38_143685_box_Incident_Summaries_101-172

--- OCR Start --- EXHIBIT #530 Op 57 Secret Serial 00196P57 R/S S-06200 dated 4-23-49 Subject: Flying Discs PEPORT FILED M-5 JONES 2-27-50 AIRCRAFT - UNIDENTIFIED SECRET DECLASSIFIED Authority: NND 917033 --- OCR End --- CONFIDENTIAL SECRET SECRET SECRET 020249 30014 S 78-1(126) CONFIDENTIAL P 615 RESTRICTED CHECK-LIST - UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS 1. Date 18 February 1948 Incident # 101 2. Time 5:01 P.M. 3. Location Norcatur, Kansas 4. Name of observer M. R. Krehbiel account (taken from newspaper) 5. Occupation of observer Editor 6. Address of observer Norton, Kansas 7. Place of observation Norcatur, Kansas 8. Number of objects One 9. Distance of object from observer N/S 10. Time in sight N/S 11. Altitude 30 - 35 miles above earth 12. Speed N/S 13. Direction of flight N/S 14. Tactics N/S 15. Sound One big explosion - "afterwards a lot of little explosions" 16. Size N/S 17. Color Bluish-white smoke smudge SECRET 18. Shape Mushroom 19. Odor detected N/S 20. Apparent construction Meteor 21. Exhaust trails NONG Bluish-white smoke smudge 22. Weather conditions N/S RESTRICTED 23. Effect on clouds N/S 24. Sketches or photographs Photo of vapor trail left in sky by explosion 25. Manner of disappearance Disintegration 26. Remarks: Oscar Monnig, of the Texas Observers, Amateur Astronomy, 1010 Morningside Drive, Ft. Worth, offers "tangible proof that the fireball RESTRICTED of February 18 over northern Kansas was just that, inasmuch as meteorites have been recovered from it." There were found, beginning April 24, first several smaller fragments up to one of 4 1/2 pounds. Then a disturbed spot in a clover field led to the digging up of a piece of some 109 pounds embedded about two feet in the soil. The stone is what is termed as an "achondrite", a Ft. Worth, offers "tangible proof that the fireball RESTRICTED of February 18 over northern Kansas was just that, inasmuch as meteorites have been recovered from it." There were found, beginning April 24, first several smaller fragments up to one of 4 1/2 pounds. Then a disturbed spot in a clover field led to the digging up of a piece of some 109 pounds embedded about two feet in the soil. The stone is what is termed as an "achondrite", a technical name for an unusual type of stony meteorite. It is reported to be of a type which will deteriorate rapidly. A photograph of the trail of the meteor, made by amateur photographer Duane W. Wray of Norton, shows the vapor trail left in the sky by the explosion of a meteor which was seen in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and "ebraska. It was made at Wray's home, nine miles north of Norton, just four minutes after the meteor exploded. A smudge of blue- white smoke remained in the sky for an hour February 18th. This photo- graph is in file under Incident #101. Further remarks are contained in supplement. RESTRICTED 1019 EXHIBIT B Statement taken from Leland Sammons My name is Leland Sammons, and I live on a farm 14 miles west of Stockton and 1 mile north, off US 24. 101 On February 18 at about 5 P.M., I was standing near my hog-pen about 100' east of my house, when I heard the pheasants raising a disturbance and the chickens all rushed to the chicken-house. I looked around toward the house to see what was causing it and saw something hovering just above the house. I ran towardthe house, and it then lowered over the north end of the house and settled toward the ground. I was then very near it, approximately 6' when it stopped about level with my face, and just wobbled around for an instant, fire belching out of it and sucking back in. The thing was about 4' long, shaped something like a funnel. There was a pipe sticking out the back of it, and once as it wobbled around, the pipe was sticking right at my belly. Suddenly there was a lot of sparks showered from it, and the fire increased as if a fuse might approximately 6' when it stopped about level with my face, and just wobbled around for an instant, fire belching out of it and sucking back in. The thing was about 4' long, shaped something like a funnel. There was a pipe sticking out the back of it, and once as it wobbled around, the pipe was sticking right at my belly. Suddenly there was a lot of sparks showered from it, and the fire increased as if a fuse might have lighted, and it took off in a north-westerly direction very_fast, gaining altitude as it went. My wife heard it leave and ran out where I stood, and we watched it go, leaving a trail of smoke all the way. Suddenly there was a great cloud of smoke in the sky, not more than 40 seconds after it left my yard, and in a few seconds or more, we heard an explosion. I then stepped off from my house to where it had been, and it was five steps. Yes, it was hot, I could feel the hear from it. Had I not been washing my car prior to the occurrence, wetting the ground, there would have been a bare spot in the yard where the thing started up because there was a great rush of fire from it when it left. It must have been quite high when it exploded. Kenneth Hays, son of Floyd Hays, 14 miles east of Norton on US 36, at the Jct. of K-60, south side of highway. At about 5 to 5:30 P.M., not sure of time, was riding his horse in a pasture, when he heard something queer in the sky. Looking up to the south-west, he saw what appeared to him to be a rocket, just like he had seen during the war in Europe. It startled him, and he jumped off the horse. He then remounted, watched its course, almost on a level but losing altitude a little, and it then exploded with a big cloud of smoke, apparently over Norton, from where he was, south of Prairie View. He rode on toward home a ways, when suddenly the sound and jar of the explosion reached him. Mrs. Hays was home in the house, when she heard and felt something like a truck might have struck the house. She ran out of the house and then first saw the huge cloud of smoke. About 40 minutes later, a part of the exploded with a big cloud of smoke, apparently over Norton, from where he was, south of Prairie View. He rode on toward home a ways, when suddenly the sound and jar of the explosion reached him. Mrs. Hays was home in the house, when she heard and felt something like a truck might have struck the house. She ran out of the house and then first saw the huge cloud of smoke. About 40 minutes later, a part of the smoke cloud dirfted directly over their house, and went on east over Phillipsburg. Ralph New, postmaster at Norcatur, stated that at about 4:50 P.M. he was standing just inside the front window of the postoffice in Norcatur, when he observed a blinding flash as if someone had taken a flashlight picture. He could locate no one with a camera, but noticed several men walking to the center of the street and looking up. He then walked out to where they were and looking up, saw a high cloud of smoke in the sky almost directly overhead (COPY) 323 W. Tenth St., Pueblo, Colorado February 20, 1948 10/0 Office of the Chief of Staff U. S. Army Washington, D. C. Subject: Purpose: Explosion in the sky near Norcatur, ans. 4:00 p.m. (MST) February 18, 1948 To call attention to some peculiarities in connection, whether coincidental or not According to an AP bulletin appearing in the Pueblo CHIEFTAIN for February 18, 1948, some object was seen moving eastward across the sky on the late afternoon of February 18th, and when this thing reached a position approximate to Norcatur, Kansas, exploded, or disrupted, or disappeared. The ex- plosion is said to have been terrific. Directions given as to the progress of this appearance in- dicate that it moved from west to east. Information contained in the dispatch under a Denver dateline indicate that while many would call this object a bolide e.g., exploding meteor the astronomers of Chamberlin Observatory (Denver) did not so assess it: it is said in the dispatch that these officials could offer no explanation of it. If this is the case, the apparance is anomalous, and may lend itself to other meteoric explanation. A sketch-diagram of the earth and moon's orbit reveals a pe- culiarity west to east. Information contained in the dispatch under a Denver dateline indicate that while many would call this object a bolide e.g., exploding meteor the astronomers of Chamberlin Observatory (Denver) did not so assess it: it is said in the dispatch that these officials could offer no explanation of it. If this is the case, the apparance is anomalous, and may lend itself to other meteoric explanation. A sketch-diagram of the earth and moon's orbit reveals a pe- culiarity in connection with the appearance, which may be significant. If a line is stricken at right-angles across the meridional position of the site of explosion of this meteor at hour angle four o'clock (local time) and this line be considered the west-to-east course of the object, then it will be seen that if this line is continued outward into space toward the orbit of the moon it will intersect the lunar orbit at a place near to where the moon would be at from 80 to one hundred hours after the explosion took place. New moon occurred at 9 D 10 H 2 M February; First Quarter at 17D 8H M. February the moon moves approximately 12.5 degrees per day along its orbit. It is held by rocketry experts (example, WILLY LEY - see his ROCKETS, p. 192, diagram and note in connection there- with) that it would take about 100 hours for a rocket-craft to negotiate the distance from Earth to Moon. Prior to its explosion over Norcatur, this object of Feb. 18th was variously reported as a "falling plane", a "jet plane", and a "ball of fire". It is said by some to have left a trail of smoke behind it. It is the suggestion of this writer that the Army collect and assimilate reports on this object, with a view to determining where it was seen as an object trailing smoke and where as a ball of fire. If this thing is a rocket of some kind headed for the moon, it might first have been seen as a streak of smoke, then later as a ball of fire, and lastly as a tremendous ex- plosion when it at last reached sufficient speed and eleva- tion for take-off. The writer has in mind the various and unexplained reports on "flying saucers", and bases this speculation upon a long consideration of various oddments of reports whose ball of fire. If this thing is a rocket of some kind headed for the moon, it might first have been seen as a streak of smoke, then later as a ball of fire, and lastly as a tremendous ex- plosion when it at last reached sufficient speed and eleva- tion for take-off. The writer has in mind the various and unexplained reports on "flying saucers", and bases this speculation upon a long consideration of various oddments of reports whose significance might be of space-craft from other worlds of space. The so-called "meteoric procession" which crossed Toronto in February 1913, consisted of a number of groups of illimunated bodies traveling in groups of three and moving in "rigid formation", all pursuing a course across the same streak of the earth's surface. If a line is projected backward along this line of flight it will be seen that this line "comes out" at the position of the moon at the time. The 1913 phenomenon occurred in the mid-period of a series of reports on dirigible aircraft of appearance like zeppelins which were seen over England and whose appearance terminated - or reports on the appearances stopped - just prior to the inferior conjunction of Venus of April 24, 1913. The writer begs to call attention to the fact that the times prior to and just after inferior conjunction of Venus are prolific in reports of strange things seen in the sky. Also that lights have been reported on the moon from time to time, back for at least a century. If in the future of military experiment the moon is selected as a base for the launching of rockets (which has been suggested by some writers), it may be well to look first 1018 2 into reports like this one on the explosion over Norcatur and the direction of the object involved. There is a possibility, however remote this may seem, that the moon is either inhabited or in use by other than human beings. tours, /s/ NORMAN GARRETT MARKHAM It may do not harm to watch the moon for possible arrival of this thing in the quarter at 80 to 100 hours after "its Departure". NGM 3 101 (COPY) 101 d FILE REF: - SIGGE-M-1 From: To: Subject: Purpose: March 14, 1948 Norman G. Markham MAIN HOTEL, Pueblo, Colo Chief Signal Officer U. S. Army, however remote this may seem, that the moon is either inhabited or in use by other than human beings. tours, /s/ NORMAN GARRETT MARKHAM It may do not harm to watch the moon for possible arrival of this thing in the quarter at 80 to 100 hours after "its Departure". NGM 3 101 (COPY) 101 d FILE REF: - SIGGE-M-1 From: To: Subject: Purpose: March 14, 1948 Norman G. Markham MAIN HOTEL, Pueblo, Colo Chief Signal Officer U. S. Army, Washington, D.C. Norcatur, Kans., sky explosion of 18 February, 1948 To show a speculation regard- ing the above phenomenon and another one of earlier date and to call attention to occurrences between the two which have an appearance of relationship whether coinci- dental or not. The geographical position of the Norcatur explosion suggests possible linkage with other occurrences happening inside latitudinal limits arbitrarily demarkable between 43° 36' North (which is the latitude of Boise, Idaho) and 36° 10' North (the latitude of Nashville, Tenn.), a belt about 485 miles wide. This suggestion is gained from positions given for occurrences happening between June 21, 1947 and February 18, 1948, as shall be hereinafter briefly described. THE BOISE (Idaho) OBJECT--This was seen either beginning or ending at 330 pm 24 June 1947 and was visible for 20 minutes. It was in the western sky, was of comet-like appearance, and settled gradually toward the horizon as planetary bodies set. It was seen by Lt. Gov. Whitehead and Chief Justice Lampert. Its nature was unknown. The peculiarity which connects this object, for speculative purposes, with the explosion of some unknown object over Norcatur, Kans., on 18 February 1948 is the seeming of a relationship between the positions of the moon for the two phenomena: In the former case the moon was at the date of phenomenon, about 7%, 63 before the position of First Quarter; on the second case it was about 8%. 73 beyond the position of first quarter. Since the Boise object was visible for 20 minutes before it sank this argues it was about ten degrees above the horizon when first seen. Now if a line be drawn westward and at between the positions of the moon for the two phenomena: In the former case the moon was at the date of phenomenon, about 7%, 63 before the position of First Quarter; on the second case it was about 8%. 73 beyond the position of first quarter. Since the Boise object was visible for 20 minutes before it sank this argues it was about ten degrees above the horizon when first seen. Now if a line be drawn westward and at ten degrees zenithward from the horizon of Boise at 3:30 p.m. and another line be drawn from the position of the moon at one hundred hours before the sighting of the Boise object, and projected to the center of the earth, it will be seen that this ten- degrees-altitude and the moon-earth line intersect as a place far above a geographical position considerably to the west of Cape Blance, in the neighborhoodof about 700 miles off the coast. The Boise object in its appearance suggests a rocket-type of craft possibly using reaction blasts to brake itself down for a landing on the earth. The bright point and plumy tail of the description suggest this, as also its apparent fixity in space. HOLLE'S "SHIP IN FLAMES" -- Nine days after the sighting of the Boise object a forest lookout named Earl Holle saw at or soon after 4:00 p.m., 3rd July, 1947, something he took to be a "tanker in flames". This was seen horizon-ward from a point in Sonoma County, California, near to Fort Ross. A search was instituted by the Navy or Coast Guard, and nothing was found. The soviet tanker ELBRUZ, which had been in the vicinity, was queried and found to be all right. This was not explained. If this apperance had been on the horizon, there is no telling how far it may have been from the observer. CAPE MENDOCINO BLIMP INCIDENT -- Not far from the location of Holle's "burning ship" an accident occurred to a navy blimp, 14 July 1947, off Cape Mendocino. This blimp suddenly settled into the water, slipped out its crew and rose again. The anomaly here is that one would not expect to find drastic down-drafts of such violence as to thus upset a lighter than air craft. Possibly a downdraft accounted for the accident but if the Signal Officer will look up the incident INCIDENT -- Not far from the location of Holle's "burning ship" an accident occurred to a navy blimp, 14 July 1947, off Cape Mendocino. This blimp suddenly settled into the water, slipped out its crew and rose again. The anomaly here is that one would not expect to find drastic down-drafts of such violence as to thus upset a lighter than air craft. Possibly a downdraft accounted for the accident but if the Signal Officer will look up the incident of the British steamer Talma which, at the time of the sighting of a luminous wheel-like phenomenon in the Gulf of Martaban, reported a slowing of the engines from some unknown cause, it may be seen that possibly forces are generated in some manner by certain unknown objects at times in the ocean, which may have physical attraction for material objects. This blimp accident occurring in waters where occurred other phenomena shortly to be mentioned, seems to have a doubtful side to it. THE OAKLAND OBJECT -- Early on the morning of 13th October, 1947, a photographer named Ben Dobus togehter with a taxidriver named A. J. Goldman saw a thing "that looked like Saturn with a ring around it." It shot at terrific speed WESTWARD across the sky of the Bay area, and was seen shortly after midnight. 2 101سو This may have been heading in the general direction of what may have been the goal of two later objects which roughly resemble it in description. THE TICONDEROGA OBJECTS According to the tanker Ticonderoga's second officer, two "flying discs" were seen heading SOUTHWEST when the ship was in 43 degrees fifteen minutes north and 124 degrees 54 minutes west, at 0620 GCT, 12th November 1947. These may have been heading for the object seen in the Pacific off the Golden Gate, not long afterward or possibly at the same time, if earlier reports on this are consulted. THE PHANTOM REEF On November 24, 1947, the Navy denied that it had found a phantom reef or other obstruction to navigation at a point about 400 miles west of San Francisco. The Navay Survey ship MAURY, sent out there in response to reports of ships that some hugh object had been seen in the water in that neighborhood, reported that when in the approximate 1 titude and longitude of the same time, if earlier reports on this are consulted. THE PHANTOM REEF On November 24, 1947, the Navy denied that it had found a phantom reef or other obstruction to navigation at a point about 400 miles west of San Francisco. The Navay Survey ship MAURY, sent out there in response to reports of ships that some hugh object had been seen in the water in that neighborhood, reported that when in the approximate 1 titude and longitude of the supposed obstruction they picked up an echo from something in the water 1600 yards from the ship; but that when they had steamed to within 400 yards of this, the echo vanished. There seems a possible connectability between the various elements so far considered. Later on January 7, 1948, there were occurrences in the neighborhood of Wilmington, O., Ft. Knox, Ky., Franklin, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn., all of which must be now familiar to the archivists of the Signal Office. Something like a "flying disc" was pursued by one Lt. Mantell and two other pilots, Mantel being killed while in the process of attempting to gain altitude to get close to whatever it was he was chasing. 1018 Also, in this connection, it may not be amiss to mention the deaths of two military officers who were said to have been bringing back material evidence from "flying discs" one of which was said to have met with some kind of accident over Maury Island, Puget Sound, around June, 1947. It will be seen on inspection that the geographical locales of these incidents fit inside the belt of latitudes hereinbefore mentioned. THE NORCATUR EXPLOSION was described in a previous letter of this writer, and it was shown in that letter that a line tangential to the meridian of Norcatur, Kans., at hour-angle 2:20 p.m., would if con- tinued outward into space to the orbit of the moon, intersect the moon's orbit at a point where the moon would have been at about 100 hours after the time of the explosion. According to rocketry theory, it would take a reaction-propelled craft of the rocket type about 100 hours to reach the moon. 3 I submit there is a likelihood that on June 24, 1947, something like a space-ship came here from the moon and upon February 18, 1948, tinued outward into space to the orbit of the moon, intersect the moon's orbit at a point where the moon would have been at about 100 hours after the time of the explosion. According to rocketry theory, it would take a reaction-propelled craft of the rocket type about 100 hours to reach the moon. 3 I submit there is a likelihood that on June 24, 1947, something like a space-ship came here from the moon and upon February 18, 1948, returned to the moon. This is of course speculation. But has anyone yet explained the "flying discs" in terms of all the pretty-well proven facts in connection with them? Has anyone yet devised a fuel powerful enough to kick a rocket from Earth to the Moon? There have been hundreds of reports, during the past century, on occurrences which imply this world is visited from outside space. Absence of contact by these postulatable visiting entities may imply a state of culture far beyond ours, to the point where it would be inex- pedient for their members to have to do with us en-masse. These reports have never been seriously considered by science, which in general ignores them. However, according to Dr. Rocht of Chamberlin Observatory, Denver, there is nothing in astronomy to explain the thing which exploded over Norcatur. Dr. Nininger's idea that the thing was a meteor flatly disregards Dr. Rocht's opinion, which may have been based on the Denver Posts' statement that a Denver woman saw the Norcatur object twenty minutes before the explosion occurred. I submit that the Army needs men who are capable of recognizing the anomalies beforementioned when they occur, evenif only to aid in speculation regarding them. The undersigned offers his services to that end, if the Army may wish to avail itself of them. /s/ N. G. MARKHAM 4 Excerpt of letter dated April 11, 1948 from Dr. Lincoln LaPaz, Director, Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Deputy Executive Director, Committee on Geophysical Sciences, Research and Development Board: Thank you for the surprising documents sent me under date of March 30. As you remark, certain aspects of Markham's letters are fantastic (for example: (1) the fireball procession of 1913, February 9, was genuinely meteoric, although a rare type of N. G. MARKHAM 4 Excerpt of letter dated April 11, 1948 from Dr. Lincoln LaPaz, Director, Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the Deputy Executive Director, Committee on Geophysical Sciences, Research and Development Board: Thank you for the surprising documents sent me under date of March 30. As you remark, certain aspects of Markham's letters are fantastic (for example: (1) the fireball procession of 1913, February 9, was genuinely meteoric, although a rare type of chain fall; (2) no astronomer could take seriously Markham's "invasion by beings from Venus or the Moon"- theory: (3) he appeals to, and biases in his favor, such untrustworthy evidence as newspaper stories, e.g., the absurd statement attributed to Dr. Rocht of the Chamberlin Observatory). Nevertheless, Markham is justi- fied in calling attention to certain incidents as unexplained, for example, the "flying lenses" (in my opinion 99% hoax and imagination and 1% real). As regards the Norcatur, Kansas incident, I remain convinced that, like the Four Corners incident, it was a genuine meteorite fall, although one of exceptional size (again like the Four Corners fall). However, there are many curious aspects of both these falls, some of an objective nature, like the singular fact that in spite of intensive searches (ad- mittedly under bad terrain and weather conditions), not a trace of meteoritic material has so far been found; some of a non-objective nature, like the amazing testimony given by Mr. Leland Sammons, Mr. Alfred Glenn, and other witnesses of the Norcatur incident, both to members of the State Highway Commission of Kansas and to Institute of Meteoritics field survey parties. (See exhibits A, B, and C enclosed.) Some comment on such testimony as appears in A,B, and C would seem desirable: 1. Glenn first reported the battery case as red hot. When I pointed out that the paper on it was not charred, his account was changed to "too hot to handle". The Institute of Meteoritics party found only two men, not four, who saw the battery case fall. The battery case has been examined by Dr. Victor Regener, Department of Physics, University of New Mexico, who states that it such testimony as appears in A,B, and C would seem desirable: 1. Glenn first reported the battery case as red hot. When I pointed out that the paper on it was not charred, his account was changed to "too hot to handle". The Institute of Meteoritics party found only two men, not four, who saw the battery case fall. The battery case has been examined by Dr. Victor Regener, Department of Physics, University of New Mexico, who states that it appears to be identical with the small batteries used in portable radios. 2. K. Hays' identification of the Norcatur object as a rocket has the following support: On the morning of February 19, I talked to the towerman and two assistants at the Air Base at McCook Field, Nebraska. All three denied the Norcatur object was a fireball and described it as a black object with an extremely bright jet of flame pouring out of the rear. Furthermore, a 14-year old, and presumably unbiased, schoolgirl in Oberlin, Kansas wrote me a similar description of the "Fireball." 3. A determined effort is under way to check up on Sammons' veracity (and sanity!) I have neither seen nor talked to Sammons, but another member of the Institute of Meteoritics party (Dr. D. M. Gragg, an Instructor in the Department of Mathematics) who did so believes Sammons (who is a well-to-do farmer) to be sincere and very badly scared. Of course nearness to a big meteorite fall would scare one as badly as an atom bomb; but how could it produce such testimony as Sammons". The "meteoritic" incidents from the great fall of 1945, November 29 (from which no meteorites have been recovered either!) through the sequence of similar falls culminating in the Four Corners and Horcatur incidents, coupled with such things as the Ussuri incident, convince me that either the earth is under a most unusual cosmic bombardment or many of the fireballs are not meteorites at all. While I still cling to the meteoritic hypothesis, it is clear that which ever alternative is the right one, the situation cries aloud for thorough investigation. 101 (COPY) EXHIBIT A Roy W. Cox, Director of Highways STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSI ON OF KANSAS Division 3 Norton NOTES TAKEN AT NORCATUR, KANSAS, with such things as the Ussuri incident, convince me that either the earth is under a most unusual cosmic bombardment or many of the fireballs are not meteorites at all. While I still cling to the meteoritic hypothesis, it is clear that which ever alternative is the right one, the situation cries aloud for thorough investigation. 101 (COPY) EXHIBIT A Roy W. Cox, Director of Highways STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSI ON OF KANSAS Division 3 Norton NOTES TAKEN AT NORCATUR, KANSAS, Night of Feb 18 Mr. Ralph New, Postmaster at Norcatur, tells us that at approximately 4:50 PM he was standing in the north window of the post office in Norcatur looking toward the City Hall when he was suddenly illuminated very brightly by some terrific light. He ran outside into the street where others were looking toward the northeast at a very large cloud of white smoke high in the sky. He stated that in about a minute and a half, there was a terrific explosion followed by a heavy rumbling noise like thunder and that the smoke cloud was growing larger all the time. Also there was a white smoke trail in the sky from the southwest where the missile had come from. He said that from the center of the street, the explosion and the first big mushroom of smoke was directly overhead and at a tremendous height. Another man in Norcatur stated that just prior to the explosion, he had heard the motors of an airplane. Chief Scott learned from some man in Norton that just following the explosion, something fell at his feet on the street and he picked it up, to find that it was a small flashlight battery resembling those used in 'fountain pen flashlights' and that it was red hot. After a crowd of men gathered and examined it, he was unable to findit and thinks that someone took it. Kenneth Hays of east of Horton was about 5 miles south of Prairie View when he heard something roaring in the sky to the west of him, far away and very high. He says that it resembled a rocket traveling northeast toward Norton direction, and that suddenly there was a terrific explosion followed by a mushroom of white smoke andthat there followed other explosions or something resembling expl