◆ SpookStack

IN REPLY, PLEASE REFER TO FILE No. By WELLS CALDWELL The strange object seen travel- ing across the heavens just after sundown last night has caused widespread speculation here in Radford as well as in other sec- tions. of Southwestern Virginia and Eastern Tennessee. Exactly’ what the mysterious traveler was, no one here seems to know, and the number of con- flicting reports have only added to the confusion. This much seems to be cer- tain: the object appeared over the Southwest horizion shortly before. 8 p.m. and was moving eastward. Also, it was black, or at least part. of it was. A Radford man, living inthe east end section, asked that his name not be used, but give this | version: “I was working in the “yard when I glanced up and: saw’ a long black ‘thing flying across the'sky. It.came from the direc- tion of Pulaski. It looked a | great deal like a rounded. stick of wood which was burning in 4 Federal Burean of Investigation United States Department of Justice Kadt rd Khet escaal: Ad bord MN, Pte front. The object was trailed by either vapor or smoke and faded from view when it seemed to be directly overhead.” Mrs. Alfréd Tolley, of 1702 Seventh Street, west, teported her 12-year-old son, Albert, was playing next door and noticed the object. She said her son had been studying comets in school and called her attention to the phenomenon, thinking that it was either a°comet or a meteor. “The strange looking object”, she said “was. long and black with a light on the front end. | It seemed to follow the air route from the directon of . Pulaski, later turning and heading toward Blacksburg. . There was a light on the front end and great long streaks of fire. We saw it. for about . 10° minutes.” Miss Joe Stewart, of the Rad- ford College biology department, said she saw the object and as- sumed it was the exhaust from an airplane,. She added that she was “in no way alarmed.” Fred W. Hurt, of Fourth and ae Streets, gave this ver- sion: “At the first appearance it looked like a comet. recall Halley’s comet and it resembled that. There was, at first, a bright spot ahead of the stream of fire, but the trail didn’t Took | S so bright when.the. object reach- ed_ its. zenith, “It appeared to be moving s slow- ly at first and later very fast, which indicates that it was quite a distance away when I first saw it, The object seemed’ to follow avstraight path, however it véered a little once in_sort of an are — and then straighted out agin. I heard no noise.” - Mrs. James D. Heinline, of 60 Jackson Street, Monroe ‘Terrace, said she and her husband -watch- | ec it with some neighbors. “It looked like a long black cigar. which ‘was on fire’, “she stated. “We heard a faint sound, which might have been a small motor... At times it looked like an’ airplane ‘way, ’way. off. 1 thought. at first it might be> a- comet or a meteor, but it seemed to be traveling too | ppeared that. -It a phenom children. in the Yor She Sai burg, a former Air estimated - the. object at 6,000 © there was a port, Tenn., and as Bedford: