UFO ROUNDUP Volume 5 Number 32 August 10, 2000 Editor: Joseph Trainor
CHILE BOMBED IN COVERT AIR OPERATION
On Friday, July 28, 2000, at 9:30 a.m., a crew of construction workers witnessed the bombing of a remote site in the Atacama Desert by an unmarked and unidentified military aircraft.
The incident took place “in an area located to the northeast of the road joining Maria Elena (population 8,000) and Pedro de Valdivia, a mining town abandoned since 1996.” Maria Elena is a salt mining community in northern Chile, located 140 kilometers (83 miles) west of Calama.
“According to residents of Maria Elena, who claimed having witnessed the event, a large detonation accompanied by a tremor shook the houses of the commune on July 28, 2000. All area residents are accustomed to the sounds produced by the explosions operated (detonated) in the Pampa, and this made them realize something strange was afoot.”
“This (explosion) coincided with the flyover of of a military aircraft over the area in the early hours of the morning., an event corroborated by several inhabitants. The witnesses are employees of a contractor firm that was engaged in work at a location not far from where the event took place.”
“According to their testimony, the jet flew past and bombarded an area which had been characterized as Chupacabra nest by men working nearby. The area was filled with small hills and mounds which have eroded into caves suitable for use as shelter by such an animal,” i.e. the Chupacabra.
“The explosion which could be heard at a distance of several kilometers took place between 8:30 and 9:45 a.m., without anyone having produced an explanation for the event.”
There was no comment concerning the incident from Chile’s Ministry of Defense. The city of Calama, the site of numerous recent Chupacabra reports, is located 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Santiago de Chile, the national capital. (See the Chilean newspaper La Estrella del Loa for July 31, 2000, “Bombardment takes place in Chile’s Second Region.” Muchas gracias a Scott Corrales, autor de los libros Chupacabras and Other Mysteries y Forbidden Mexico, y tambien Liliana Garcia para esas noticias.)
CHUPACABRA TERRORIZES CHILDREN IN MARIA ELENA
The bombing of the Atacama Desert followed a sudden surge of Chupacabra incidents in Maria Elena, including cat killings and an incident in which a weird creature confronted three schoolchildren.
“The latest case,” or Chupacabra sighting “involved three children from the Arturo Perez Canto School who were returning home in the early evening” at 7 p.m. along the Calle Galvarino (street) in Maria Elena.
“At that moment, they encountered one of the creatures. They explained that one of them realized that there was an animal on the rooftops, which then jumped off and landed in front of the startled youngsters. According to their story, the animal did not attack, but they found it impossible to move largely due to the fear the event had caused in them.”
“”When they tried to react by huddling protectively against each other, the creature levitated some 30 centimeters (12 inches) off the ground, continuing to observe them. Only after less than 10 seconds had elapsed were the children able to escape towards their homes, each of them telling parents about the experience. The elders were unable to calm the terrified students down.”
“Upon discussing the animal’s characteristics, they all agreed that it had large yellow eyes, dense black-and-gray hair of a coasrse texture, and standing approximately 1.5 meters (4 feet, 10 inches) tall. They also recognized a penetrating (pungent) odor similar to that of ammonia, which the animal might employ to paralyze its prey or humans who stumble upon it.”
“Residents of Maria Elena continue finding dead cats and dogs with perforations similar to those of the first (dead) felines appearing in different areas of the commune.” (See UFO Roundup volume 5, number 25 for June 22, 2000, “Chileans say alien eggs were found near Calama,” page 4.)
The dead cats were found with a single wound, an aperture approximately 2.5 centimeters (one inch) in diameter, leading directly into the lung. Blood and portions of lung tissue were missing from the dead cats.
Last week dead cats were found in the barrio Las Piscinas (section) of Maria Elena. Residents “claim having received ‘third party’ warnings urging them to conceal the information.”
The dead cats are being dumped in a refuse pile in the desert behind Las Piscinas.
World-famous ufologist Dr. Virgilio Sanchez Ojedo is now in Calama, interviewing witnesses about the recent Chupacabra sightings. (See the newspaper La Estrella del Loa for July 31, 2000. Otra vez, muchas gracias a Scott Corrales y Liliana Garcia para esas noticias.)
INDIANA REPORTS TWO NEW UFO SIGHTINGS
On Monday, July 24, 2000, at 11:10 p.m., two witnesses were sitting on a farmhouse front porch near Jasonville, Indiana (population 2,200) when they “saw a strange descending object in the western sky.”
Jasonville is on Indiana Highway 48 about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of Terre Haute.
“The soundless object was first thought to be a falling star (meteor–J.T.) until the two observers realized that it wasn’t moving. The motionless object appeared to be in the vicinity of a county road a quarter of a mile from the house, and was said to first appear as a dim gold light that increased in size and brightness.”
“The two witnesses reportedly walked in the directio of the light for a better view, and then it began to move horizontally before dimming again. The bright gold light disappeared and in its place were several small red and green lights that appeared to be ‘circling’ the space where the gold light had been.”
“The object continued to move horizontally in a northeasterly direction and was observed for about five minutes until it dropped from view behind a treeline. The two witnesses waited for the object to reappear from behind the trees but it was not seen again.”
“‘I am not a good judge of height,’ said one witness, ‘It was not as high up in the sky as the stars when it took off.'”
“‘We kept staring at it because if we had not seen the golden light in the first place, we would never be able to see these lights in the sky amongst the stars. This did not look like an airplane, which we had seen in the sky this same night.'” (Many thanks to Kenneth Young of Cincinnati UFO Research for this report.)
On Monday, Jylt 31, 2000, at 11:50 p.m., Gary Smith had just arrived at his home in Charlestown, Indiana (population 5,900) when he saw a UFO traveling from south to north.
“I had just gotten home from work,” Gary reported, “I live near a large airport and was watching a passenger or a cargo jet flying direectly over my head from the north. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a very fast- moving orange orb. It appeared to be about the size of a satellite but moving quicker.”
“It reminded me of an orb I saw back in 1996, which flew over my parents’ home and knocked out the power for a few minutes.”
“This could have been a meteor, but it had no tail. The sighting was about one or two seconds long, long enough for me to notice that it did not leave a trail.. I did not hear any noise, but there was an airliner going overhead causing a ruckus. It appeared to be in the upper atmosphere and traveling at a speed of 2,000 miles per hour (3,200 kilometers per hour–J.T.).”
Charlestown is on Indiana Highway 82 approximately 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of Louisville, Kentucky. (Email Form Report)
ORANGE SPHERE UFO HOVERS OVER OWENSVILLE, OHIO
On Wednesday, July 12, 2000, at 11:30 p.m., Andrew McKee was at his home in Owensville, Ohio (population 1,019) when he spotted a UFO approaching from the Ohio River valley to the south.
“It was a small glowing orange object, and it seemed to be stationary,” Andrew reported, “But it was slightly moving in a triangular pattern. It came down out of the sky to about 500 feet (165 meters) from the ground. It was a star-shaped object about the size of a quarter,” (a USA 25-cent coin–J.T.) held at arm;s length.
“”It must have been traveling about five miles per hour (8 kilometers per jour),” he added.
Owensville is on Ohio Route 50 about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Concinnati. (Email Form Report.)
(Editor’s Note: Owensville is one of the most notorious UFO hotspots in Ohio.)
LUMINOUS DISC FLIES OVER CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
On Saturday, July 29, 2000, at 7:25 p.m., Kevin Emmett and his five-year-old son went out on the back patio of their hillside home in Christchurch, a large city on the North Island of New Zealand, to look at the stars.
“This is a regular occurrence as we both love the stars, and I love teaching him,” reported Kevin, who works as a private investigator in Christchurch. “Just as we walked to the rear of our house, a bright flash shot across the sky. At first I thought it was sheet lightning, but to our surprise a standard disc-shaped craft flew right over our house and headed towards the port hills.”
“My son ran off to his mother, scared out of his wits, but I grabbed my binoculars and, after alerting my wife, we watched the craft do a quick U-turn and fly back in the direction from which it came,” adding that the UFO made its approach from the east and headed west, then doubled back eastward again.
“I have seen many UFOs in and around this city and trying to get some good footage for everyone to see. I have been investigating UFOs for 17 years, and it still puzzles me why we cannot get the truth out.” (Email Form Report)
HOVERING ORANGE UFO SEEN IN LEIGH, QUEENSLAND
On Monday, July 31, 2000, at 6:45 p.m., witnesses reported “a bright orange light” that “appeared over the eastern horizon travelling at an estimated height (altitude–J.T.) of 5,000 meters (16,500feet).”
According to Australian ufologist Barry Purvis, the UFO “was just below sparse cloud deck existing at the time.” The UFO, he added, was just east of Leigh, a town in Australia’s Queensland state, located 575 kilometers (345 miles) north-northwest of Brisbane.
“The lights remained steady” while heading “precisely downward for a period of five minutes. As it came almost directly overhead, it remained stationary in position for a further one minute before vanishing.”
“I would like to know if anybody else has seen this object or has an explanation,” he added. (Many thanks to Barry Purvis for this report.)
WEST SUSSEX MAN OBSERVES UFOs OVER THE CHANNEL
On May 8, 2000, at 2:30 a.m., David Johnson was near the beach in Worthing, West Sussez, UK when he spotted something strange in the sky to the south, out over the English Channel.
“I initially saw a bright light out over the English Channel, and it seemed static (stationary–J.T.) for for around five minutes, so I went to get my binoculars to look further at the light as the light was too bright to be either a star or planet and could not be a plane.”
“”While I viewed through binoculars, I saw the object itself with a pulsating orange light beneath.” The light, he added, reminded him of the computerized K.I.T.T. automobile in the TV series Nightrider.
“There were smaller red lights coming too from the large object. Then the larger light vanished, and four orange lights remained, triangular in formation with one in the middle. They moved slowly and elegantly and were followed by the other smaller (red) lights, until they went out of range from my binoculars.”
The UFO formation was traveling due south and seemed to be heading for Deauville, a port city in the Calvados department of France. (Email Form Report)
CAT-LIKE PREDATOR CAUGHT ON VIDEOTAPE IN AUSTRALIA
The mysterious feline-type predator, known to the Aboriginal people as “the devil dog of the Dreamtime,” has been caught on videotape.
Since 1880, there have been hundreds of reports of the mysterious black-furred creature around the town of Lancefield in Victoria state, located about 170 kilometers (102 miles) northwest of Melbourne.
According to the Kyneton, Vic. Guardian, the unknown predator is often referred to as “the Lancefield Puma.”
“The first images of the Lancefield ‘puma’ which has been haunting Victoria for decades allegedly has beent caught on video.”
“The puma is believed to have been tracked down following recent reports of mutilated sheep. Two local men have been trying to film the animal by following the kill sites.”
“A plaster cast of the animal’s large paw was taken in an attempt at identification.”
“”The video may be the first evidence to support the existence of the elusive cat-like animal.”
“Staff at Melbourne Zoo and the Department of Natural Resources have seen the video.”
“Melbourne Zoo director of conservation and research Peter Temple-Smith yesterday said the video footage was ‘intriguing.'”
“He said zoo carnivore experts are intrigued from seeing the video but not convinced. He would have expected more evidence from the area, such as feces, urine and claw marks on trees.”
(Editor’s Comment: That’s assuming it’s a cat. Rex Gilroy theorizes that the animal may be an unknown marsupial predator, closer in kin to the kangaroo and the opossum rather than a feline.)
“‘It’s certainly a black cat, but if you really want to convince a sceptic, you have to have more than a video,’ Mr. Temple-Smoth, who viewed the video three weeks ago, said, ‘The footprints don’t match the cats we have at the zoo. The chap who took the footage seemed genuine. I think you have to treat all these things with some scepticism.'” (Many thanks to John W. Auchettl and Dr. Rob Barnett of Phenomena Research Australia for this report.)
SCIENTISTS TRY TO TRAP A LAKE MONSTER IN NORWAY
“An international team of monster hunters unveiled a giant trap Wednesday,” August 2, 2000, “for catching a fabled serpent reputed to be a cousin of Scotland’s Loch Ness monster.”
“Selma” is the name of the giant lake serpent of Lake Seljord, a glacial lake 15 kilometers (9 miles) long. Seljord (population 1,500), the town at the head of the lake, is 176 kilometers (110 miles) southwest of Oslo, the national capital.
“In 1986, the town council changed Seljord’s coat-of- arms to portray a sea serpent.”
“‘This is the first serpent trap of its kind in the world,’ Jan Sundberg, a Swede leading the team” said. Sundberg told Reuters news service that the team consists of seven Swedes, three Norwegians, a Canadian and a Belgian.”
“The 6-meter (20-foot) tube-shaped trap, comprising a metal frame with nylon netting, will be lowered into Seljord Lake in south Norway. It will contain live whitefish for bait to catch the elusive beast known to locals as Selma.”
“‘The trap is adapted from a fish trap for eels. If anything up to six meters long swims in one end, the opening closes up, and it won’t be able to get out,’ said Sundberg, a veteran of several inconclusive high- tech scans of the murky lake.”
During the next two weeks, the cage will be lowered to depths of 30 to 100 meters (100 to 330 feet) in areas of the lake “where sightings of the monster have been reported.”
“”Experts on land will also try to track any unexplained movements underwater using” hydrophones and sonar.. This backup crew will be aboard a floating platform which can be towed around the lake.
“Sundberg said the team recorded mysterious whale-like noises during a visit in 1995.”
“‘We’ll be disappointed if we don’t get some kind of results this time…the only evidence scientists would accept is a dead or live serpent,’ he said.”
The first recorded sighting of Selma was in 1570. Witnesses over the centuries have described the creature as “a large serpent with the head of an elk or a horse.” (Many thanks to Steve Wilson Sr.this news story.)
THOUSANDS OF FISH FALL ON GREAT YARMOUTH, UK
On Sunday, August 6, 2000, “a shower of fresh but dead sprats fell on the North Sea fishing port” of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK, following a thunderstorm.
“‘Retired ambulance driver Fred Hodgkins said, ‘I thought at first I might have something wrong with my eyes. The whole of my backyard seemed to be covered in little slivers of silver.'”
“Meteorological Office spokesman Sean Clarke said the fish shower might have been caused by a small tornado out to sea, known as a waterspout, which trawls up water and any fish near the surface.”
“”When the tornado touches land, it begins to lose energy and the contents are thrown to the ground,’ he said.” (See USA Today for August 8, 2000, “There’s something fishy in the English air,” page 13A. Many thanks to Jim Hickman for this news story.)
(Editor’s Comment: I have two theories about this Great Yarmouth fish fall.
(1) Prince William accidentally caused this magickal event when he changed his coat-of-arms to include three sea shells from the Spencer coat-of-arms of his late mother, Princess Diana.
(2) Charles Fort is reminding us that his birthday is coming up this month. Indeed, Fort visited Great Yarmouth during his first trip to UK in 1894.)
1954: CIGAR-SHAPED UFO VISITS EASTERN FRANCE
The Jura is a region in eastern France just west of the Alps. As author Aime Michel points out, “I have often driven through that ancient and charming province at night on my way to the Alps; nowhere in the world do people sleep more soundly.”
Indeed they do. But on Wednesday, August 18, 1954, M. and Mme. Pardon were awakened from their sound sleep by a most unusual light.
“That night M. and Mme. Pardon were asleep at their apartment in La Carondelet” in Dole, a city in Jura located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Dijon and 225 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Paris. “Their room, which faces southeast, looks out on roofs and fields around the Doubs River and the Charles V Canal. The window was open.”
“About 12:45 a.m., M. Pardon awoke with a start, aroused from sleep by an intense light reflected across the room by the windowpane. He went to the window and was astounded by the sight before him; in the sky, under a veil of cirrus clouds, a gigantic mass that seemed to be shaped like a horizontal disk, much larger than a full moon was moving slowly from left to right.”
“After an instant of amazement, M. Pardon awoke his wife and both watched the rest of the spectacle.”
“At first giving off an intense blue light, the object soon turned whitem and a red halo appeared at its edges. At that moment the light was so brilliant that that the two witnesses were dazzled and had to turn their eyes away frequently.”
“With the change in color came a change in shape; the object, nearly circular when they first saw it, became more and more elongated and assumed a vertical orientation.”
“Mme. Pardon had the impression that it was also moving on its own axis, perhaps rotating rapidly. It moved farther and farther southwest. In the complete silence of the little sleeping town, a sort of buzzing noise, slight but perfectly audible, was heard; this grew fainter as the mysterious object moved away. The two witnesses felt that this buzzing came from the luminous cigar.”
“In ten minutes the object had passed out of their field of vision. They watched it disappear behind the roofs; for a few more minutes its light was still visible, then everything disappeared.”
“There was nothing in the sky now but the moon (then in its last-quarter phase–the full moon was on August 14 in 1954–J.T.)–which had been almost invisible a little while before, in the intense light from the object.” (See the book Flying Saucers and the Straight-Line Mystery by Aime Michel, Criterion Books, New York, N.Y. 1958, pages 27 to 29.)
That’s it for this week. Join us again in seven days for more UFO and paranormal news from around the planet Earth, brought to you by “the paper that goes home–UFO Roundup.” See you then.
UFO ROUNDUP: Copyright 2000 by Masinaigan Productions, all rights reserved. Readers may post news items from UFO Roundup on their websites or in newsgroups provided that they credit the newsletter and its editor by name and list the date of issue in which the item first appeared.