UFOs in the daily Press:

In the Nord, a Hoaxer Was Building “Flying Saucers”

LILLE — A retired miner from Beuvry-les-Béthune, known in his town as a prankster, did not miss the opportunity offered by the mystery of flying saucers to amuse himself at the expense of the inhabitants of nearby towns.

Inspired by the hot-air balloon system, the cheerful retiree made craft that reached three meters in diameter. The envelope was made of strong gray paper sheets, carefully glued together. At the base of the “saucer” was a small receptacle holding a tuft of tow soaked in a flammable liquid. All that was needed was to ignite the tow to see the craft rise and disappear with the wind, surrounded by yellow and orange reflections.

It was following the discovery near a haystack, where one of these craft had almost set fire, that the gendarmes began to suspect the retiree. Indeed, numerous prototype “flying saucers” were later discovered at his home, which their inventor was preparing to launch into the sky of the Nord.

The hoaxer claimed that he had already built and launched more than a thousand of these craft. The ex-miner will likely be fined for dangerous amusement.