincoln Daily Journal. The incident describes a roaring object that descended from the sky in Dundy County, Nebraska, on June 6, 1884. It was initially perceived as a blazing meteor but reportedly skipped over the earth for about half a mile before disappearing into a draw.

According to the legend, local cowboys, including John Ellis, approached the site and found scattered pieces of machinery. The objects were reportedly so hot that they scorched the surrounding grass. The ground where the object touched was described as sandy and fused to an unknown depth over a space approximately twenty feet wide by eighty feet long. Cowboy Alf Williamson allegedly suffered facial blistering and singed hair from proximity to the object.

Investigators who later visited the site allegedly found an object resembling a propeller screw blade and another resembling a wheel. The vehicle itself was described as cylindrical, 10 feet in diameter and 50 feet long, made of a remarkably light but tough metal.

The article highlights the remarkable nature of this story due to its supposed occurrence in 1884. The Lincoln Daily Journal editor even speculated that the object might have been a 'vessel belonging originally to another planet.'

Historical Perspectives and Skepticism

The article seeks to verify the story by consulting contemporary sources and local historians. Inez Tecker, president of the Dundy County Historical Society, confirmed the existence of a John Ellis but had no knowledge of the associated story. Ida Toler, an eighty-eight-year-old lifelong resident and history student, heard the story about 20 years prior and found that most people considered it too far-fetched.

Betty Loudon, a research associate at the Nebraska State Historical Society, found a follow-up report in the June 10, 1884, issue of the Daily State Journal. This report stated that the remaining part of the vehicle vanished during a 'tremendous rainstorm,' dissolving in water 'like a spoonful of salt.'

Folklorist Roger Welsh from the University of Nebraska investigated the incident and concluded that it made little impact on the county's historical memory. He expressed the difficulty in verifying such an old and remote event, stating, 'It was a very long time ago. It was a remote place. There's just no way anyone can know exactly what did or did not take place.'

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The cover's prominent display of 'Interspecies Communication' suggests a focus on speculative science, the unknown, and the potential for interaction beyond human understanding. The 'UFO UPDATE' article, while presenting a historical account, also incorporates elements of skepticism and the challenges of historical verification, reflecting OMNI's typical approach of exploring intriguing phenomena while maintaining a degree of critical inquiry. The magazine appears to be interested in both cutting-edge scientific concepts and unexplained historical events.