This article was published in the daily newspaper L'Ardennais, France, page 4, on October 19, 1954.
See the case file.
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Two exceptionnal documents:
We announced yesterday that several people saw a luminous spot of round form, above the area of Sedan, Saturday in the evening. We did not want to give an exaggerated importance to this news, at a time when minds are influenced by the accounts related to strange appearances.
But the fact that this luminous spot could be fixed on photographic film obliges us to come out of our reserve.
The documents which we publish are absolutely authentic and they are by no means about trick photographs. These two photographs were taken Saturday at about 10 P.M. (the witnesses, in their emotion forgot the exact time) from a window of a building of Jean-Jaurès street in Sedan. Two witnesses were with the photographer. It is this latter who, wanting to take some air at the window of his room, was the first to see this abnormal gleam which intrigued other witnesses, in different places. Two policemen, in faction at the Sports Stadium, saw a luminous disc, at about 09:30 P.M.. Several young people, coming from the direction of Vrigne also saw it. When the photographs which we publish were taken, their author was unaware of any of the other observations.
These two photographs were taken with a "Sem Flex" 6x6, opening 3.5; exposure time: 1 second for the first and 2 seconds for the other; "Per Omnia" 23 filmstrip.
The smaller spot is the moon which reached its second district yesterday evening. The luminous disc, definitely larger than the moon, strongly impressed the film.
On the enlargings one clearly distinguishes an obscure central core in the middle of the luminous disc.
A photograph had been taken by an amateur on the side of the "Moulin à Vent" ("Windmill"). Unfortunately, the exposure time was too short: 1/100th of a second, it did not provide anything of value when developped.
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(Continued from the front page)
None of the witnesses actually claimed it was a flying saucer. They merely reported what they saw, nothing more. We will do the same.
Some saw the disc move quickly in a straight line just above the rooftops, while others - including our photographer and his companions - saw it stationary for a few moments, then making a few short, slow movements before disappearing. The photographer who captured the image saw it as reddish-orange, "the color of a cigarette when the smoker inhales." As for the impression of size and distance left by the sighting, no one could say.
The moon was shining, and there were some clouds. Let no one claim we said what we did not, or add to these observations, which are already surprising enough on their own.
Let us nonetheless include the remark of one witness referring to the saucers: "I'm starting to believe in them!"
