UFO Magazine - vol 1 number 2 - Saucer Album

Magazine Overview

Title: Saucer Album
Issue: Volume 1, Number 2
Date: Fall, 1963
Publisher: URCU publications, inc.
Editor: Allen Greenfield
Managing Editor: Ricky Hilberg

This issue of Saucer Album, a quarterly magazine focused on UFOs, photos, facts, and features, presents a collection of intriguing and often unexplained phenomena from around the world.

Key Articles and Features

The British Crater Mystery

This article details a peculiar incident in Charlton, England, in July 1963, where a strange 8-foot wide crater appeared in a potato patch on farmer Roy Blanchard's land. The event prompted an investigation by an army bomb disposal unit, initially treating it as a 'normal bomb disposal job.' Speculation ranged from a meteor to a World War Two bomb, or even the imprint of a landed 'flying saucer,' as suggested by Blanchard himself. Hundreds of sightseers were drawn to the area. An Australian scientist claimed it was made by a spaceship from Uranus, though local scientific circles had no knowledge of him. The Army later announced finding a meteor of tennis ball size, stating their interest was over. However, the article points out several inconsistencies with the meteor explanation, including a fifty-foot circle of flattened barley in a neighboring field and a cow that began shedding its skin. Notably, both potatoes and barley were missing from Blanchard's field. The article questions whether the British Army might have a similar policy of information censorship as the U.S. Air Force and ponders how to explain the vanished vegetables and burned livestock within the meteor theory.

Storm Baffles Britons: Straw Falls From Skies On Britons

This news report, dated August 29, 1963, describes a baffling event in Dartford, England, where straw fell from the sky for an hour. Residents, like Joyce Hyams, were surprised by the phenomenon. Local police and the government meteorological office expressed mystification, stating it was too much straw to have been dropped from an airplane and that it was not part of their forecast. The event stopped as suddenly as it began.

Scan Mystery Sky Object: 'Whatsit' Resembles Boomerang

This article from the New Orleans States-Item, dated May 7, 1963, reports on a mysterious, undulating streamer observed high above the business section of New Orleans. Forecaster E. L. Hill of the U.S. Weather Bureau Office described it as a broad strip of flimsy, silk-thin material. It was observed with two smaller pieces that fell in different parts of the city. Fragments, about the size of a hand, were also noted. The U.S. Naval Air Station sent up planes to investigate, and the Federal Aviation Agency flight control office had no immediate explanation.

Thinking Out Loud: Editorial

By Allen Greenfield, Editor. This editorial announces a major event in ufology: the first congress of scientific ufologists to be held in Cleveland, Ohio, in June of the following year (1964). The congress will be invitational but will have open sessions for the public and press. Greenfield urges readers to support and attend this event. He also mentions the formation of a Congress Planning Committee, which includes managing editor Ricky Hilberg and several UFO investigators, who will hold cross-country conferences. The editorial also highlights 'Saucers, Space & Science Magazine,' edited by Gene Duplantier, published in Canada and popular among UFO investigators.

Advertising Information

This section provides advertising rates for Saucer Album, with prices for quarter-page, half-page, and full-page ads, as well as classified ads per word. It also details the magazine's publication schedule (quarterly), subscription prices ($1.30 per year, $2.00 for six issues, $0.35 per single copy), and contact information for the Managing Editor (Ricky Hilberg in Cleveland, Ohio) and the Editor (Allen Greenfield in Atlanta, Georgia). A $10.00 prize is offered for the best original article each issue.

Gravity Machine Called Possible

This article, citing The New York Times (June 9, 1963) and based on the work of Dr. Freeman J. Dyson, explores the theoretical possibility of 'gravity machines' used by advanced civilizations as a primary power source, instead of sunlight. Dyson proposes that civilizations might orbit pairs of dim stars known as white dwarfs. By firing a vehicle around one of these stars as it approaches, the vehicle could gain significant gravitational energy, allowing for incredible accelerations of up to 10,000 g's, far exceeding current astronaut capabilities. The article notes that while white dwarfs are theoretically dense and powerful energy sources, they are rarely observed.

Mystery Object Falls in Indiana

A brief report from May 8, 1963, mentions the U.S. Air Force and state police handling a 500-pound, cylindrical object that fell by parachute near North Vernon, Indiana. The object, painted red and white, had devices resembling meters but no identifying markings.

5 Russian Cosmonauts Believed Killed in Space

This article, referencing a New York Journal-American report, suggests that as many as five or more cosmonauts may have died in Soviet space failures. It lists several alleged incidents, including Cosmonaut Serenty Shiborin (1959), Cosmonaut Piotr Dolgov (1960), Cosmonaut Vassilievitch Zowodovsky (1961), and two individuals launched together in May 1961, all of whom reportedly lost contact after launch.

The One I Never Saw

By Allen Greenfield. In this personal account, Greenfield discusses unusual experiences he has had, emphasizing that he is not a 'contactee' and does not claim these are definitive UFO sightings. He recounts two main incidents:

1. Spider Web: During a skywatch in the warm months, he experienced a feeling of being watched and saw a 'black area' on a roof, which he later described as a glistening, gossamer-like substance, like a single strand of a spider web or 'angel hair.' He admits to being scared but calm.
2. Ball Park Incident: In the summer of 1962, at a baseball game in Atlanta, he observed a circular object with a glowing beam circling the field. He theorized it might be attracted to stadium lights. However, he also noted a slight suspicion of a motor noise and the object not fitting the 'standard' UFO pattern. Later, he learned from a radio host that similar reports might be attributed to advertising planes. Greenfield concludes that while there's room for doubt, he suspects both his incident and the radio host's report could be explained by optically-tricky advertising planes.

Fireflies

Greenfield recounts a phone call in the spring of 1962 from a friend who reported 'hundreds of little specks' flying in the sky. Initially suggested to be a fire, the local press reported 'no fire.' The weather bureau offered the explanation of an airplane, which the caller found unsatisfactory. Later, the friend suggested they were 'high-flying fireflies.' Greenfield categorizes this under 'Fortean Phenomena' and does not pursue it further as a UFO event.

Booms

Greenfield describes a mysterious phenomenon he experiences regularly: a strange, muffled booming sound that occurs almost every night, typically between 2-4 AM. He lives far from any industrial area that could produce such noise. He notes that the booms are generally low and might go unnoticed by others, but he is alerted to them. He states they are not the unmistakable 'boom' of sonic booms or explosions, calling them a unique, 'wee-hours noise' and asks readers for their explanations.

Not a Legend: Mt. Shasta

This article explores the mystique surrounding Mt. Shasta in Northern California, originally named 'Chas-tcha' by a Russian trapper. The mountain has been associated with strange and unexplainable events, even predating European settlement. Indian legends and settler accounts attest to unusual occurrences. The article references the book 'A Dweller of Two Planets' (1884), which discussed strange people living on the mountain, described as white men in 'long white togas,' indicating they were not simply indigenous people. It notes that ignition trouble and electromagnetic effects are often associated with UFO propulsion, and similar effects have been observed with cars approaching Mt. Shasta, with mysterious flashes noted on its slopes even before electrification. Richard Cohen is quoted regarding claims of strange cattle emerging from the woods near Shasta, only to be frightened by an invisible signal and retreat. A 1931 forest fire in the area was mysteriously stopped by a fog that created a distinct demarcation line. A. Tomas is cited for two incidents: golfers observing a silver, wingless airship in the late twenties, and David Williamson observing 14 lights performing unusual maneuvers over Mt. Shasta in October 1956, with one descending onto the mountain. Professor E.L. Larkin of Mt. Lowe Observatory is quoted describing a 'marvelous work of carved marble, an onyx rivaling in architectural splendor the magnificence of the temples of Yucatan' on the side of Mt. Shasta. The article concludes by urging an expedition to Mt. Shasta to investigate its mysteries, suggesting it might be a 'saucer den' or hold other unknown secrets.

Advertisement: Scientific UFO Research

This advertisement promotes the Illinois Aerial Phenomena Agency (IAPA), which aims to conduct scientific UFO research. They are forming UFO research committees and publish a monthly UFO periodical. Membership is $1.50 per year, including the periodical, membership cards, and the privilege to join research committees. They welcome open-minded individuals and approach the subject scientifically. Contact information is provided for Dale Rettig, Chairman, at 2007 Spruce Drive, Glenview, Illinois, USA.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of Saucer Album revolve around unexplained aerial phenomena, mysterious events, and the investigation of potential UFO sightings. The magazine presents a mix of news reports, personal accounts, and theoretical discussions, reflecting a deep interest in the unknown. The editorial stance, particularly in Allen Greenfield's writings, is one of open-minded inquiry, encouraging readers to consider possibilities beyond conventional explanations while maintaining a degree of skepticism and a desire for evidence. There's a clear emphasis on scientific investigation and the importance of documenting and analyzing these events, as seen in the call for the scientific ufologists' congress and the promotion of UFO research organizations. The magazine seems to lean towards the belief that many unexplained events warrant serious investigation and may indeed be related to extraterrestrial activity or unknown phenomena, rather than dismissing them outright.