P !":OJcCT 10073 ECO~J SO!Jf-<C E Ct) J t F P ti Y S I CAL E V I D :: N C E AT ORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINI.i UNCLASS\1 \c.'- File No. 24-17 1 . On 3 May 19L.9, , !liorganto~Nn,. ,}. Va.., ksn:ls interviewed a nd stated in substance s that at ap9rox:l.matel y 2 100 to ?J30 hours on 15 March 1949, he was in h i s, back yard looking at the sky checking weathe r onditions as was his nightly habit. He was standing appro~cimately half way bet'Neen h is g a r a ge and the rear door of his house looking toward the north, when h e obs er ved a single round flat object resembling the cover of a garba;e ce.n or a barrel top northeast of l1organtown and movin g across ~he sk"'y toward Fair mont, ~f. Va. at a terrific sp~ed. The object appeared t o be approxi tely 1~ inches in diameter at an e stimated distance of a bout 20 miles a.nd an angle of L15o above the h orizon. It was yellowish in color, comparable to tne color of the moono The object travelled f rom :Northeast to Southwest and Na.s in sight for two or three conds before it d isappeared into the distance. The object sounded li~-ce a sky rocket reaching t h e pef!k of a climb and expe nding its powt:}r. 'l'here was no odor discernible. It left a yellowish, tapering t rail estjrnated to be 20 to 30 feet long or about the length of a telephone pole. This trail was corr:parable to the flame of improper l y combusting gas. The object glowed as thoush its body was covered with a yellowish f lame . There were no projections and t he object maintai::.ed straight and level flight with its flat surface on a horizontal plane. There vrere no clouds and the S~J 1va3 clear with the stars a nd moon discernible . 2 . Mr. s tated that on 2~ March 1949 at appr oxi:c1ately 2 100 to 2115 hours he was a gain in his ~ack yard making his usu a l weather observations wtren he sighted a nother object 1:: +-he same vicinity and angle from the horizon a s the 011e previously sighted on 1;. ~-!i.rch 1949. This object '?laS shaped like a flattened funnel, with a reddish f:OJ.d tint and appeared t o be a oout 5 feet a cres s a. t altitude. estimated the objet would cover an area of ~vo city blocks on the groun d . It following approximately the same r oute, was o bserved a pproximately the same length of time, a.nd gave off the same s ound as the object previously sighted. 'l'here 7."8.3 no odor. It left a persistent dark red trail similar to that previously sighted. Ther e were no p rojections . The object maintained straight and level flight and disappeared into the distance. There was n o effect on the clouds noticed . The weather was clear, average conditions prevs:i.led. could not compare sizes vri th any object at artils' length .but insisted on his own estima.tes as to size and altitude. stated he was bor n 12 l~ovember 1902 at Mooresville, W. Va. He is the owner of a r eal estate business and from 1941 to 1943 was Disbursing Auditor for He is married, is t he fath e r of three children, owns his home.~ and belong s to s everal business men's clubs. He en~o:rs 0 Jtdoor sports such a s golf, riding and shooting and collects fir earms as a. hobo~. ~. ~urther stated that he of~en flies by co~ercial aircraft d nas used ~h~s ~e s of trans- rtation practically all o7er the United s~ates. ~e reads ana s~udies consi~erably about astro~Omj and is satisfied that ~either of ~ne ocjects wBre an as~ronamical phenomenon. s -eated that because he fear ed he mi.r~t te ridi<"'uled :'1e did no~ repor-c ~he si g:tting for a Neek a::1d r.as not even :re~ tel:-" .-Ll..> tli :'~. (J)~ICLU510N t1ar't{ rdrt ~r1-1il '~je~t ~ai ained .no.i~etion.s. .:or-di ~ions c lot1ds .oi';~c-t3d. a i ;:;a") !~9flrll!}d