UFO ROUNDUP Volume 5 Number 39
Volume 5
Number 39
September 28, 2000
Editor: Joseph Trainor
E-mail: Masinaigan@aol.com
PHILIPPINES RELEASES SECRET UFO FILES
"Now it can be told."
"A team from the Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has admitted actively participating in the investigation of what is known as Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
"UFOs or unidentified flying objects, in particular, Elmer Escosia, team leader, team leader, said they opined files to reveal what they discovered so far instead of keeping the information to themselves."
"'Our files and records are open to the public and anyone can read or research,' Escosia told the Manila Times.
"The team, he said, is composed of eight members under PAGASA's Astronomy Division, which was assigned to investigate UFO sightings in the country," i.e. the Philippine Islands.
"According to Escosia, they were able to explain most of the UFO sightings from all over the country, which were reported to PAGASA."
"But, he admitted, they were stumped and found no logical explanation for three such sightings."
"The first was in 1984, or 16 years ago, when children reported that they saw 'bulbous-non-human beings' alight from a large, disk-shaped 'spacecraft' which landed in Ormoc City in western Leyte."
(Editor's Note: Ormoc is a port city on the west coast of Leyte Island, located about 640 kilometers or 400 miles southeast of Manila, the national capital. Ormoc was the site of a ferocious battle between the Imperial Japanese Army and the U.S. Army's 77th Division in September 1944 during World War II.)
'It was impossible not to believe the children's testimonies since they gave the same descriptions,' Escosia said."
"He added they sent the description of the 'aliens' to other investigators in the USA who appeared to be similarly stumped."
"The two other unexplainable sightings were in Las Pitas and Muntiniupa City in 1997 and on May 10 of this year (2000)."
"In 1997, Escosia reported, at least 400 people reported that they saw 13 odd-shaped flying objects that were clearly visible in the following subdivisions: Uranium Street, Pilar village, Las Pitas" (and) "Dona Josefa, also in Las Pitas, and Heroes Hill in Muntiniupa."
"The eyewitnesses described the UFOs as transparent and hollow at the middle, closely resembling a school of jellyfish minus the tentacles." (See the Manila Times for September 14, 2000, "Three sightings of UFOs aliens stump PAGASA astronomical experts," by Jeannette Andrade. Many thanks to Rev. Billy Dee for forwarding the newspaper article.)
"ANGEL HAIR" FALLS NEAR ROMNEY, WEST VIRGINIA
A housewife in rural Hampshire County, near Romney, West Virginia (population 2,000) reported that the mysterious gossamer substance known as "angel's hair" fell in profusion on her family farm during the evening of Tuesday, September 19, 2000.
"Last night (Tuesday, September 19, 2000), at about 7 p.m., I heard a loud 'droning' sound, like a large airplane. I went out to look to see if I could see it, but I could not see it," the witness, Rusty, reported. "The droning lasted about an hour."
"This morning (Wednesday, September 20, 2000), when I got up, my yard was full of this 'spider web stuff.' Don't know exactly how to describe this other than they looked like spider webs but at the same time they were not your usual 'circular' webs."
"I immediately got the camera out and took a dozen photos. I had my husband go to town to buy some rubber gloves so we could get some samples. On His way in (to Romney--J.T.) there were a few spots he could see on the way to town, which was seven miles (11 kilometers away) but nothing as heavy as was in my yard."
"The first sample he tried to get with the gloves soon turned into a goo-like substance as soon as he touched it. He put the samples on a piece of paper towel and put the gloves in with it in a plastic bag."
"I went to town to the One-Hour Photo place and got the photos developed."
"I have lived here in Romney, W.V. for six years and I have never seen anything like this."
Rusty has posted the "angel hair" photos on her website. UFO Roundup readers can reach the website by setting their browsers for this URL: http://www.homestead.com/rustys_retreat/spiderstuff.html
Romney, W.V. is on Highway 50 in the northeastern corner of West Virginia, approximately 27 miles (43 kilometers) south of Cumberland, Maryland. (Many thanks to Louise A. Lowry for forwarding the report.)
CHUPACABRA BLAMED FOR FIFTY DEAD SHEEP IN CHILE
"The new-mythical 'Chupacabra' and starving pumas (also known as cougars or mountain lions--J.T.) are now disputing authorship over the deaths of fifty sheep in the section of Carahue commune in (Chile's) Ninth Region."
"The event mobilized the Carabineros (Chile's national police--J.T.), health services personnel and veterinarians aimed at determining the cause of the strange event."
"According to eyewitness testimony, the deceased animals presented wounds in the jugular veins through which blood was apparently extracted."
"The find sent shivers through all the people living in the field owned by Aliro Pedreros Jaque. They stated that regardless what is to blame for the slayings--either the Chupacabra or pumas enraged by the lack of sustenance (due to a hard winter--S.C.) it nonetheless constitutes a hazard."
"Losses due to sheep deaths are nearing the one million (Chilean) peso mar. This is the motive behind the intensification of efforts to determine exactly what happened in order to prevent another animal attack."
"The animal deaths took place at La Gloria farm, some 14 kilometers (8 miles) to the west of Carahue. It was the workers themselves who made the discovery while performing forestry work. Almost speechless, the farmhands ran to the overseer to notify him of the event. Angrily the man returned to the place in question, where he was able to verify that his farmhands weren't delusional and that the deaths of the sheep had been caused by a very strange animal."
"Investigators are clearly mystified by the fact that the victims were enclosed in a pen--much the same as 15 other animals who died under similar circumstances three days ago (Wednesday, September 13, 2000), displaying wounds in the neck and literally bloodless."
"Residents stated that their first guess was that the pumas were responsible. When starved, these animals descend from the mountains (the Andes--J.T.) and make free with any animal that gets in their way. It was later, after having observed the (dead) animals that the peculiar stories of the despised Chupacabra began to emerge."
"According to the accounts of several section residents, this true terror of the animal world had already made his presence felt in Angel, where it destroyed dozens of fowl."
"Juan Carlos Sanhueza, one of the workers in the pasture, stated his disbelief (in the Chupacabra) and opined that 'the one responsible for the animal deaths is likely a puma or a lion. And that's that!'" (See the Chilean newspaper La Cuarta for September 17, 2000. Muchas gracias a Scott Corrales, autor de los libros, Chupacabras and Other Mysteries y Forbidden Mexico para eso articulo de diario.)
THREE UFOs SIGHTED OVER SAN FRANCISCO
On Sunday, September 17, 2000, "just after 6 p.m., I spotted a UFO, just like the white ones San Jose," witness James W. reported.
"A couple of minutes later, another UFO came next to the first one. I saw two of them floating there. I was sitting down and watched them hover from about a 900-foot elevation. The UFOs were very high. The UFOs were just a little southeast of the Mount Sutro tower and Twin Peaks, well over the air traffic-- I'm guessing 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) or more."
"I decided to run home to get my binoculars. I looked up some more to try to find them again. This time there were three in a row, just like in San Jose. When I got home about five minutes later, about 6:25 p.m., I couldn't find them again. I looked hard for another ten minutes, scanning the sky, but I couldn't find them. I did see a big (Boeing) 747 coming in from the north, heading for" San Francisco International Airport. "Those UFOs had to be at least as twice as high" as the big jetliner. (Email Form Report)
HIGH-FLYING UFOs SEEN SOUTH OF KANSAS CITY
On Monday, September 18, 2000, at 6:20 a.m., D.A. opened the front door of his home in Prairie Village, Kansas (population 25,000), a suburb about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Kansas City, and stepped onto his front walk. "I was outside to get the morning paper and noticed how bright and clear the sky was," he reported, "The moon was bright. You could see Orion's three stars clearly."
"As I perused the sky, I could see two bright white objects moving from the southwest. One, followed by another. They were really high up, shaped like a triangle. Seemed to be moving rather fast. no sound, no vapor trail, going to the northeast. I watched for about a minute and a half. There were no other airplanes in the sky, only stars."
"The two objects seemed to be white in color and triangle in shape. They were both moving very fast."
D.A. added that he contacted a TV station in Kansas City, but the receptionist wasn't interested. (Email Form Report)
ATLANTIS WRAPS UP 12-DAY SPACE STATION MISSION
The space shuttle Atlantis touched down safely on Wednesday morning, September 20, 2000 following a successful 12-day mission to the International Space Station.
"'We had a great time,' Commander Terrence Wilcutt said, 'We're all glad to be back.'"
"'We've had a really great flight,' (NASA) flight director Wayne Hale said."
"During their five days inside the space station, Atlantis' crew hauled in three tons of equipment. Another crew is scheduled to depart for the space station October 5 aboard (the shuttle) Discovery."
On Tuesday, September 12, "shuttle pilot Scott Altman showed off the (newly-installed) bathroom inside Zvezda (one of the station's Russian modules--J.T.) and one of the two sleeping compartments."
"'Each cabin comes with its own window,' he pointed out."
"At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Altman barely fit inside the sleeping compartment. He is ineligible for a stint aboard the space station because he's too big for the Russian escape capsule." (See USA Today for September 13, 2000, "Astronauts furnish the space station," September 20, 2000, "Space shuttle planning touchdown today" and September 21, 2000, " "Atlantis returns; Discovery preps for liftoff.") (Editor's Comment: Don't let it bother you, Scott. As the skipper of Altman's Ark, you hold the record for ferrying the largest number of Earth life-forms into space. That record may stand for decades."
OUT-OF-PLACE ALLIGATOR SNAPS AT A MAN IN KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE
One of the weirdest Fortean phenomena is the "Crazy Croc syndrome," the sudden and unexplained appearance of alligators in places far from their natural habitat.
Just such an incident occurred last week in Kennebunkport, Maine (population 1,200), a seaside resort town on Route 9 located about 26 miles (40 kilometers) south of Portland.
(Editor's Note: The Bush family mansion, summer home of former President George Herbert Walker Bush, and his son, Gov. George W. Bush, the current Republican Party candidate for USA president, is located on Walker's Point in Kennebunkport.)
(Editor's Comment: Cue spooky organ music...) "An alligator that nipped at a man's trousers was likely someone's pet that was set free, police said."
"William Sartry shot the 31-inch-reptile dead. He said the alligator approached him while he was walking around a pond in his back yard."
"'You're going to think I'm nuts,' Sarty told a police dispatcher when he reported the incident." (See USA Today for September 20, 2000, "Maine," page 6A.)
(Editor's Comment: Can I possibly top this? You betcha! If you want to see a hilarious picture of Dubya, check out the October 3, 2000 issue of the tabloid newspaper Globe, page 9. Globe is on sale in USA supermarkets everywhere this week. Question: if Dubya is a self-professed born- again Christian, then why is he making the Sign of the Goat, aka the Sign of the Horned God, aka the Sign of Lucifer, in that photo?)
EX-ARMY OFFICERS CRITICIZE BLACK HELICOPTER PROGRAM
Recently-retired U.S. Army officers, one of them formerly assigned to the 160th Aviation Regiment, also known as "the Night Stalkers" disputed the USA Defense Department's claim that recent helicopter exercises are designed to train U.S. troops for deployment overseas.
The disclosures were made to WorldNet Daily "by former Night Stalker Captain Jeff Norgrove."
"'These aren't really military exercises,' Norgrove said. 'They are SWAT training. The Army will never admit that to you, but that's what it is.'"
In March 1999, "Delta Force and the Night Stalkers were involved in a controversial exercise in Kingsville, Texas, where the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) used live ammunition and explosives to conduct their training."
"Special Operations Command officials at Fort Bragg, North Carolina insist that only 'training ammunition' was used during the exercise in Kingsville and other American communities."
"A number of retired military officers have come forward to insist that Army claims of the use of only training ammunition are untrue."
"'They really think that we're so stupid that we can't figure this out,' Norgrove said."
"Most of the Night Stalkers and the Delta Force troops, according to Norgrove...are young and not fully aware of what is going on."
"'They just do what they are told,' Norgrove explained. 'It's exciting and the pay is very good.'"
In addition, "a high-ranking retired Special Operations Command officer" told the Washington, D.C. weekly newspaper The Spotlight that "elite military units have been undertaking urban warfare training" across the USA "in preparation for assuming the duties of U.S. law enforcement."
"The retired colonel confirmed for the first time that that the mysterious training engaged in by U.S. Army Special Forces and Delta Force, Navy SEALs, Marines Force Recon and U.S. Air Force Air Commandos is intended for domestic operations."
"The Delta Force and Night Stalkers do not even wear standard military uniforms. Instead, just like any SWAT team, they are garbed in black uniforms, complete with black helmets and face shields. They also wear bulletproof body armor and are discharged from the Night Stalkers' helicopters wielding German-made Hechler and Koch 9mm submachine guns."
"The maneuvers are always conducted at night. The helicopters are painted dark with a special paint that has a sandpaper texture, appears black and enables the aircraft to avoid radar. They are flown without lights by Night Stalker pilots utilizing night vision goggles. The helicopters bear no markings and can be seen in the darkness." (See The Spotlight for September 25, 2000, "Military trained for police ops," page 6.)
FREAK SNOWSTORM CLOBBERS WYOMING
The USA's western state of Wyoming was hit by an unusually heavy snowstorm last weekend.
""From Friday (September 22) through midmorning Sunday (September 24, 2000), the (state) capital," Cheyenne, "had recorded 10.5 inches of snow, though the number was fleeting. By noon, clumps of snow were falling from sun-warmed trees and roofs."
"The last comparable September snowfalls for Cheyenne were on Sept. 28, 1985 when a storm had left 4.9 inches, and on Se[t. 18, 1942, when 4 inches fell, according to the National Weather Service."
"About 1,200 travelers were "stranded in Rawlins and Rock Springs...A few of them began moving on as Interstate (Highway) 80, which had been closed Saturday, reopened a section at a time."
"'We had 15 miles in Rawlins that is nothing but a parking lot for trucks,' said Don Brinkman, chairman of the Red Cross branch in Carbon County."
"About 550 travelers had spent the night at the Rawlins Family Recreation Center, 350 to 400 more were at the Wyoming National Guard armory in town."
"On Friday and Saturday, the storm struck central and south-central Wyoming. It deposited 12 to 15 inches in Casper; 19 in Rock Springs; six in Lander; six to eight in Kemmerer; three in Riverton; 3.5 in Buffalo; four north of Cody; four north of Greybull; and one to two inches in Jackson. "
"Pine Bluffs received the most serious (snowfall) toward the end of the storm, about 12 inches." (See USA Today for September 25, 2000, "Snowstorm buries Wyoming's record," page 4A.)
(Editor's Comment: Wyoming wasn't the only place hit Fortean weather last weekend. Check out the following story.)
SOUTHERN ASIA INUNDATED BY MONSOON FLOODS
"Millions of residents of India and Bangladesh tried to find refuge Monday," September 25, 2000, "from torrential rains and floods that have killed more than 700 people and left millions more homeless in the last week."
""Late monsoon rains sent water rushing over riverbanks and dams, submerging villages, and the homes of more than 10 million people in eastern India and 200,000 in Bangladesh."
"In India's West Bengal region, the worst-hit area, 652 people were feared dead, according to Deputy Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee. He said 415 bodies had been recovered, and another 217 people had been washed away by strong currents."
"In neighboring Bangladesh, at least 15 people have died in the country's northwestern districts."
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the army and paramilitary troops to join relief work after floodwaters damaged or washed away about 40,000 mud-and-straw huts, leaving at least 200,000 people homeless."
Floodwaters raged elsewhere in Asia, as well.
"In Vietnam, floodwaters claimed the lives of more than 120 people, of which nearly 100 were children, in the past several weeks. Officials say the floods have been the worst to hit the Mekong Delta area in decades."
"In Thailand, at least 47 people have been killed by rising floodwaters, which have hit 43 of the country's 76 provinces."
"In Cambodia, at least 173 people have died in flooding that began in August. More than 715,000 acres of rice crops have been destroyed by the floods." (See USA Today for September 26, 2000, "'Gigantic' task waits in floodwaters' wake," page 16A. Many thanks to Binh and Trinh for the news tip.)
from the UFO Files...
1954: ALIENS LAND IN EASTERN PORTUGAL
On September 24, 1964, Cesar Cardoso was driving on a two-lane road near Almaseda, a village about 216 kilometers (135 miles) northeast of Lisboa (Lisbon), the capital of Portugal.
While driving in this hilly rural area not far from the border with Spain, Cardoso heard a strange humming noise. All at once, his car engine began to sputter and cough. He pulled over to the side of the road beside a low green hill.
Frowning, Cardoso turned the ignition key and tried to restart the car. The engine made a noise like nails rattling in an empty coffee can. As he stepped out of the car, he saw two other cars pulling over. The humming sound grew louder. Then a circular shadow passed over his car.
Looking up, Cardoso let out a yell of excitement. Floating downward toward the nearby hilltop was a flattened silver disc about 13 meters (40 feet) in diameter.
Afterward, Cardoso reported, "I was near the village of Almaseda when I saw a flying saucer, out of which stepped three beings in suits of shining aluminum. They were two meters (6 feet, 7 inches--J.T.) tall."
The aliens moved around the hilltop, taking samples of the local vegetation. Cardoso reported, "They picked and cut flowers, snipped off twigs from bushes and put them in a shining box."
Then the aliens noticed Cardoso and the other three humans on the roadside. Without speaking, they made gestures of invitation, pointing to the saucer's open hatch.
"I and three companions were invited to enter the saucer. But when we refused, the beings did not insist. They climbed back into their saucer and ascended vertically at an immense speed, emitting a shower of sparks." (See the book Flying Saucers Uncensored by Harold T. Wilkins, The Citadel Press, New Jersey, 1955, page 55. See also the Portuguese newspaper Diario de Lisboa for September 28, 1954.)
That's it for this week. Join us next time for more UFO and paranormal news from around the planet Earth, brought to you by "the paper that goes home--UFO Roundup." Assuming those idiots don't destroy Jerusalem, we'll see you them.
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.
