e big luminous bird of the Illinois…St。 Louis region in 1948 was visiting an area of the Mississippi valley that would see continuous UFO and hairy monster activity thereafter。
In many instances the witnesses have clearly seen the objects in the process of materialization or dematerialization。 A glow is observed first； usually a reddish glow marking the emergence of the object from the invisible band of the spectrum into infrared and then into the narrow band of visible light。 Or； if the object is passing through the visible band to the higher frequencies it is cyan （bluish…green） before it fades into blue （hard to see at night） and then enters the ultraviolet range。 The chills experienced by John Flaxton and his group were probably caused by microwaves above the infrared （which produces heat）； just as the very cold atmosphere acpanying ghosts is a radiation effect。
The absence of any overpowering odor； either sickly sweet like violets or roses or nauseous like hydrogen sulfide； in these bird and batman cases puzzles me； however。 This could indicate some subtle difference in the basic structure of these creatures； a difference in the energy ponents or molecular structure。
People are still seeing flying freaks。 On May 21； 1973； a group of men in a woods near Kristianstad； Sweden； reported an incredibly huge black bird which passed within one hundred feet of them。 One witness had a camera with a telephoto lens and attempted to take a picture； but his film jammed。 Camera malfunctions are remarkably mon among would…be UFO photographers； and even those who try to take pictures of the serpent at Loch Ness。 It almost seems as if some outside force fouls up cameras when monsters and UFOs are around。
＇4＇ Charles Bowen； ed。； The Humanoids （London： Neville Spearman； 1969）。
4 … Take the Train
I。
〃From Bad Axe to Bethesda the happy news es in；〃 wrote an anonymous 〃Talk of the Town〃 contributor in The New Yorker； April 9； 1966。 〃Flying saucers！ 。。。 We read the official explanations with sheer delight； marveling at their stupendous inadequacy。 Marsh gas； indeed！ 。。。 Our theory is that flying saucers are not of this earth。 The beings who control them are attempting to make contact with man in the gentlest possible fashion 。。。。〃
Dr。 Isaac Asimov； dean of science writers； mented： 〃I am told； though； that so many people have seen objects that looked like spaceships that 'there must be something in it' 。。。。 Maybe there is； but think of all the people in the history of the world who have seen ghosts and spirits and angels。 It's not what you see that is suspect； but how you interpret what you see。〃
At a scientific convention held in Baltimore in 1966； Dr。 Edward C。 Walsh； executive secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council； remarked： 〃So many airline pilots report seeing them； that's why I take the train。〃
Wherever you were in the year 1966； you must have heard about the ing of the flying saucers。 The news media beat the story into a froth of ennui。 The newsstands were glutted with one…shot UFO magazines and quickie paperbacks 〃rehashing the reported sightings from previous flap years。 Everywhere great crowds of people gathered on hilltops； in swamps and cemeteries； and around reservoirs and gravel pits； their eyes turned heavenward。 Saucer…hunting became a national sport； rallying to the excited cry； 〃There goes one！〃
That year I stood on hilltops and beaches with those crowds； watching funny lights bob around in the night。 But an uneasiness was overtaking me； a dark suspicion that Dr。 Asimov's tongue…in…cheek observation may have contained more truth than even he knew。
The Year of the Garuda was at hand。 A dark force was closing over a little town I had never even heard of： Point Pleasant； West Virginia。 In a matter of months I would be arriving there like some black…suited exorcist； lugging my tattered briefcase； waving the golden cross of science。 My life would bee intertwined with the lives of the people of the Ohio valley。
In March 1966； a shapely housewife； whom I will call Mrs。 Kelly because she asked that her name be withheld； was waiting in her car for her children near the Point Pleasant school when she saw an unbelievable apparition low in the sky。 It looked like a glistening metal disk and was hovering directly above the school playground。 A doorlike aperture was open at its rim and there was a man standing outside。 He was not standing in the doorway； he was standing outside the object in midair！ He wore a silvery skin…tight costume and had very long silvery hair。 He was looking down into the school yard intently。 She watched him for a long moment until her children bounded up to the car。 When she looked again； the man and object were gone。 She decided not to tell anyone about this strange vision； attaching religious significance to it。
That summer； Mrs。 Mary Hyre was driving along the Ohio side of the river when a sudden glint in the sky attracted her attention。 〃At first I thought it was a plane；〃 she recalled。 〃Then I got a better look at it。 It was perfectly round。 I couldn't make out what it was but I didn't give it any thought at the time。〃
Another round object chose to hover above Tiny's restaurant just outside Point Pleasant that summer； where it was seen by a number of customers including the wife of a local police officer。 Tiny's stands on the corner of the street where the McDaniels live。 The McDaniel family would later serve as the focus for many of the strange manifestations。
Not one person bothered to report a UFO sighting to the law or press in Point Pleasant； although there were many such sightings all summer long。
People in distant Salt Lake City； Utah； weren't so squeamish； however。 When a bird 〃about as big as a Piper Cub airplane〃 circled that Mormon munity on July 18； 1966； some people ran for cover while others ran for their telephones。
Shortly after 2 P。M。 on September 1； Mrs。 James Ikart of Scott； Mississippi； grabbed her phone to call the Delta Democrat Times （Greenville）。 She and her neighbors were watching a whitish man…shaped flying object。 〃It got down pretty low and then would go up；〃 Mrs。 Ikart said。 〃I never saw anything like it。〃
John Hursh； a local meteorologist； whipped out Standard Explanation No。 425。 〃It's apparently somebody's research balloon that's gotten away；〃 he announced。
Whatever it was； it bounced around Scott most of the afternoon。
II。
Three thousand years ago a small group of brilliant men investigated and solved the mystery of unidentified flying objects。 Since then a great many others have approached the same mystery from different perspectives and solved it over and over again。 Unfortunately； their staggering solutions were obfuscated by intellectual extrapolations and the ponderous terminology of philosophy and theology。 Few modern UFO enthusiasts have the educational background to understand such literature。 They choose； as an alternative； to deal with the phenomenon on a materialistic level； assuming that the presence of unlikely objects and entities in our atmosphere is evidence of some extraterrestrial civilization。
Xenophanes； one of the first great philosophers （sixth century B。C。）； observed that the Ethiopians thought their gods were black and snub…nosed like themselves。 Today many of us no longer believe in direct visits with our God； so we have shaped a new mythology based upon the belief in spacemen carved in our own image。 When the ancients sighted giant； shambling bipeds covered with hair； their eyes blazing like fierce coals； they assumed they were confronting demons。 Early investigators eventually concluded that such demons did not really exist； even though they often left footprints behind and caused physical damage。 They coined the word khimaira （chimera） to describe them。 Others noted that the eerie aerial lights changed colors up and down the visual spectrum and the word specter was born。 Several times each year tall； hairy creatures with red eyes are still seen throughout the