1975 11 00 SAGA - John Keel - Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries

Magazine Overview

Title: Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries
Issue: 14
Publisher: SAGA
Document Type: Magazine Issue
Cover Headline: THE SPACE VANDALS

The Space Vandals

The article "The Space Vandals" by John A. Keel details a series of bizarre and unexplained crimes occurring across the landscape. These incidents are often dismissed by authorities or relegated to human interest stories by local newspapers, but they suggest the existence of an "international band of shadowy thieves and cutthroats."

One recurring phenomenon is the theft of antique weather vanes in New England, particularly in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. These valuable collector's items, some dating back to the early 1700s, are reportedly ripped off old barns and houses by phantom burglars using helicopters. Witnesses have seen bright orange choppers rising skywards with weather vanes snagged in ropes. The difficulty and expense of operating helicopters make this a peculiar method for theft.

Beyond weather vanes, other odd objects have vanished. In 1973, a five-ton wrecking ball disappeared from a construction site in Indianapolis, Indiana, while suspended 200 feet in the air. A few years prior, an inoperable bulldozer weighing several tons vanished from a construction firm in Scranton, Pennsylvania, requiring a larger machine to haul it away without leaving tracks.

The article notes that the disappearance of entire buildings has become commonplace. Prefabricated houses are often disassembled and hauled away by trucks. Even stone houses, steel bridges, entire railroad trains, and airplanes have reportedly vanished. The scale of airplane theft is compared to auto theft, with 18,000 autos stolen in New York City annually. A minor mystery involving the stripping of plastic from sailplanes at West Coast airports was attributed to hungry wild dogs eating the gliders.

Vandals or Vampires

This section explores more sinister phenomena, beginning with the inexplicable disappearance of Mrs. Miriat Ahmed Shihata in Alexandria, Egypt, in March 1973, who was swallowed by a hole in the ground. The article broadens the scope to include disappearances beyond the Bermuda Triangle, mentioning the notorious Barrens of New Jersey and enigmatic ship disappearances on the Great Lakes. A peculiar incident in Brooklyn involved a man who allegedly vanished from a pole in his backyard after screaming about being grabbed.

The rise in "monster sightings" is discussed, with investigators linking hairy, 10-foot beasts to the disappearances of domestic animals and humans in monster-frequented areas, suggesting these creatures might be feeding on them.

The article then focuses on the widespread cattle mutilations in the Midwest, where animals are butchered with surgical precision and their blood drained. It reveals a lesser-known aspect: human remains found in the same areas with drained blood and severed heads. A case from Sweden is cited where a young Belgian man's body was found headless, but his expensive gold teeth were thoughtfully placed in his jacket pocket.

These incidents are linked to vampire myths, with Charles Fort's summaries of 1800s cases and Brad Steiger's work being referenced.

Ancient Astros (Continued)

The continuation of the article discusses other forms of vandalism and unexplained phenomena. Local police often attribute tombstone damage in cemeteries to "teenage vandals," but the precise and systematic toppling of modern tombstones, which are securely attached, suggests a more powerful force. The damage occurs in hundreds of cemeteries annually, with no law enforcement agency studying the phenomenon, which costs taxpayers significantly.

Another recurring event is the shattering of automobile windshields. A peculiar variation occurred in Naples, Italy, in 1972, where 40 motorists reported their windshields stolen, a task requiring a skilled mechanic over an hour per windshield. Historically, The New York Times reported in 1921 that over 2,500 expensive plate glass windows were smashed in London by a "mysterious band of men." Epidemics of window-breaking have occurred repeatedly since.

Each year, towns are visited by "phantom windshield smashers." While police often blame teenagers with sledgehammers, modern safety glass is difficult to smash, and these incidents occur in waves affecting 40 to 100 cars in a single night. A variation called the "phantom sniper" involves windows peppered with marks resembling bullet holes, but without any projectiles found.

The article also addresses the "phantom wire-gang" that steals miles of heavy electrical cable. Despite the risks of scaling steel towers and cutting high-voltage cables, the thieves go to great lengths to steal copper, suggesting the profit must be substantial.

Are We Supplying Ultraterrestrials?

This section questions whether extraterrestrials might be involved in these strange occurrences. While not claiming aliens are directly stealing wire or weather vanes, the article posits that some "phantom burglars" were active 100 years ago and continue to be today. Investigators are perplexed by the lack of clues and wonder if Earth is unwittingly supplying a "strange extradimensional world" with raw materials. The need for large quantities of animal and human blood is highlighted, along with baffling UFO sightings near garbage dumps and factories.

Witnesses have reported seeing huge UFOs being loaded with supplies, and Detroit-made autos have been seen driving into giant disks. In Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a large blimp-like machine was observed hovering over a computer plant in 1966, with men transferring boxes to the craft.

The article also mentions that both the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. have lost expensive satellites shortly after they were sent into orbit, raising the question of whether they were "snatched" by unknown entities. Some theories suggest that planes and ships vanishing in the Bermuda Triangle might have been pirated by UFOs.

The concluding thought is that "everything on this planet is up for grabs,.. and someone not quite human has been doing most of the grabbing."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around unexplained phenomena, anomalous events, and the potential involvement of non-human intelligence. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these mysteries, presenting various incidents and suggesting unconventional explanations, including extraterrestrial or extradimensional involvement, without definitively concluding on any single cause. The magazine encourages readers to consider possibilities beyond conventional explanations for crimes and disappearances.