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Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010002-9 that of a witness who described “a reddish-orange disc Cthat) emerged apparently from inside the object and be- gan a slow, erratic descent down toward the power lines. As it reached a point within a quarter of a mile of them, it leveled off, then moved over the wires until it reached a point several hundred feet away. It then descended slowly until it was only a few feet above the lines. Then a silvery pipelike object came down from the base of the disc and actually touched the lines, remaining there for a minute or so.” CIncident at Exeter). . The coincidence of power-blackouts with UFO sightings had been too numerous over the years for investigators to dismiss the relationship. Many of them had examined the possibility that the UFOs were recharging from earth based power sources. Whatever the ultimate truth is, there are a remarkable number of sightings during the course of which car radios, car motors, TV sets, city lights and, in some instances, entire areas have been effected, to the extent of total blackout. NICAP drew attention to this unique feature of UFO reports in The UFO Evidence and cited, as examples of the frequent mentions of electrical failures that attach to sight- ings, the many reports that came in during the November 1957 flap. Levelland, Texas: Torpedo-shaped object made explo- sive take-off from fiéld passing over a truck. Truck lights and engine failed. Same date and location: Two grain combines failed and seven separate reports of car motor and car light failure were reported. Ararangua, Brazil: fected at same time pilot saw red light near plane. Kodiak, Alaska: Police officer reported interference on cruiser radio as he watched fiery red object trailing greenish- yellow vapor pass over. Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.: was seen hovering in sky. TV blackout as revolving UFO Santa Fe, N.M.: Humming UFO passed low over car; engine, clock and wristwatch stopped. Hammond, Ind.: TV blackout and report of interfer- ence with cruiser radios as police chased “elongated beep- ing object.” Lemmon, §.D.: Railroad phones and automatic block system failed after UFO had followed train into railroad yard, The Air Force dismissed the suggestion of electro-mag- netic interference and stated the number of “stallings” re- ported by motorists was negligible. It may have been this attitude that prompted the national press to steer away from coverage of several power blackouts, locally attributed to the presence of UFOs. An example given little attention in the press but ap- parently noted with more than passing interest by the Air Aircraft electrical equipment ef- , Force was chronicled in Frank Edwards’ Flying Saucers- Serious Business (Lyle Stuart). In this instance a glowing object was sighted over Oneida, N.Y., traveling west, fast and high. Radar established it was not meteor, not plane, not missile. And the line of flight (East to West) es- tablished it- was not a satellite. Listed as a UFO, it was tracked to Kansas then lost on the radar screens as it headed northwest. It was later ac- knowledged by an Air Force spokesman that a few minutes later a power substation at Eureka, Utah ceased function- ing and remained out of operation during 42 minutes that a UFO sat down near the station. Jets from Stead AFB in Reno and in Phoenix were sent up to intercept. That same night there was a blinding flash in the sky, 70 miles south of Reno, so intense that the glare was seen in five states. The jets were pursuing the object at the time of the explosion over Nevada. “Here was a case where flustered officials confirmed that an object beyond their control had crossed most of the United States, had landed beside a power station which re- mained useless until the object took off, pursued by armed interceptors. While under this pursuit, the object had ad- mittedly exploded with a brilliance visible over five states.” Flying Saucers-Serious Business. Nor has the most memorable of all blackouts gone un- remarked by UFOlogists who are concerned with the in- stances of UFO sightings coupled with power failures. On November 9, 1965, 80,000 square miles of America was plunged into darkness by the failure of the Northeast Power Grid. -The magnitude of such a failure; its consequences and its forbidding potential demanded and received in- stant and thorough investigation and generated world-wide puzzlement and requests for explanation. Quick answers were given and.as hastily retracted. One early explanation was that a line break near Niag- ara Falls was the cause. This proved not to be the case. The blame switched to power lines near Clay, N.Y. They were not at fault. Investigators turned their attention to trouble in the Montezuma Marshes near Syracuse. Everything ship- shape. Ultimately the cause was said to have been a mal- functioning tripper at the Sir Adam Beck No. 2 plant, in Canada. But authorities admit today that the real cause of the disastrous blackout remains a mystery. The utility companies, the Air Force and the press made little mention of the reported UFO sighting that afternoon of November 9. Two commercial airline pilots spotted two disc-shaped objects flying over Pennsylvania. In pursuit were two jets. At 4:30 p.m. a tremendous burst of speed carried the UFOs out of sight. At 5:30 p.m. a brilliantly glowing light was seen coming down over Syracuse, N.Y. At that same time 36,000,000 people were plunged into the Great Northeastern Blackout. Two huge fireballs were reported by two sets of reliable witnesses at this same time; one over the airport at Syracuse; the other above the power lines leading to the generating plant at Niagara Falls. NICAP has this later report on file. It is available to investi- gators interested in pursuing all theories relative to the November 1965 blackout. It has not been given serious consideration by authorities who still are seeking the an- swers. There have been other blackouts of sizeable conse- quence. There have been attendant UFO sightings. The theory may gain support. Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010002-9