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Mysterious Object In Sky Over Nelson Area
NELSON—A mysterious, fiery object appeared suddenly over Nelson at the weekend, then vanished to the south as it flew on a north to south track.
The unidentified flying object was described variously as an “orange ball” with orange sparks appearing to drop from it, and as a “UFO with sparks” falling way from it.
Some of the first to see it were members of the O. Schleiermacher family, who said it was visible twice as it appeared through gaps in a partial cloud of cover over Nelson.
The reports came from residents on Kootenay Lake’s north shore.
Mrs. Schleiermacher said they watched it during a two to three-minute period.
She id, “It seemed to come just over the top of the mountain (500-foot Nelson or Elephant Mountain) and it was very low.
“There was no noise and it looked at first like a helicopter on fire with sparks falling from it.”
Other residents, including motorists, reported seeing the UFO.
RCMP said they had received no reports on the object.
Bob McAllister of Rossland, an astronomer, told The Times at the weekend that from his investigation into the report the object seemed to be a fireball.
*Trail Times, Jan. 2, 1962*
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UFOs May Be Work Of Children
NELSON—Several UFOs have been plaguing the Nelson area. Mrs. Marilyn Horser of Nelson together with other Nelson residents reported seeing four of the objects Friday evening hovering over Elephant Mountain.
She said she gazed in disbelief, as the UFOs zig-zagged over the sky. It seems all they saw were lights.
The UFOs which have been appearing in the same area in Nelson for the past three nights are being investigated by the RCMP.
A Glenmerry resident told The Times this morning that her son last night saw what he described as a “flying saucer” over Glenmerry. It was flying towards the moon, and was a very bright red color. It was apparently flying low, and as it approached the moon broke in a burst of speed and flew over the mountains above Glenmerry.
A local astronomer said he has been speaking to a number of people about the UFOs and as yet has not come to a positive conclusion. He says he believes they must be the work of some pranksters who think they have something going.
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He COULD believe in UFOs
WOLFVILLE, N.S. (CP) — Rupert H. MacNeill, geology professor at Acadia University here, says reports of unidentified flying objects are not merely figments of the imagination and the number of reports he had received has increased since his recent appointment to the National Research Council’s meteorite committee.
“When you see these things and they are described, they are just not imagination,” he said.
He added that the objects signaled usually fall into two categories — rounded balls of fire and elongated, torpedo-shaped objects.
He said it is possible some sightings are pieces of rockets or satellites shot into space from earth, but not all.
“Some of it might be, but not so much of it as seen by so many people. In any case, this material would not come down and just hover; it would wham right in and probably burn up by extreme friction before it came down to our atmosphere.”
*The Province, Jan. 7, 1962*
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Hoax Over Boys Confess To Nelson UFO Scare
NELSON — A Nelson boy and his brother have confessed they started Nelson’s UFO scare here recently.
The boys, not identified, were residents of the North Shore residential area across Kootenay Lake’s West Arm from Nelson, where the reports came a little over a week ago.
The boys said they had sent up light plastic dry cleaner bags with 16 birthday candles attached to straws and floated them into the air.
The balloons were made by fastening four straws together in the shape of a cross which was taped to the plastic bag.
The lighted candles filled the bags with hot air, causing it to rise. The candles gave a weird glow from a height.
The boys said they had started the project as a serious experiment but when they heard a hot air balloon had been mistaken for a UFO, they decided to set off balloons at opportune times, such as the five o’clock traffic rush hour.
The objects were reported at about 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, a week ago, causing residents and motorists some apprehension. Newspaper and radio offices were called for information and RCMP investigated the incidents.
Fire Chief R. S. Owens said the balloons could conceivably cause fire danger. If one exploded from over inflation it might catch fire, burning the person handling it. It might also land somewhere and cause a fire.
The children’s parents had arranged that the experiments be stopped.
*R.D. McAllister
Rossland, B.C.
Jan. 10/62*
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National Research Council of Canada/
Conseil national de recherches du Canada
RG 77, Vol. 306