AI Magazine Summary
Saucers vol 1 no 2
AI-Generated Summary
Title: SAUCERS' Issue: Vol. I - No. 2 Date: 1953 Publisher: Flying Saucers International Country: USA Language: English
Magazine Overview
Title: SAUCERS'
Issue: Vol. I - No. 2
Date: 1953
Publisher: Flying Saucers International
Country: USA
Language: English
This issue of 'SAUCERS'' magazine, published in 1953, delves into various aspects of the flying saucer phenomenon. It features a prominent cover photo of a supposed flying saucer and includes articles on sightings, personal encounters, photographic techniques, and related mysteries.
Editorial
The editorial expresses anticipation for the World's First Flying Saucer Convention hosted by Flying Saucers International. It thanks individuals and organizations for their support and emphasizes the convention's aim to present all sides of the flying saucer phenomenon in an unbiased manner, welcoming both skeptics and believers. The editors note the growing global interest in flying saucers, space phenomena, and interplanetary travel, with even scientists beginning to acknowledge the subject. Despite a recent lull in reports, interest is increasing, evidenced by flying saucer motifs in popular culture. The editorial also highlights the efforts of numerous groups worldwide trying to solve the mystery and encourages readers to submit reports of sightings, emphasizing confidentiality. They also solicit factual, well-documented articles for the magazine, noting that payment is not currently offered and articles should not exceed 1000 words.
Articles and Features
Lubbock Lights
By Tom Piper (Staff Correspondent)
This article details the 'Lubbock Lights' incident, where a flock of luminous sky objects flying in a V-shaped formation were observed over Lubbock, Texas, on August 25, 1951. Photographed by Carl Hart, Jr., and sighted by three professors from Texas Tech, these objects were deemed unexplainable by the Air Force due to their speed and noiselessness. The professors calculated their speed to be around 1,800 miles per hour at an altitude of one mile, or up to 18,000 miles per hour at 50,000 feet. Both the Lubbock CAA tower and Reese Air Force Base reported no jet flights or other aircraft in the area at that time.
Are Saucers From Mars?
By Irvin Norfleet Jr. (Staff Correspondent)
This piece explores the possibility of flying saucers originating from Mars. The author notes that Mars takes approximately 1 to 1.75 Earth years to orbit the sun, and Mars overtakes Earth every two years and fifty days. This cyclical relationship, determined by analyzing newspaper and magazine articles, suggests a 'saucer cycle' of 1.5 to 2 years. The elliptical orbits of Earth and Mars, with distances ranging from 35 to 63 million miles, are considered factors influencing this cycle. The author predicts that sightings might increase at the end of such a cycle, with the next expected around the fall of 1953.
I Was Inside a Flying Saucer
By Truman Bethurun
Truman Bethurun recounts an extraordinary experience in July 1952, near Las Vegas, Nevada. While on night shift, he visited a mesa area and was approached by about eight small men who communicated with him. He was then taken inside a flying saucer, described as disc-shaped and floating a few feet off the ground. Inside, he met a captain named Aura Phanes from the planet Clarion. They discussed interplanetary travel and knowledge of Earth. Bethurun initially kept the experience secret but eventually shared it with his boss, who was skeptical. He claims to have seen them eleven times in total, with the last encounter on November 2, 1952.
Suggestions
This section offers advice on how to support the flying saucer cause. It suggests writing to newspaper and magazine editors to encourage more coverage, calling attention to sightings to gather more witnesses, and reporting all sightings to wire services like United Press, Associated Press, and International News Service. The aim is to generate enough reports to prompt wider media attention.
Astronomer Sees Saucers
By V. Paul Nowell (Staff Correspondent)
The article references Sir William Herschel, a prominent astronomer from centuries past, who described strange sky objects as "fuzzy," "round," "oval," or "disc" shaped. Herschel observed these objects through his telescope, noting markings and detail, and even shared his observations with his astronomer son and daughter. He cautiously documented these sightings, fearing he might be considered insane. The objects emitted an eerie light and traveled in unusual courses, unlike meteors or comets. The author dismisses theories like reflections or flying vortices as explanations for these detailed observations, especially given the lack of artificial light sources at the time.
Orfeo Angelucci Photograph
This section features a photograph of Orfeo Angelucci at a Flying Saucers International meeting at the Hollywood Hotel. He is holding a flying saucer photograph taken by August C. Roberts of Jersey City on July 28, 1952.
How to Photograph Flying Saucers
By August C. Roberts (Staff Correspondent)
This guide emphasizes patience, a camera, and some knowledge as key elements for photographing flying saucers. It suggests joining a local Skywatch Ground Observer Corps or finding a vantage point with a clear view of the sky. For photography, it recommends using high-speed film and setting the lens at its largest aperture, with the shutter open for extended periods while covering and uncovering the lens to capture movement. The author stresses the importance of having multiple witnesses to corroborate any photographic evidence and asserts that flying saucers are real.
Nostradamus
The article quotes Nostradamus, the sixteenth-century prophet, from Century II, Quatrain 46, which speaks of "great human change," "great motor," and "running fire with long sparks" in the heavens, suggesting a possible connection to flying saucer phenomena.
Membership
This section outlines the membership requirements for Flying Saucers International. Membership is open to those without subversive ideas towards the United States, costing $0.25 for regular members who receive a membership card. Representatives pay $0.50 and are obligated to send all collected information on flying saucers to headquarters and conduct investigations. Honorary memberships are limited to officers of related organizations or individuals with outstanding work in the field. Some officer positions are still available.
Mystery Odor
By Max B. Miller
This article reports on an "obnoxious odor" that affected large portions of Southern California on June 4, 1953, causing thousands of calls to police and sheriff's departments. Areas affected included Pasadena, Altadena, Temple City, and others. A similar incident occurred on October 3, 1952, near West Los Angeles, where a strong cabbage odor was detected. The odors appeared suddenly, moved across areas, and then disappeared without an official cause. The author notes a coincidence: Orfeo Angelucci gave lectures about his flying saucer contacts on both nights, and it was mentioned that flying saucers could sometimes be smelled.
Short Shots
This section compiles brief news items:
- Mars Observations: Dr. Tsuneo Saheki, a Japanese astronomer, reported what appeared to be an atomic explosion on Mars, with brilliant flashes of light possibly being signals from the red planet. He also announced the reception of radiation of artificial origin, leading him to believe that intelligent life on Mars should be investigated.
- Speed of Light: An Associated Press dispatch claims Harold J. Peake discovered that light can travel faster than 186,000 miles per second by applying 3,000,000 volts in a millionth of a second, using a "time microscope."
- Arizona Incident: Carl E. Thornton reports an incident where a house roof was torn off and deposited half a mile away, with one witness claiming to have seen a flying saucer zoom off.
- Canadian Flying Saucer: An article from the New York Herald Tribune and St. Louis Post-Dispatch states that Canada is building a "huge jet powered gyroscopic top," resembling a flying saucer, designed to fly at supersonic speeds. It is called "Omega," and a model is to be sent to the United States for testing.
Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance
The recurring themes in this issue are the prevalence and mystery of flying saucer sightings, the scientific and public interest in the phenomenon, and the efforts to document and understand these events. The editorial stance is one of open-minded investigation, encouraging the collection of evidence and fostering discussion, while also acknowledging the skepticism that surrounds the topic. There is a clear advocacy for the reality of flying saucers and a desire to legitimize their study through organizations like Flying Saucers International.
Title: SHORT SHOTS
Issue Date: March 19, 1953
Publisher: Flying Saucers International
Document Type: Magazine Issue
This issue of 'Short Shots' provides a collection of brief reports and news items related to flying saucers and unexplained phenomena.
Organizations and Literature
The publication begins by listing several organizations and their officers who are actively involved in the study of flying saucers. These include Joseph Barbieri of Saucer Phenomena And Celestial Enquiry (SPACE) in Connecticut, N. Meade Layne of Borderland Sciences Research Associates (BSRA) in California, Richard Hughes of the Flying Saucer Club in England, Harold H. Fulton of Civilian Saucer Investigation in New Zealand, and L. T. Whitney of the Australian Flying Saucer Investigation Committee.
Following this, the magazine enumerates numerous books that have been published on the topic of flying saucers. Notable titles mentioned are "The Flying Saucers Are Real" by Donald Keyhoe, "Behind the Flying Saucers" by Frank Scully, "The Coming of the Saucers" by Kenneth Arnold and Ray Palmer, "Agharta" by Robert Ernst Dickhoff, "Flying Saucers" by Donald H. Menzel, and "Flying Saucers Have Landed" by Desmond Leslie and George Adamski. A forthcoming book, "Saucers from Outer Space" by Donald Keyhoe, is also noted.
Mystery Substance Incident
A significant report details a "mystery substance" that baffled science. A United Press dispatch from Kelso, Washington, dated June 13, describes a dark, skin-like substance, about one-half inch thick, covering approximately 25 acres of flat land. The Cowlitz County sheriff's office reported that the origin of the substance was unknown, suggesting it might have been blown by winds or fallen from the sky. This incident is compared to a similar event in Philadelphia in October 1950, where a six-foot purple glowing sphere settled in a field and dissolved into a gelatinous mass upon touch, which was subsequently examined by the FBI. The report also notes that similar substances have been observed recently in New Zealand and were reportedly dropped from a cigar-shaped craft in France.
Flying Saucer Sightings
The issue includes several accounts of flying saucer sightings. On June 14th, 1953, four flying saucers were observed by multiple people in North Haven, Connecticut. The saucers were described as red, blue, and white, with one hovering long enough for witnesses to see a row of windows. Intriguingly, a Swedish newspaper reported a similar observation over Belgium on the same date, raising the question of whether the same discs were seen over two continents simultaneously.
Another report concerns titanium miners John Q. Black and John Van Allen of Brush Creek, California. They claimed to have been visited by a flying saucer which landed on May 20th and again on June 20th, 1953. The report mentions a little four-foot man getting out of the saucer to obtain water from a nearby creek before taking off again, an event that reportedly made coast-to-coast newspapers.
Further details emerge regarding sightings near Chico, California. Mrs. Hazel Burch of the Chico State College football stadium skywatch observed a mysterious object pass overhead around 10 AM on July 17th. Shortly before 11:50 AM on the same day, she and another witness, Mrs. Henrietta Martin, saw the object again. They described it as a fast-moving, round, silver-colored object that gleamed in the air and traveled in a straight line. This sighting led to headlines about a "Statewide Radar Search Launched on Basis of Chico's 'Saucer' Report."
Photographic Evidence
A photograph labeled "MYSTERY OBJECT" is included, described as a super enlargement from a tiny movie camera print taken by Lockheed's photo department from a T-33 aircraft at extremely high altitude. The object was too distant for a good picture, but it was identified as a flying saucer.
Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance
The recurring themes in this issue of 'Short Shots' are the active pursuit of flying saucer study by various organizations, the growing body of literature on the subject, and the reporting of specific UFO sightings and unusual phenomena like the mystery substance. The editorial stance appears to be one of documenting and disseminating information about these events and the organizations involved in their investigation, presenting them as credible topics of interest within the UFO community.