UFO Potpourri No 419

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: No. 419
Date: September 1998
Publisher: John F. Schuessler
Country: USA

This issue of UFO POTPOURRI, published by John F. Schuessler, delves into UFO sightings that predate the widely recognized Kenneth Arnold sighting of 1947. The publication suggests that the modern era of ufology may have begun as early as 1896, questioning the availability of records from these earlier periods and hinting at potential cover-ups of post-Arnold era sightings.

Pre-Kenneth Arnold Era Sightings

The main focus of this issue is on UFO sightings that occurred before the pivotal 1947 encounter by Kenneth Arnold. The article posits that these earlier sightings might have initiated the processes and organizations that later became instrumental in managing information about UFOs. It raises the question of why these historical sightings are not more widely known or documented.

1923 UFO Encounter

This section details an account from Norman Massie, who was 85 years old at the time of the article and a retired math teacher and coach. In June 1923, as a 10-year-old boy, Massie witnessed a spaceship in a pasture near his Illinois farm. He described an object with lights all around it, which he approached to about 50 feet. He observed five men on board, described as about 4 feet tall with blond hair. Massie overheard one crew member telling the 'Commander' that 'the repairs had been made.' The machine was metallic, stood on three legs, and had a dome-like top that looked like melted glass. The encounter lasted only about five minutes, after which the object hovered, telescoped its legs, and shot straight up about 200 feet before whizzing off to the west. Massie's father had advised him to keep quiet about the incident to avoid being considered 'crazy in the head, or an idiot.' Massie only revealed the story in 1990 to his son, Jerry, an Air Force colonel, who assured him that the Air Force had files full of UFO pictures.

1920 UFO Sighting

This account, reported by The Hawk Eye in Burlington, Iowa, on October 28, 1973, features Clark Linch, who claims to have made the first recorded UFO spotting in southeast Iowa on June 3, 1920. Linch, then 75, did not speak about the sighting for 35 years due to the stigma attached to UFOs. He recalled being on his father's farm six miles northeast of town, taking time off to go fishing. Around 10 a.m., an egg-shaped object, about the size of a cream can, landed silently about 15 feet from his riverbank perch. It remained stationary for about 15 minutes. Linch observed that the grass where the object landed was pressed down but undamaged. He described the object as shiny blue and translucent, concluding that it was 'not anything from earth.'

1910 UFO Sighting

This brief report from Exeter, England, mentions an event on December 16, 1910, when a mysterious tidal wave swept away the sea front at Ilfracombe and nearby Watermouth Cove. Twenty years later, Arthur Robyns' grandmother recounted seeing a 'great silver ball' sweep down over the Bristol Channel, displacing water. The article suggests this 'silver ball' might have been a flying saucer.

1915 UFO Sighting

Reported by the Peterborough Examiner in Ontario on November 1, 1969, this incident occurred in August 1915 during World War I near a chemical plant in Donald, Haliburton County. Residents were alarmed by a mysterious aeroplane with a powerful headlight that appeared to be spying on the factory. The foreman ordered all lights extinguished and fired at least 12 shots at the 'mysterious intruder.' The report notes a strong ray of light, and after hovering, the machine sailed away, only to return and hover around the plant. The foreman again fired shots. The object shadowed the village for about an hour before disappearing.

1943 Aircraft/UFO Encounter

This account from the Tacoma, WA Western Flyer (July 7, 1989) describes an encounter by Army flight instructor Gerry Casey and his student pilot on April 5, 1943, over California. They initially believed the object was a secret Lockheed aircraft. After a takeoff and climb, they spent 40 minutes cruising near Long Beach. Casey spotted a flash of light and then an aircraft in a moderate dive aimed at their BT-13 aircraft. The craft was unlike any airplane they had seen, making a wobbly turn that aligned it instantly off their left wing. It defied air-reaction, was a radiant orange, and appeared to shimmer. As it accelerated, its color changed to white, and it shot away in a climbing turn toward the ocean, disappearing in 2 seconds. They observed no openings or glass, and it had no propeller. The object was described as circular or elliptical with a rounded hump on top and a smaller one underneath. Casey used his pocket computer to estimate its speed at 7,200 mph.

1896 UFO Sightings

This section, from an unknown newspaper, details sightings in California during September and December 1896. Astronomers initially mistook the lights for stars or comets. By October, observers saw six lights in a triangular pattern, with six more in an oval grouping behind them. On December 20, the lights appeared closer, causing public concern. Prospector Harry Lutz discovered three scorch marks totaling 100 feet in circumference on a hillside near Sacramento, and experts collected soil samples. A strange white, ash-like substance found at the scene seemed to emit continuous warmth, suggesting radioactivity. Shortly after, a local farm boy became ill with a strange rash and high fever, babbling about a bizarre green-faced creature with silver rings on his fingers before dying a few days later. The owner of a lumber factory reported seeing a craft circle Sacramento, nearly hitting a brewery tower, and claimed to see lights and figures working controls within the craft. Similar sightings were reported nationwide, prompting public demand for answers. Scientist Thomas Edison stated, 'Airships they are not. Spacecraft they could be, be we don't know and perhaps never will.'

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the assertion that the modern UFO phenomenon began much earlier than commonly believed, with the 1896 sightings being a potential starting point. The publication implies that these early events may have been systematically obscured or covered up, setting a precedent for later UFO secrecy. The editorial stance appears to be one that challenges conventional timelines in ufology and advocates for the investigation of historical accounts, suggesting a long-standing and possibly organized effort to conceal information about UFOs.