The 1954 French flap:

Petrifying rays, flying eggs throughout France

• A PETRIFYING RAY of green color nailed to the ground, near Le Mans, on the National Road Le Mans - Paris, workers of the Régie Renault next to whom a saucer had landed.
• STARS AS LARGE AS THE MOON were seen by two people. This happened in Ballon (the Sarthe).
• A FLYING EGG was seen in Lavenay (the Sarthe) by Mr. Maurice Burge and several witnesses.
• A WEATHER TECHNICIAN from the station of Arnage (the Sarthe) saw in the sky two dark red glows moving without smoke. He is going to write a report.
• A RED DISC was seen at Les Aubiers (the Deux-Sèvres) by Mrs Bremand, Couturie and Girard and by Mr. Camille Blain, city councilman of Bressuire.
• AT CHALETTE (THE LOIRET), an employee of the Barnaud company saw a luminous apparatus of oval shape moving in the sky.
• A BIZARRE OBJECT rose in the sky at very fast pace in Dordives (the Loiret).
• A BRIGHT RED SAUCER was seen on Monday evening around 9:00 p.m, above Vanves (the Seine), by Mr. Baldochi, professor of mathematics. The object moved slowly in the east-west direction and suddenly rose vertically and disappeared.
• A BRIGHT CIGAR with two discs at its lower part was seen at Corbigny (the Nièvre).
• LUMINOUS GLOBES were seen by two traders of Saint-Bihy (the Côtes-du-Nord). Consumers of a drinking establishment observed the same phenomenon.
• A small pile of ash was discovered in Puymoyen (the Charente), where the young Claude Bourneix, 17, had seen an orange disk fall into a field.

STLL
"saucers"
IN THE SKY
OF FRANCE

NEVERS, October 8. - Several inhabitants of Corbigny (Nièvre) declared to have seen in the night from Wednesday to Thursday, in the sky, a luminous object in the shape of cigar, carrying two discs in its lower part. The machine was moving at high speed.

For his part, an office worker said he saw a large, orange-colored luminous disc with dazzling clarity behind it.

Two inhabitants of Montlevicq, in the Indre, saw a flying saucer moving slowly in the sky above the Bois de Boulaise. Thirty kilometers away, in Saint-Plantaire, other people said they saw a luminous object the size of a soccer ball.

In the Lapoustelle district, of Orthez, near the Tour-Moncade, in the Landes, a very brilliant disc was seen in the sky by about twenty people; this disc took a red color, stopped for a moment, then disappeared.

Glowing globes were seen in the sky by two traders from Saint-Bihy, near Quentin (Côtes-du-Nord), consumers of a drinking establishment went outside to observe the same phenomenon.

In the Loiret, an employee of a Cholette [sic] company stated that he had seen a luminous machine of oval shape moving at high altitude.

Other people, working in vineyards also reportedly saw an identical machine.

DISCS
AND LUMINOUS
GLOBES
ALL OVER
FRANCE

(CONTINUED)

One saw again yesterday, flying over all of France, groups of mysterious and luminous objects: orange cigars, round saucers "like soccer balls", red discs and strange globes in Crbigny [sic] (Nièvre), Montlevicq (Indre), Orthez Basse-Pyrénées), Saint-Bihy (Côtes-du-Nord), Cholette [sic] and Dordives (Loiret). In Puymoyen (Charente) one discovered at the place where a saucer had landed, twelve small heaps of ash in the middle of a circle of one meter fifty in diameter and among the ashes little sticks. The gendarmes of Angoulême think that these sticks are strips of tubular powder used in artillery.

THE "FLYING SAUCERS"

-- Nevers, 8. -- Several residents of Corbigny (Nièvre) said they saw on the night from Wednesday to Thursday, in the sky, a luminous object in the shape of a cigar, carrying at its lower part two discs. The crat was moving at high speed.

For his part, an office worker claims to have observed a large, luminous disc of orange-yellow color with a dazzling clarity at the back.

-- Châteauroux, 8. -- Two residents of Montlevicq saw a flying saucer moving slowly in the sky above the woods of Boulogne. Some 30 kilometers away, in Saint-Plantaire, other people said that they had seen a luminous object the size of a soccer ball.

-- Orthez, 8. -- In the Lapoustelle district of Orthez, near the Moncade tower, a very brilliant disc was seen in the sky by about twenty people, this disc took on a red color, stopped for a moment and then disappeared.

-- Saint Brieuc, 8. -- Glowing globes were seen in the sky by two traders from Saint-Bihy, near Quintin (Côtes-du-nord); consumers of a drinking establishment went out to observe the same phenomenon.

-- Montargis, 8. -- An employee of a Cholette company said he saw a luminous oval cigar moving around at great altitude.

Other people, working in vineyards would also have seen an identical craft.

In Dordives, two residents said they had seen in the sky a bizarre object which was moving at high altitude, rising quickly disappeared westbound.

A "Martian" in a cloak

Chaumont, 8. -- Mr. André Narcy, 48, roadmender in Mertrud (Haute-Marne), was on his way to work on Wednesday morning by motorcycle when, near Voillecomte, he noticed an unknown orange-colored vehicle in a field.

A hundred meters from the object, he saw nearby, a small being, being about 1.20 meters tall, dressed in a cloak covered with hair. Mr. Narcy was very scared and lay down on the ground. Then he called the individual who, after turning to him, rushed into his craft which immediately flew away vertically to get lost in the clouds.

According to Mr. Narcy, the craft was spherical, with a diameter of about 10 meters. Under the sphere was a kind of spindle and the porthole through which the being entered the craft, was just between the spindle and the body of the craft. At the start of the latter, a kind of flame came out of the spindle while a large vaporous eddy occurred under the apparatus.

Mr. Narcy went immediately to his work where he narrated his adventure to his comrades. With two of them, MM. Riel and Henry, he returned to the place where he noticed that the dew no longer existed on a certain surface. The grass had a slightly milky hue and was crushed on a square about three meters aside. In addition, 12 parallel tracks resembling round footprints were spread over a certain distance, suggesting that the craft had landed in a series of small jolts.

SAUCER...
... when you gotta hold on us

NEVERS. -- Several residents of Corbigny (Nièvre) stated they saw in the night from Wednesday to Thursday in the sky a luminous object in the shape of a cigar, carrying at its lower part two discs. The craft was moving at high speed.

For his part, an office worker claimed to have observed a large, luminous disc of orange-yellow color with a dazzling clarity at the back.

CHATEAUROUX. -- Two residents of Montlevicq saw a flying saucer moving slowly in the sky above the Bois de Boulaise woods. Thirty kilometers away, in Saint-Plantaire, other people said they saw a luminous object the size of a soccer ball.

ORTHEZ. -- In the Lapoustelle district of Orthez, near the Moncade tower, a very bright disc was seen in the sky by approximately twenty people. This disc took a red color, stopped for a moment, then disappeared.

SAINT-BRIEUC. -- Glowing globes were seen in the sky by two traders from Saint-Bihy, near Quintin (Côtes-du-nord). Consumers of a drinking establishment went out to observe the same phenomenon.

MONTARGIS. -- An employee of a Cholette company claimed to have seen an oval shaped luminous craft moving at high altitude.

Other people working in the vineyards reportedly also saw an identical craft.

In Dordives, two residents stated that they had seen in the sky a bizarre object that was moving at high altitude. Rising rapidly, it disappeared towards the west.

In the Oise and elsewhere

THE FANTASTIC ROUND
OF THE SAUCERS CONTINUOUS

The source which feeds the file of the flying saucers for several weeks, at a rate whose regularity does not fail to surprise, does not dry up. This as well as half a dozen unknown craft were reported across France, ranging from the "flying cigar" to the now classic saucer.

In Corigny [sic], in the Nièvre, first of all, several residents said they saw in the sky, in the night from Wednesday to Thursday, a luminous object in the shape of a cigar, bearing in its lower part two discs. The craft, they say, was moving at high speed.

For his part, an office worker claimed to have observed a large luminous disc, yellow-orange in color, and giving off a dazzling clarity at the back.

For their part, two residentts of Montlevicq, near Châteauroux, declared to have seen a flying saucer moving slowly in the sky, above the Bois de Boulaise. About thirty kilometers away, in Saint-Plantaire, other people also said they saw a luminous craft the size of a soccer ball.

Variant of "saucers", these are "globes" which were seen in the sky by two traders from Saint-Bihy, near Quintin (Côtes-du-Nord), the consumers of a drinking establishment went out to observe the same phenomena.

Near Montargis, an employee of a Cholette company claimed to have seen a luminous craft of oval shape moving at great altitude.

Other people working in the vineyards reportedly also saw an identical machine.

In Dordives, not far from there, two residents stated they saw in the sky a craft of a "bizarre" shape, which flew at high altitude, rising rapidly. It disappeared in a westerly direction.

In the sky
of Crépy-en-Valois

As for the luminous craft which was seen Wednesday evening in the sky of Crépy by four people who declared to have observed its moves, it is specified that his appearance took place at exactly 8:30 p.m.. Mr. Detertigny son was returning at this time to his parents' home. "Come quickly and see," he said, "I saw a weird glow in the sky."

Immediately Mr. and Mrs. Detertigny and their daughter-in-law came outside.

Witnesses said they saw all in the sky, heading towards Duvy in the northwest, "a glow whose colors were changing and moving."

"It looked like a pendulum," said Mr. Detertigny senior.

The craft and the glow would then have changed places, heading north. The phenomenon had been going on, they say, for about thirty minutes, when Mrs. Detertigny, having already served the evening meal, suggested that it would be good to start it.

The witnesses then returned home. When they came out, a few minutes later, the vision was gone. At this hour, the night was total and the sky very pure, many stars were visible. The craft was, in comparison, say the witnesses, the size of the moon which was opposite the apparition.

The Chronicle of the Saucers

NEVERS. -- Several inhabitants of Corbigny (the Nièvre) said they saw a luminous cigar-shaped object in the night from Wednesday to Thursday in the sky carrying at its lower part two discs. The craft was moving at high speed.

Also, an office worker stated that he had observed a large, orange-yellow luminous disc, with a dazzling clarity at the back.

CHATEAUROUX. -- Two inhabitants of Montlevicq saw a flying saucer moving slowly in the sky over the Bois de Boulaise.

Thirty kilometers away, in Saint Plantaire, other people said they saw in the sky a luminous craft the size of a soccer balloon.

ORTHEZ. -- At the Lapoustelle-d'Ortez district, near the Moncade tower, a very brilliant disc was seen in the sky by about twenty people: this disc took a red color, stopped for a moment, then disappeared.

SAINT-BRIEUC -- Two luminous globes were seen in the sky by by two traders from Saint-Bihy, near Quintin (Côte-du-Nord). Consumers of a drinking establishment went out to observe the same phenomenon.

MONTARGIS. -- An employee of a Chalette company claimed to have sighted an oval luminous craft traveling at high altitude. Other people working in the vineyards have reportedly also seen an identical craft.

In Dordives, two residents reported seeing a craft in the sky that was "bizarre" and was moving at high altitude; rising rapidly, it disappeared towards the west.

[...]

As of 2 October, the number of daily observations is increasing dramatically. On October 3, there are hundreds, and probably thousands of "witnesses". And the places of observation continue to line up, forming very characteristic networks whose layout evokes a spider's web, with a sort of star-shaped center from which most of the straight lines radiate. A large proportion of cases are also located on several different alignments (at their intersection).

An example of this complex and rigorous provision is offered by the observations of October 7 (see map).

That day, on the territory of France, hundreds of "testimonies" make it possible to plot 23 observation places, of which only one is erratic, in the area of ??Toulouse. The other 22 are organized in 17 alignments:

- One seven spots line: Cherbourg; La Ferte-Macé; Saint-Jean-d'Assé; National 23, east of Le Mans; Lavenay; Montlevic; and finally Cassis.

- Three lines of four spots:

a) Marcillac; Puymoyen; Montlevic; Corbigny.

b) Isles-sur-Suippe; Montlevic; Bournel; Montpezat.

c) Saint-Savinien; Saint-Plantaire; Montlevic; Jettingen.

Finally, thirteen alignments of three spots. One can, at first glance, wonder whether three-spot alignments require an explanation other than chance. But on reflection, chance turns out to be insufficient. Indeed:

1. On the map to the millionth used for this study, the accuracy of the alignments is of the order of a millimeter, equivalent to one kilometer, for distances sometimes exceeding 1000 kilometers;
2. But above all, it must be emphasized that most of the spots are at the same time on several alignments (At their intersections): when one plots two spots on a surface, one gets a straight line; if four points are plotted, one gets six lines (the sides of a quadrilateral and its diagonals), determining, in addition to the four primitive spots, three spots of intersection at most; therefore, if one plots three new spots at random, what is the chance for these spots to intersect? Virtually none. The realization by chance of such a provision is therefore highly improbable. If coincidence happens regularly every day for weeks, the chance explanation becomes almost impossible.
3. Finally (and this is perhaps the most troubling part of the case), how can it be explained by chance that this provision lasts only 24 hours?

In-depth analysis of all these alignments is beyond the scope of an article. A glance at the corresponding map is more eloquent than a long speech. We discover this feature, which I have tentatively called "orthoteny" (2), until further studies allow, if necessary, to relate it to some phenomenon already known and provided with a name existing in the dictionary.

Provisionally, therefore, the "orthoteny" is the rectilinear disposition, generating networks, of the vast majority of flying saucer observations of the Fall of 1954. This arrangement is so surprising that one must, a priori to adopt a systematic distrust about it. Before recognizing it for a real event, one must consider every possible means to reject it.

On October 7, 1954, France is furrowed with observations in a straight line

1. CHERBOURG ...One saw luminous globes! (Paris-Presse - 10-10-1954)

2. DUCLAIR ...Mr. X, blinded by a luminous beam, reopened the eyes, saw a ball that disappeared in a few minutes. (Parisien Libéré - 9-10-54)

3. ISLES-SUR-SUIPPES ...on the edge of the road, an object of more than 3 m in length like a big shell pierced with portholes... (Paris-Presse - 10-10-54)

4. PLOZEVET ...sharp gleam, dense smoke... (France-Soir - 10-10-54)

5. SAINT-BIHY ...luminous globes... (France-Soir - 9-10-54)

6. LA FERTÉ-MACÉ ...a mysterious craft, which was rising vertically, leaving behind itself a white trail... (Black out sur les soucoupes volantes, Jimmy Guieu, Fleuve Noir publishers)

7. HENNEZIES ...A "spaceship" and its occupants seen by two children... Egg-shaped object, red, the top pointed at the yky... (Black out sur les soucoupes volantes, Jimmy Guieu, Fleuve Noir publishers)

8. SAINT-ÉTIENNE ...three craft produced a violent white light; - one of the craft was round like a saucer, the two other elongated like cigars. (France-Soir - 9-10-54)

9. SAINT-JEAN-D'ASSÉ ...a gleam of an intense blue color.. (Aurore - 9-10-54)

10. BALLON ...stars as big as the Moon (sic!). (France-Soir - 9-10-54)

11. LAVENAY ...a flying egg... (France-Soir - 9-10-54)

12. DORDIVES ...a weird object... (France-Soir - 9-10-54)

13. CHALETTE ...an oval-shaped luminous craft. (France-Soir - 9-10-54)

14. LES AUBIERS ...a red disc... (France-Soir - 9-10-54)

15. CORBIGNY Craft of cylindrical shapes, emitting red-orange gleams when they were horizontal and of a dazzling white when they rose vertically. (Aurore -8-10-54)

16. BERUGES ...a lighted mushroom... (France-Soir - 10-10-54)

17. SAINT-SAVINIEN ...a luminous disc. (Sud-Ouest - 14-10-54)

18. SAINT-PLANTAIRE

19. MONTLEVIC ...saucers, cigars, luminous globes and flying discs... (Paris-Presse - 9-10-54)

20. JETTINGEN ...a half-spherical cupola. (France-Soir - 10-10-54)

21. PUYMOYEN ...A the place where a saucer had landed, twelve samll heaps of ash in the middle of a 1,50 m circle and, among the ashes, small sticks... (Paris-Presse - 9-10-54)

22. MARCILLAC ...shape of inverted funnel. (Combat - 12-10-54)

23. BOURNEL ...circular shape... (Combat - 12-10-54)

24. MONTPEZAT ...a luminous circle, orange-colored... (Combat - 12-10-54)

25. BEAUVOIR ...a mysterious craft flying at a rather slow pace. (Parisien Libéré - 9-10-54)

26. MONTEUX ...a phosphorescent craft and of 2,50 m height... (local Press - oct. 54)

27. BOMPAS ...a formation of saucers... (Black out sur les soucoupes volantes, Jimmy Guieu, Fleuve Noir publishers)

28. CASSIS ...the object, which seemed to be in aluminum, was very shiny. (Provençal)

Alignments exist. What do they mean? This is a mystery...

The case file is not faked

First question to ask: Is it true that the observation spots are aligned as this article claims?

To check this, just look for the spots in question on a chosen map in such a way that the lines of the map correspond as exactly as possible to the great terrestrial circles in the considered place. For France, it is the millionth map, Bonne projection, in the trade by Michelin (Michelin map nr 989). Ones locates the spots by looking for them in a dictionary of the communes, for example that of Berger-Levrault.

Second question: did the author invent all or part of these observations in order to find alignments? To enable researchers to answer this question, I have used in my research only observations that were already made public.

Third question: Did the author choose the observations that are aligned, creating a phenomenon that would not exist if other unreported observations restored the disorder of chance?

Of course, I cannot hope to know all the sightings because many of the witnesses did not say anything. But I used in my work all observations made public, as one can check by studying my book. To prepare the maps, I therefore only used published cases, and I used them all. There was no invention, no selection. Anyone can completely redo the work I did: one only needs to consult the collection of newspapers of the time, taking care though, however, of dates, not of the newspapers publication of course, but of the reported phenomena.

We come to the most delicate aspect of the problem posed by these strange alignments. What do they mean?

I have shown in detail the results of my research to several prominent scientists, including two Masters of Research at the C.N.R.S. It is very unfortunate that orthotenia is linked to the "saucer phenomenon", so discredited, because all these scientists, whom I cannot name, are now convinced that the alignments show a real and original phenomenon.

Real, that is, objectively taking place in space, not in the imagination of the witnesses.

Original, that is, not related to anything known so far. Neither airplanes, sounding balloons, sundogs, meteors, lightning bolts, nor hallucinations, lies, and facetious inventions are observed along lines forming networks. It is something else. What is it?

In my opinion, we are not close to knowing it. But perhaps the demonstration of the geometric superstructure revealed by the wave of 1954 will finally incite a greater number of scientists to worry about it. Allow me to express the wish here. Personally, the discredit that is attached to this research begins to put me down. It is overwhelming in the long run to have my curiosity viewed like a sin.

Aimé Michel

Note:

• (2) From a Greek word meaning "stretched in a straight line".

5. SAINT-BIHY: .. luminous globes.. (France-Soir for 9-I0-54).