UFO Newsclipping Service - 1973 05 - no 49

Magazine Overview

This issue of U.F.O. Magazine, identified as issue #49 and dated May 1973, focuses heavily on UFO sightings and related phenomena reported across various locations in the USA and internationally. The cover story, "UFO Capers Continue, Saucer Lands In Field," by Lucille Prince, highlights a landing incident in Lexington, Alabama, and discusses the general pattern of UFO activity.

UFO Capers Continue, Saucer Lands In Field

Lucille Prince's article details a significant UFO event where a "mysterious" flying object reportedly landed in a pasture at the Raleigh Nix home in Lexington, Alabama. Phil Nix described the object as bright and silent, larger than a car but smaller than a bus. This was reportedly the fourth sighting for Phil and his brother Mike in the area. Phil also recounted an experience where a bright light in his rear-view mirror turned out to be the object following him. The article notes that similar objects were seen in Wheeler Dam and Cherokee, with frequent sightings near the Lexington garbage dump. A Sheffield resident described an object zigzagging with red and blue lights. Wilsey Mashburn, publisher of Suburban News, also reported seeing a bright object, expressing bewilderment about its nature.

Reports from St. Louis and Piedmont

Another section details reports from the St. Louis, Missouri area, where four youngsters claimed to see an amber light moving north. Residents of Piedmont, Missouri, approximately 150 miles south of St. Louis, also reported unidentified flying objects.

British Astronomer Reports Message From Outer Space

A significant article by Lou Farish from the Arkansas Gazette reports on British astronomer Duncan Lunan's claim to have deciphered a message from outer space. Lunan stated that a message was transmitted from an unmanned "probe" robot satellite placed in orbit around the moon between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago by inhabitants of another planet orbiting Upsilon Bootis. The message reportedly indicated the probe's location and origin. Leonard Carter of the British Interplanetary Society confirmed Lunan's credentials and the society's involvement. Dr. Ronald N. Bracewell of Stanford University expressed reservations but did not dismiss Lunan's interpretation.

UFOs in Grand Tower and Milton

Oscar Wills of Murphysboro reported seeing a silent, disk-like object with pulsating red, green, and white lights hovering over a power station transformer in Grand Tower, Illinois. He described it as being about 1,500 feet high and 25-30 feet wide. In Milton, Pennsylvania, police received numerous calls about a strange object, described by Clayton Hulsizer as resembling a helicopter surrounded by a great light, moving rapidly. Reports of helicopters were also made, but official sources could not confirm their presence or purpose.

Sightings in Eastern Pennsylvania and Other Locations

Several reports cover sightings in Eastern Pennsylvania. In Stroudsburg, police confirmed reports of strange objects with flashing lights. Joseph J. Passarelli of Willingboro, New Jersey, reported seeing a slow-moving, streamlined craft with bright lights. Betty Taylor of Pierpont, Pennsylvania, described a flashing object with erratic movements. In Hamburg, Pennsylvania, a couple reported watching an unidentified flying object for about 20 minutes. The article also mentions a sighting in Evans City, Pennsylvania, involving triangular objects with flashing lights.

International Sightings

The magazine includes reports from outside the USA. In Australia, sightings were reported near Kimba, Adelaide, and Ballarat, with descriptions ranging from orange lights and astronaut-like figures to fast-moving reddish-yellow lights and objects described as "flying rocks." In the UK, reports came from Kettering, where a group investigated a quarry as a potential UFO landing site, and from the Saylorsburg area, with sightings of numerous red, white, and blue objects. A report from Vancouver, Canada, describes three fishermen seeing a tall, grey, rock-like figure on a beach.

Analysis and Explanations

Some articles attempt to provide explanations for the sightings. Dr. M. David Curtis, a chemistry professor, theorized a homemade hot air balloon might be responsible for a fireball sighting in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Fleetwood Police Chief Earl Fox suggested spent aerial fireworks could be the source of some UFO reports. However, many witnesses expressed skepticism about conventional explanations, emphasizing the unusual nature and silence of the objects. Some reports mention the lack of official confirmation or the closure of government UFO investigation projects.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

Recurring themes throughout the issue include the silence of the objects, their unusual flight patterns (hovering, rapid acceleration, sudden stops), pulsating or changing lights, and the difficulty in identifying them. Many witnesses express a sense of wonder, confusion, or even fear. The editorial stance appears to be one of documenting these reports, presenting witness testimonies, and exploring various explanations, while acknowledging the persistent mystery surrounding many sightings. The magazine seems to lean towards the possibility of genuine unexplained phenomena, even while presenting some conventional explanations.

This document is a collection of newspaper clippings from early 1973, primarily featuring reports of unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings. The main clipping is from the Morpeth Herald dated February 23, 1973, with the headline "Morpeth family sees strange object in sky." Other clippings are from the Heywood Advertiser (April 5, 1973), Dover Express & East Kent News (March 2, 1973), and the Hamilton Spectator (March 2, 1973), along with a Canadian Press Clipping Service report from Cambridge, Ontario.

Morpeth Herald: Morpeth family sees strange object in sky

The Morpeth Herald reports on a strange object seen in the sky to the west of Loansdean, Morpeth, by several members of the Wilkin family. The object was first observed around 4:15 p.m. moving from the south, gradually descending, and then appearing to stop and remain stationary for a considerable time before moving away again to the west. Mr. John Wilkin, the Borough Surveyor, who initially heard about the sighting, later saw the object himself from an upstairs window. Four members of the family witnessed it on this occasion.

Mr. Wilkin described the object as cigar-shaped and compared its light to that of a fluorescent tube, but with a pinkish hue at one end. He stated that due to a strong west wind, it could not have been a balloon. He also dismissed the possibility of it being a mirage, as the object performed maneuvers like moving and stopping. He estimated its height at 500 to 800 feet and found it difficult to be exact about its size, but noted it was sharply outlined.

The article also mentions that strange objects and lights have been seen in the Ulgham area recently. Mr. John MacKay reported seeing a strange light high in the sky, stationary for about five minutes, in the direction of Ashington. Additionally, Mr. Wilkin has observed unusual flashing lights in the sky to the north of his village in the evening.

Heywood Advertiser: Another UFO seen

The Heywood Advertiser reports on a sighting by a woman in Heywood who claimed to have seen an unidentified flying object hovering in the sky the night before. She observed it around 8 p.m. in the direction of Rochdale. The object appeared lower than the stars and had twin flashing lights, one red and one blue. She noted it did not move for about 15 minutes while she and others watched. Her neighbour suggested it might have been a helicopter. The woman reported the sighting to the police, who stated they could not spot anything. Other people also reported seeing a fiery orange object hovering for about 30 minutes, with details passed to an organization called Contact for investigation. An agent for Contact explained they do not call objects 'flying saucers' as they do not know what they are, referring to them as 'Unidentified Flying Objects'.

Dover Express & East Kent News: U.F.O. seen again

This clipping details a sighting of an unidentified flying object over Dover. Mr. Garry Gill and two companions saw a bright orange-pink object in the sky near St. Radigunds Abbey around 9:45 p.m. on a Saturday. Mr. Gill pursued the object, keeping it in view for about 15 minutes. He estimated they were about 200 yards from it at one point. The object hovered above thorn bushes at a height of about 100 yards above the ground. It then began to fade, taking on a red color, and after about 15 minutes, it disappeared. Mr. Gill described the experience as "very strange."

The article also references a previous sighting the previous month by a Deal driver of an unidentified object on the ground near The Swingate inn.

Hamilton Spectator: UFO is so much hot air

This article by Harry Foell from The Spectator debunks a UFO mystery in Burlington, Canada. The reported unidentified flying object turned out to be a balloon-like contraption made from a plastic dry-cleaning bag and powered by several candles. Students Wayne MacPhail and Steve Rolfe released it to test public reaction. The contraption, a hot-air balloon, can be constructed quickly and uses a few plastic drinking straws to keep the bottom open. The heated air lifts it, and a breeze carries it away. When released at dark, the glow from the candles creates an eerie illusion. Wayne, a Grade 12 student interested in UFOs, has been testing people's reactions and had released similar balloons on six previous occasions. He noted that a slowly moving object can give the illusion of moving fast due to how people judge its movement across their field of vision. He estimated the contraption was drifting at about three miles per hour at a height of perhaps 100 feet.

Canadian Press Clipping Service (Cambridge Daily Reporter): Another UFO Seen In Area

This report from Cambridge, Ontario, details another mysterious flying object spotted over the city. Pat Rooth described the object, stating, "I've never seen anything like it." He and his brother, Mike, saw the object travelling rapidly from south to north around 7:20 p.m. The object had four lights arranged in a rough diamond shape. Mr. Rooth heard no sound, although it was low enough to distinguish the individual lights. He expressed skepticism about flying saucers but stated, "I would sure like to know what that was."

Bolton Journal and Guardian: (UFO Reports)

This clipping, dated March 16, 1973, mentions more mysterious objects seen flying over Bolton. It states that at the weekend, two local boys saw something "silvery and oval," and later in the week, a third boy saw a similar object. Experts suggested these objects could have been a Russian rocket.

Edward Groves Sighting (Burlington)

Edward Groves, living on the eighth floor of an apartment building on Prospect Street in Burlington, telephoned The Spectator to report seeing a UFO moving at high speed, perhaps 1,000 feet high, southwesterly over the city. He noted that even a slowly moving object can give the illusion of moving fast. He estimated the contraption was only drifting at about three miles an hour and at a height of perhaps 100 feet.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout these clippings is the reporting of unexplained aerial phenomena. The articles present witness accounts of various UFO sightings, describing their shapes, lights, movements, and estimated altitudes. While some reports are presented straightforwardly, the article from the Hamilton Spectator explicitly debunks a sighting as a simple hot-air balloon experiment, suggesting a critical approach to some UFO claims. The overall stance appears to be one of reporting public interest and accounts of these phenomena, with an occasional effort to provide rational explanations.