The article below was published in the daily newspaper Nord-Matin, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, page 8, on September 22, 1954.
The "flying cigar" which was observed Friday afternoon in the sky of Rome, is the subject of confidential studies in the great astronomical observatory of Rome.
Thousands of people could see the craft which flew fro a long time above Rome, at an altitude of 10.000 meters first, then descended much lower. It left behind a slight trail of white smoke coming out of the narrow end of the cigar. Radar technicians at the Ciampino airport identified an antenna in the middle of the widest end of the craft. The latter has the shape of a cigar enlarged and swollen towards the middle.
Several scientists from Rome alerted in good time, were able to observe the craft, because it is indeed for them, now, a craft and not a celestial body: "Aerial craft of type unknown so far", they say.
At one time, the craft descended suddenly 400 meters, then it got into vertical position, took again height and, returning to its flight position, quickly disappeared on the horizon.
A resident of Moulins went over the weekend to Rongères, a small commune in the Allier, when Sunday in the afternoon, around 4:30 p.m. he saw in the sky a cigar-shaped object and, a few seconds later, a second object in the shape of a globe. This very shiny globe circled in 15 seconds and quickly headed southeast.
This testimony was not known until yesterday evening following a report that the Moulin residents, whose identity has not been revealed, sent to the Prefect of Allier.
Mr. Denis Giraud, baker, 27, saw a flying saucer last night.
Working for Mr. Justin Rabbia, baker, rue Marius Allongue, Mr. Giraud was at 4:30 a.m. yesterday morning at the window of his boss's bakery, from where he had a vie to the road and the Esterel.
Suddenly, he saw, crossing the sky and heading towards the Esterel, a machine about 3 meters in diameter, moving very quickly and leaving behind it a trail of white smoke and a red glow.
This machine made no noise and before Mr. Giraud had time to "realize", the saucer had disappeared beyond the mountains...