Project 10073 Record Card and Related Reports: Mauston-Port Arthur Fireball of January 15, 1961

This document compiles reports and correspondence regarding a large fireball observed on the evening of January 15, 1961, traveling northward from Mauston, Wisconsin, toward Port Arthur, Ontario. The primary record is a Project 10073 record card, which classifies the object as a meteor, a conclusion supported by Dr. Read of Lawrence College. The fireball was described by numerous witnesses as a bluish-white object with a ball of blue light and a slight tail, appearing roughly the size of the moon. Observers reported various phenomena, including a 'distinct humming' sound, a 'dull boom,' ground tremors, and radio interference. The investigation involved gathering eyewitness accounts from across Wisconsin and the Lake Superior region, including reports from a North Central Airlines pilot and various local residents. The Air Force attempted to triangulate the path of the fireball, suggesting a potential impact point between the west ends of Pie Island and Thompson Island. Due to the ice-covered nature of Lake Superior, the Air Force and local chambers of commerce offered a $100 reward for the recovery of any meteorite fragments, though no recovery was reported. The document includes internal military communications, correspondence between Major William T. Coleman, Jr. and a professor at Lawrence College, and a map illustrating the trajectory of the fireball. The investigation concludes that the event was a meteor, consistent with other sightings occurring at the time.