UFO Newsclipping Service - 1974 04 - no 60

Magazine Overview

This issue of the Shenandoah Herald, dated January 3, 1974, features a prominent cover story titled "UFO Seen In County," detailing a sighting near New Market, Virginia. The magazine also includes reports from various other locations, including Farmington, Michigan; Kansas City, Missouri; Greenville, South Carolina; La Grange, Illinois; and Fort Pierce, Florida, all pertaining to unidentified flying objects.

UFO Seen In County (New Market, Virginia)

The lead story recounts a sighting by Charles Crim, 23, and his date, Miss Debbie Harpine, early on a Thursday morning near New Market. They described the object as "brighter than any of the stars" with a "yellowish, orange light." The UFO hovered for approximately two hours, disappearing and reappearing. Miss Harpine's father, initially a skeptic, became a believer after viewing the object through binoculars, which revealed a triangular shape that seemed to change as it revolved. The object was estimated to be about 30 miles away and remained stationary for a period. Charles Crim's father, John Crim, an engineer, also witnessed the event and confirmed it was unlike anything they had seen before. The UFO reportedly "blinked out" at 2:30 a.m. and reappeared about 60 seconds later, lower in the sky, maintaining a bright red glow from its bottom. It then disappeared again before a third appearance above the horizon, after which it dropped out of sight. The witnesses are attempting to report their sighting to Major Donald Keyhoe. Charles and Debbie believe they may have sighted the same object on their next date.

Other UFO Sightings

Farmington, Michigan: Mrs. Madelon Carney and her husband, Robert, reported seeing a UFO with green, red, and orange pulsating lights. Initially round, it later appeared to be shaped like U.S. space modules. The object moved westerly, parallel to I-696, for about 20 minutes before slowly fading from sight.

Kansas City, Missouri: Officer John Hill, piloting a Kansas City Police Department helicopter, pursued strange lights over the eastern part of the city. The lights were approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet higher than the helicopter and were moving upwards before disappearing. Hill described the object as possibly a balloon with lights, but noted his helicopter's engine acted strangely. Numerous persons on the ground also reported seeing the lights. The FAA tower also observed the lights, but could not identify them. A Raytown patrolman reported hearing what sounded like gunshots, possibly from a car backfiring. The National Weather Service could not account for the objects.

Greenville, South Carolina: The Greenville News received approximately 50 calls on a Monday night reporting UFOs with multi-colored lights sighted south of Greenville, near Greenville Memorial Hospital. The FAA and National Weather Service had no information on any unusual lights or objects.

La Grange, Illinois: Laurence P. Rybak of MUFON reported that a La Grange woman sighted an unidentified flying object at 5 a.m. on a Monday. The object, initially appearing as a star, increased in size and velocity, approaching rapidly. It was described as cigar-shaped with two wings, solid, and self-illuminating. Rybak is seeking similar reports from the public.

Walden, New York: Five youths reported seeing a UFO early Saturday morning while looking for the Comet Kohoutek. Veronica Acaro described the object as moving up and down and in circles, with green, purple, and red lights.

Valaha, Florida: A resident reported an unidentified flying object appearing in the southeastern sky around 11:45 p.m. The object glowed with red, green, and yellow lights, occasionally showing blue lights. It appeared A-shaped and hovered for three hours, moving only slightly. An airplane was seen flying beneath it.

Fort Pierce, Florida: Two witnesses, Danny Prezkop (13) and Jeff Sneed (10), reported seeing a bright orange object, almost too bright to look at, humming like an airplane but moving very fast. They described it as cigar-shaped, possibly 20 feet long and 10 feet high, with windows in the aft-section and a tail of orange fire. The object descended toward the water, then lifted, increased speed, and vanished southwest.

Canada (Boshkung Lake, Ontario): Reports from the Boshkung Lake area near Minden describe frequent sightings of unidentified flying objects. Mrs. Ashley Lunham described them as "monstrous planes, black in color and shaped something like a polywog," with various lighting effects. She noted they performed up and down and side-slipping motions, with lights blinking off and on. The objects were seen at tree-top level and sometimes appeared in numbers, lining the ridge behind her home. Mrs. Lunham also reported that a window in her dining room was instantly defrosted by a heat-emitting light from a craft parked on the lake. Mr. and Mrs. Lunham reported seeing markings left by a machine that landed near their home. Mrs. Eileen Gillis of Lindsay also observed a bright light on the far shore of Boshkung Lake.

Canada (Bourget, Ontario): Marcel and Helen Turgeon reported seeing a UFO on a Wednesday night. They described it as a thing "just hanging in the air" with little red lights and a huge white spotlight shining down. It hovered about 100 feet above the ground and did not appear to be an airplane or helicopter. They were terrified and left the area quickly. Mrs. Turgeon researched UFOs and found reports of similar sightings, including one by Rick and Donna Bouchard who claimed they were chased by an egg-shaped UFO.

Australia (Darwin): Unidentified flying objects have been seen on seven successive nights in the pre-dawn skies over Casuarina. At least a dozen people, including two police officers, have seen the objects. Descriptions include cross-shaped lights and a half-moon shape. The objects moved from side to side, faded, and grew again. One object was photographed by Mr. B. Erismann.

Australia (Bendigo, Victoria): Mr. Bob Bathgate reported seeing a circle of light, about the size of a car wheel, high in the sky, moving from northwest to southeast. He noted it made no noise and took about five minutes to pass over the town.

Australia (Kilarney Station, Northern Territory): It has rained fish three times in two weeks, with no convincing explanation given for the phenomenon.

Sasquatch and Other Phenomena

Sasquatch Hunt: A funding grant administered through the National Wildlife Federation will finance a search for the legendary Sasquatch in Skamania County, Washington. Expedition leader Robert Morgan plans a "live capture" for a six-hour examination before release. Morgan estimates 250 to 2,500 such creatures live in North America.

Sasquatch Sighting (Florence, Oregon): A Florence schoolboy, Nick Wells (13), claims he was chased by a Sasquatch on his way to school. He described the creature as hairy-faced, with a large head, big lips, and round eyes, smelling like rotten fish. His mother stated he was genuinely frightened. A footprint measuring 11.5 feet long with five toes was found.

Sasquatch Sighting (Siuslaw River Area, Oregon): Search parties investigated reports of a creature seen near the Siuslaw River. Spokesmen for three investigative teams agreed that Nick Wells had seen something unusual. Footprints were found, described as unusual and possibly belonging to a large creature. One footprint measured 18 inches by 6.5 inches.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the persistent and widespread reports of UFO sightings, often accompanied by descriptions of unusual lights, shapes, and behaviors. Many witnesses express a mixture of fear, curiosity, and bewilderment. The magazine appears to present these reports without overt skepticism, providing space for various accounts and investigations, including those by organizations like MUFON and official bodies like the FAA and police departments. The inclusion of Sasquatch reports and the phenomenon of raining fish suggests a broader interest in unexplained phenomena beyond just aerial objects. The editorial stance seems to be one of documenting these events and encouraging further investigation, as evidenced by the call for public reports and the mention of scientific and governmental involvement.