Swamp Gas Journal - 1992 Special Issue 3

Magazine Overview

Title: Swamp Gas Journal Special Issue #3
Date: 18 August 1992
Publisher: NAICCR (North American Institute for Crop Circle Research)
Content: This issue is a report by NAICCR on their investigations of crop circles in the Strathclair, Manitoba area.

NAICCR Investigations in Strathclair, Manitoba

Following media reports of new crop circles in western Manitoba, NAICCR representatives traveled to the area for onsite investigations on August 18, 1992. They discovered five crop formations. One was easily explained as lodging. Of the remaining four, three were in the shape of a circle with an attached arrow, resembling the symbol for Mars. Two of these Mars-symbol formations were located alongside a major highway and were believed to have been made on the night of August 14-15, 1992. The other formations were near less-traveled farm roads.

Rumors of the circles spread, and by August 17, 1992, an estimated 200 people had visited the sites. News media covered the sites on August 17-18, but the formations did not gain widespread publicity. NAICCR investigators conducted a four-hour excursion from Winnipeg to visit the sites.

During their investigation, NAICCR collected wheat and soil samples. Mapping was performed, though trampling of the formations may have introduced measurement errors of about six inches. Compasses were used, but no magnetic anomalies were detected. VHF and AM/FM radios were tested, and no interference was observed. Tape recordings were unaffected. No unusual sounds or 'feelings' were sensed. Insects were present in normal quantities, and local animals were not afraid to enter the areas.

At one formation, two youths charged a dollar for entry, displaying a sign that read: "A Loonie a Look".

Experiment in Circle Creation

At Strathclair No.4, two NAICCR investigators conducted an experiment to create a circle. They walked in a circle in an unaffected area of wheat, and after five minutes, produced a circle of comparable size. The new circle was swirled and flattened, with wheat stalks gently bent about one to two inches above the ground, showing no breakage. The appearance was initially 'messy' but improved with 'touch-ups'. Suggestions were made for producing more even flattening. The report notes that since Strathclair No.4 was created shortly after a full moon, a hoaxer could have created it without flashlights and avoided detection by ducking below the wheat level when cars passed.

Hoax Theory Complications

The hoax theory is complicated by a CE1 UFO sighting over the field where the Ipswich formation was discovered. One close witness and two others observed an unusual object moving over the field and flying away on the night that formation was likely created.

A television program about crop circles aired on August 14, which some residents recalled. However, at least two formations were discovered before the program aired, suggesting it did not precipitate the later formations.

Wheat samples will be sent for testing, including double-blind tests to verify claims that seeds from inside circles grow faster/better than control samples. Further investigations are ongoing.

Descriptions of Formations and UFO Reports

Strathclair No.1

Location: Strathclair, Manitoba
Found: 1 August 1992
Description: A circle of flattened wheat, 28 feet in diameter, southwest of Strathclair. The wheat was flattened and swirled counterclockwise. Located approximately 40 feet from a municipal road.
Reported: Media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation on 18 August 1992. Site was trampled by visitors.

Strathclair No.2

Location: Strathclair, Manitoba
Found: 8 August 1992
Description: A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars, southwest of Strathclair. The main circle was 28 feet in diameter, with no detectable eccentricity. Wheat flattened and swirled counterclockwise. Approximately 40 feet from a municipal road, opposite a circle found a week earlier. The arrow was 18.5 feet long, with arms of 6 and 6.5 feet, and a width of approximately 36 inches. The arrow pointed away from the circle on a bearing of 260 degrees, almost directly away from the road.
Reported: Media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation on 18 August 1992. Site was trampled.

Ipswich

Location: Ipswich, Manitoba
Found: 15 August 1992
Description: A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars, east of Ipswich. The main area was 26 feet in diameter (major axis) and 24.5 feet (minor axis). Wheat flattened and swirled counterclockwise. The arrow was 17.5 feet long, with arms of 7.5 and 11 feet, and a width of 28 inches. The arrow pointed away from the main area on a bearing of 65 degrees, toward a farm road, its tip 36 feet from the road.
Reported: Media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation on 18 August 1992. Site was trampled.
Associated UFO: A UFO was seen at this site on 14 August 1992 (ND Case 920814.1).

Strathclair No.3

Location: Strathclair, Manitoba
Found: 15 August 1992
Description: A flattened area in a wheat field, roughly 20 feet in diameter. Wheat was laid down in random clumps, with some sections rebounded upright. Visible from a nearby road. Examination suggested lodging.
Reported: Media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation on 18 August 1992. Site was trampled.

Strathclair No.4

Location: Strathclair, Manitoba
Found: 15 August 1992
Description: A flattened area of wheat in the shape of the symbol for Mars, southwest of Strathclair. The main circle was 24 feet in diameter, with no detectable eccentricity. Wheat flattened and swirled counterclockwise. Approximately 100 feet from a provincial highway. The arrow was 16 feet long, with arms of 8.5 and 10 feet, and a width of approximately 66 inches. The arrow pointed away from the circle on a bearing of 120 degrees, away from the road.
Reported: Media on 16 August 1992. NAICCR investigation on 18 August 1992. Site was trampled.

Brandon Airport

Location: Brandon, Manitoba
Reported: 17 August 1992
Description: A television station received an anonymous call about a crop circle found on the property of the Brandon airport. Investigations were pending.

Miniota

Location: Miniota, Manitoba
Found: July, 1992
Description: A crop circle was discovered in a field of oats, perfectly round and 32 feet in diameter. The oats were flattened and swirled clockwise. The center was devoid of vegetation. Reported to NAICCR on 21 August 1992.

UFO Reports:

• Ipswich, Manitoba (14 August 1992, 2115 local time): A woman driving from Shoal Lake to Strathclair saw a pair of bright yellow lights over a field, about 50-100 feet above the ground, moving in tandem westward. She saw a dark object behind the lights with a small flashing light at its tail. Her daughter and son-in-law also witnessed it. The object was visible for about two minutes. No noise was heard. A crop circle (NAICCR case 920815.1) was discovered the next day in the field over which the UFO had travelled.
• Shoal Lake, Manitoba (14 August 1992, 2300 local): A witness reported seeing a brilliant green flash of light that illuminated the countryside (NL Case 920814.1).
• Shoal Lake, Manitoba (15 August 1992, 2200 local): A witness reported seeing a brilliant green flash of light that illuminated the countryside for a few seconds (NL Case 920815.1).
• Winnipeg, Manitoba (26 August 1992, 0535 local): A witness reported a bright green object, described as 'like an airplane going to crash', moving rapidly from west to east and appearing to go 'up'. It had a 'long tail' and was visible over the Winnipeg airport for only a few seconds (NL Case 920826.1).

Future Publications and Contact Information

A full report on these incidents, including detailed drawings of the crop formations, will be available in hard copy from NAICCR at a later date. The full report will also be published in a major UFO journal and a cerealogy journal. The Strathclair events will be noted in the annual NAICCR and UFOROM reports in 1993.

For further information, contact NAICCR at Box 1918, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3C 3R2. E-mail can be addressed to [email protected].

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are crop circle investigations, the characteristics of various formations (including the 'Mars symbol'), and associated UFO sightings. The editorial stance, as represented by the NAICCR report, is one of methodical investigation, data collection (samples, measurements), and consideration of multiple explanations, including hoax theories, while also documenting unexplained phenomena like UFO sightings. The journal appears to be a platform for reporting on and analyzing anomalous events, particularly those related to crop circles and UFOs.