Topside - Issue 02 - 1960 June

Magazine Overview

Title: TOPSIDE
Issue Date: June, 1960
Publisher: Ottawa Flying Saucer Club
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

This issue of *TOPSIDE*, published by the Ottawa Flying Saucer Club, presents a collection of articles and reports related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and related phenomena. The opinions expressed are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the club.

Contents

The issue features the following articles:

• The Vanishing Act by W. B. Smith
• The Bells Corners Mystery by W. B. Smith and J. R. Buchanan
• U.F.O. Sighting - 1897 by Don Hughes
• Unsolved Aerial Mystery (Source: The Almonte Gazette, April 28, 1960)
• Life on Planets More than Likely (Source: The Montreal Gazette)
• Four see "Saucers" Over Sarnia, Ontario (Source: The Montreal Gazette, February 23, 1960)

The Vanishing Act

This article by W. B. Smith explores the phenomenon of flying saucers suddenly vanishing and appearing. While acknowledging the reality of these events, the author notes the lack of satisfactory explanations. One suggestion from B.S.R.A. involves craft materializing from or dematerializing into another dimension, though the author finds this speculative due to our limited understanding of such processes. Another theory, proposed by Cramp and Michel, suggests high speed and rapid accelerations as an explanation, but the author points out the immense energy requirements and the lack of visible equipment associated with such capabilities. The article leans towards the idea that skill, rather than brute force, is involved. A more intriguing hypothesis is presented regarding the nature of time itself, suggesting it might be a variable quantity related to field conditions, similar to electric and magnetic fields. The author draws an analogy to a magician making an elephant vanish using mirrors and lighting, where the audience sees a reflection rather than the actual object. In the context of a flying saucer, it's proposed that the craft could manipulate time in its vicinity, causing light to bend around it. This bending of light would make the saucer appear to vanish by presenting a distorted view of the background, effectively rendering the object invisible to observers who expect light to travel in straight lines.

The article further explains that a residue of light might remain, making the effect similar to viewing through a reducing lens, rendering the object inconspicuous. An acute observer might detect the presence of the saucer by noticing a tiny image or an apparent increase in distance to the background. The author concludes that if saucers utilize field manipulation for propulsion, it's plausible they also control the time field, offering an elegant explanation for inexplicable phenomena.

The Bells Corners Mystery

Authored by W. B. Smith and J. R. Buchanan, this piece details an incident that occurred near Bells Corners, a rural area southwest of Ottawa. The report focuses on an event involving Mrs. Couturier and her family. During the week of August 18, 1958, around 10:45 p.m. EDT, Mrs. Couturier observed a patch of bluish light in her yard. Upon investigation, she saw what appeared to be a small person lying face down. The being was described as having a perfectly round head, about the size of a toddler's, with short, dark blonde wooly hair. The chin was white and unblemished, but the nose, mouth, and ears were not visible. The eyes were noted as large, round, and seemingly faceted or jewel-like. Mrs. Couturier was unable to determine the source of the light but surmised it came from the eyes. Her son, who was also present, remained cautious.

After about a minute, the being vanished, and the light was gone. Mrs. Couturier was not frightened, but her son was. The story was initially met with disbelief when shared with friends. It came to the attention of the authors on February 16, 1960, after Mrs. Couturier contacted a local TV station. Due to heavy snows, an investigation was delayed until May 1st. During the investigation, an area of dead grass, approximately 3 ft. by 1.5 ft., marked the spot where the being was seen. Unexplained footprints, resembling those of a six-year-old child, were also found in the snow from the previous March, leading towards an old barn. The article notes that the footprints were not reported at the time they were made. A superficial search of the surrounding bush and swamp yielded no tangible evidence of a spacecraft or occupant, but the terrain was deemed suitable for hiding. Mrs. Couturier agreed to report any further developments.

U.F.O. Sighting - 1897

This report by Don Hughes recounts a "pre-airplane" era UFO sighting presented in the February issue of "Stag" magazine. Witnessed by a large number of people, the object was described as cigar-shaped with stubby fins and lights, measuring over 200 feet long. It was sighted at night over Sisterville, USA, and shone colored lights and searchlights down on the houses. The sighting occurred on April 9, 1897, and the object was reportedly seen for seven days at various locations en route from St. Louis, Missouri, to Denver, Colorado. The report is considered significant due to the absence of man-made objects that could have caused confusion.

Unsolved Aerial Mystery

This brief report, sourced from The Almonte Gazette on April 28, 1960, describes an incident involving H. U. Bolger of Clayton. Mr. Bolger presented strips of tinfoil to the Gazette office, which he claimed had fallen from the air. He and others observed the material descending and collected it from the ground and tree branches. The origin was uncertain, possibly from an airplane or carried by wind from afar, as no planes were known to be operating in the area. A sample strip, about one foot long and a quarter-inch wide, was examined and found to be similar to "chaff" or "window" material used in radar exercises, which aircraft can deploy at high altitudes without being detected.

Life on Planets More than Likely

This article, sourced from The Montreal Gazette, discusses the astronomical perspective on the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Dr. William Petrie, superintendent of the Defence Research Board's operational research group, stated that millions of planets in the universe are likely suitable for life. He explained that our solar system is a tiny part of a galaxy, and that galaxies are rushing away from each other, suggesting that the universe's material was once much closer together, potentially leading to collisions between stars and the formation of planetary systems. Dr. Petrie noted that the region of the solar system offers ample study for spacemen. He provided distances to the sun (93 million miles) and the nearest star (280,000 miles). The galaxy, described as wheel-shaped, has a diameter of 80,000 light-years and contains about one billion stars. The article also mentions the existence of over 100 star clusters within the galaxy, each potentially holding 500,000 stars. "Local systems" are part of a larger universe containing numerous other galaxies, some as far as 150,000 light-years away, with others hundreds of millions of light-years distant. The sheer scale of these figures is emphasized.

Four see "Saucers" Over Sarnia, Ontario

This report from The Montreal Gazette on February 23, 1960, details an account from Sarnia, Ontario. Four men and a woman reported seeing five circular objects whirling across the sky early the previous night. The objects were described as "whirling dynamos" and hovered for several minutes before disappearing. P.C. Bart, a CNR employee, stated they were not helicopters and their sound was unlike any familiar ground noise. He observed white objects moving in formations on two levels, each emitting a beam of light that shone to the ground like a giant flashlight. Mrs. Thelma Ballentyne, who works for the Grand Trunk Western Railway, heard a sound she described as "which I know wasn't a plane," which seemed to hover directly overhead for minutes before moving away. P.C. Bart also reported seeing "several queer objects" in the vicinity of the Nodeland side road and east of the main C.N.R. station.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around unexplained aerial phenomena, UFO sightings, and the scientific and speculative explanations for these events. The publication appears to adopt an open-minded stance, presenting various theories from eyewitness accounts to scientific hypotheses, including the possibility of time manipulation and the existence of extraterrestrial life. The editorial stance is one of investigation and reporting, encouraging readers to consider the evidence and possibilities presented.