This article was published in the daily newspaper Le Provençal, France, on September 22, 1954.
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La Haye (A.F.P.).
The 194 residents of the small village of Zuilaarderveeb in Groningus, have been caught in collective insomnia for one week, fearing to become in their turn victims of an invasion of balls of fire which according to the claims of the one of the farmers of the village, Mr. Van der Veen, occurred in his own home.
Mr. Van der Veen was chatting the other evening, in the enclosed bed, Brittany fashion, which he shares with Mrs. Van der Veen, when he noticed that a small ball of the size of a marble, emitting a yellow gleam and surrounded by a black circle, floating above the bed.
As he tried to catch it, the ball started to grow and disappeared.
A few moments later, under the horrified eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Van der Veen, about fifteen small balls formed suddenly and started to roll under the covers. The couple jumped of the bed and while Mr. Van der Veen made an effort, with a trembling hand, to light an oil lamp, the balls rose and merged in a long ribbon, which twisted as a snake and circled the room to disappear at the very moment the lamp was ignited.
The adventure of Mr. Van der Veen, supported by the credit of his solid personality, met few incredulity in his village, and made its way to the big Dutch newspapers.
Rome (A.C.P.).
The "flying cigar" that was observed Friday afternoon, in the sky of Rome, is the subject of confidential studies in the big astronomical observatory of Rome.
Thousands of people managed to see the machine which moved lengthily above Rome, at 10.000 meters initially, then went down much lower. It left behind a light trail of white smoke which started from the narrowest end of the cigar. The radar technicians at the Ciampino airfield distinguished an antenna in the middle of the broadest end of the machine. It had the shape of a widened cigar inflated about the middle.
Several scientists of Rome, alerted in good time, could observe the apparatus, because it was really an craft, to them, and not a celestial body: "Aircraft of the unknown type up to now", they specify.
At a some time, the machine suddenly descended of approximately 400 meters, thenput itself in vertical position, took altitude again and, getting back to its horizontal position of flight, disappeared quickly at the horizon.
