Abstract:
A youth reported that a large, glowing object approached his car and
accompanied it more than twenty miles. He described apparent
electromagnetic effects on his automobile. Investigation revealed
neither a natural explanation to account for the sighting, nor
sufficient evidence to sustain an unconventional hypothesis.
Other reported sightings in the area were investigated without
conclusive results.
Background:
The Primary Sighting
On a night in the spring of 1967 an 18 year-old high school boy
(Witness I) was returning from a first-aid class in town to his
parents' home, a general store. He reported that shortly after 11:00
p.m., when he was three miles west of the town, he noticed an object
high in the sky directly ahead of him. He compared its apparent size
and brightness to an ordinary incandescent light bulb seen at about
twenty feet, or a slow-moving ball of fire. As he continued, the
object descended at an angle toward his left, closed on his
automobile, and accompanied it at a distance and elevation he
estimated at one hundred feet each. He estimated the dimensions of
the object as approximately 30 by 100 feet. It was shaped like an
inverted bowl, flat on the bottom and arched on top. No surface
features were visible, only an overall glow that was blue at the top
and blended gradually through cream color and orange to bright red at
the bottom. At times he noticed a
white vapor associated with the object. The only other feature he
noted was a periodic on-off manifestation of the glow.
The witness also reported a sensation of intense heat coming from the
object, such that he began perspiring profusely even with the car
windows down. At this same time, the automobile engine began to
sputter and miss, the radio and headlights went out, the ammeter
indicated "discharge," and shortly afterward the temperature light
indicated "hot."
To see the road, he used a battery-powered spotlight that was
independent of the car battery. It continued to function normally. He
drove as rapidly as possible (50-60 mph) under the adverse
conditions, and was paced the entire twenty-odd miles to his home. As
he approached the family store, the object moved off ahead of him for
the first time and stopped above the store as if to wait for him. As
he turned in, the object blacked out and vanished into the darkness.
The witness reported that after the incident his car never recovered.
Its condition worsened continually until it was beyond repair.
Investigation:
Wadsworth investigated this and other reports in the area, Spring
1967. Although no unequivocal corroborating evidence was uncovered,
testimony from a game warden who is regarded as highly reliable by
area residents, provided possible corroboration. He reported having
seen a round, reddish object in the sky a little later on the same
evening. He was travelling the same stretch of the road that was
involved in the sighting already described. The object he saw was so
distant that its identity with the other is uncertain.
Witness' automobile was monitored for high-energy radiation. Smear
samples were analyzed for alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Alpha and
beta were at normal background levels, and gamma was a trace above;
this result may relate to the presence of uranium deposits in the
vicinity. The magnetization pattern of the automobile body was
checked against a control auto and found to be normal.
The auto engine was found to be badly out of tune and in generally
poor running condition. Unfortunately, it was impossible to determine
whether any specific damages resulted from the effects of ordinary
wear and tear. Nevertheless, the witness stated that his car was in
good running condition before the incident.
The route on which the sighting occurred was inspected under both day
and night conditions. No physical evidence was found that could be
related to the sighting; however, terrain and highway features were
consistent with the witness' account.
After the initial report, additional sightings were reported in the
area. Many of these were of marginal quality and insufficiently
detailed to warrant further investigation. In a few cases, followup
attempts were made. Most of the witnesses were Indians, who were
difficult to locate because they live in remote places, and were
extremely difficult to interview once found because they speak little
English and are not familiar with such a procedure. It was thus
almost impossible to obtain more than the barest details.
The most useful materials obtained from these witnesses were their
sketches of the objects they reported having seen. These sketches
show a considerable range of variation, suggesting several types of
objects. It should be noted that the Navajo appear to be
unsophisticated as to UFOs. That is, they are less likely than a
member of the general population to know what an UFO is reported to
look like. Also, these reports cannot be assessed in terms of the
same psychosocial dynamics that are appropriate to most UFO reports.
Reported loss of (sic) UFO-caused power failures were checked with an
official of the local Power Association. He stated that nothing out
of the ordinary had been reported to him. In one case, an Indian
witness reported loss of power at his cabin when an UFO landed
nearby.
