The 1954 French flap:

The flying saucers
were just insulators
of a high power line

Thursday, around 10 p.m., several people circulating on avenue Anatole-France and arriving near the Roger Salengro square, had their attention attracted by luminous dots moving in the sky above the Ecole Ménagère and seeming, at first glance, be located quite far towards Cambrai.

The alert was immediately sounded: a trembling North African went to get the night duty officer, then the firefighters on duty in a cinema, so that a few minutes later, fifty people watched this apparition and all believed in a group of flying saucers! Immediately, the reflections went on, some people declared that they saw the saucers spinning at high speed, others said that they were approaching more and more; a firefighter protested indignantly against motorists who were driving with all their headlights on, etc...

It was about ten minutes later that one realized that it was quite simply a light reflection acting on the glass insulators placed at the top of a pylon of a high power line.

The laughter followed the emotion, and everyone withdrew saying that the invasion of the place Roger-Salengro by the Martians was not yet for this night!

 

ANZIN

FLYIGN SAUCERS

Simple insulators of
a high power line

Thursday around 10 p.m., several people circulating on avenue Anatole-France, and arriving near the Roger-Salengro square, had their attention drawn by luminous dots moving in the sky above the Household School and seeming, at first sight, be located quite far in the direction of Cambrai.

The alert was immediately given, a trembling North African went to look for the night service agent, then the firefighters on duty in a cinema, so that a few minutes later about fifty people observed this apparition and all believed in an arrival of flying saucers in groups. Immediately the reflections went their way, some people stated that they saw the saucers spinning at high speed, others said that they approached more and more, a firefighter rose in indignation against the motorists driving with all headlights on.

It was only about ten minutes later that one realized that it was simply a reflection of light acting on the glass insulators placed at the top of a pylon of a high voltage line.

The laughter followed the emotion and everyone withdrew, thinking that the invasion of the Roger-Salengro square by the Martians was not yet for tonight.

Saucers, cigars, etc.

The lacquered "Martien"
spoke "Russian"?

A worker from Saint-Rémy (Vosges), Mr. Ujvari, 40 years old, has just told the gendarmes of Raon-l'Etape that, last Wednesday, around 3 a.m., he was stopped on the road by a stranger of large build and average height, wearing a gray jacket, decorated on the shoulders with shiny badges.

The man spoke an unknown language. Mr. Ujvari, of Czech nationality, tried to speak Russian. His interlocutor understood it perfectly. "Where am I, he asked, in Italy, in Spain?" He then inquired about the distance separating him from the German border, and the time. The worker having told him that it was around 3:30 a.m., the man took out of his jacket a watch that marked 4 a.m.

Then the stranger gave the worker the order to move forward. Soon Ujvari saw in the middle of the road a craft in the shape of two plates reversed one against the other, from which emerged a kind of periscope.

Arrived at about thirty meters from the apparatus, which was about 1.50 high and 2.50 m. wide, the stranger tells him to move away. But, looking back from time to time, Mr. Ujvari varies could see the machine rise slowly vertically with a noise of sewing machines. Arrived at an altitude of 500 meters, it took the horizontal and disappeared in direction of the south.

Mr. Ujvari said the unknown was wearing a helmet similar to that of a motorcyclist. He had a gun in his hand.

His last word to Mr. Ujvari was "farewell" in Russian.

He had a bottle!

Friday evening, in Binic, a passerby alerted the residents of rue Wilson to inform them that he had just seen a little man all covered with hair. Several resident set off to meet the "Martian" who seemed to be waiting for them. Arriving a few meters away, the delegation realized that it was a gas bottle!

We wonder if the passer-by hadn't emptied one too many!

The War of the Worlds did not take place in Anzin

The War of the Worlds did not take place in Anzin. A false alarm had worried many people who believed... Friday evening, in an invasion of "Martians."

It was around 10 p.m. when a few strollers walking along avenue Anatole-France saw bright spots in the sky.

A person, seized with fear, sounded the alarm at the police station, while firefighters, on duty in a movie theater, rushed to screams in the street by witnesses of the strange apparitions.

The saucers were going faster and faster and leading an infernal dance, much to the excitement of passers-by who expected their landing. A firefighter even prevented motorists from driving with their headlights on, so as not to serve as a landmark for the "Martians".

Ten minutes later, one noticed that they were light reflections on glass insulators placed at the top of a pylon of a high-voltage power line.

The cigar was lit

Returning from a surveillance tour, Mr. Albert Tilly, rural policeman in Ecury-sur-Coole (Marne), saw a machine flying at very high speed. It was elongated and lighted inside. The machine moved silently and at a speed four times that of a jet plane, leaving behind a red trail of about 50 meters.

Invasion of... imaginary Martians in Anzin

VALENCIENNES, October 23 (A.F.P). - The "War of the Worlds" has not occurred in Anzin, where many people believes the other night, in an invasion of Martians.

It was about 10 p.m. when some walkers circulating on the Anatole France avenue saw "luminous dots" in the sky. A person seized with fear, gave the alarm to the police station, while firefighters, on duty in a movie theater, flocked to the cries of witnesses in the street.

The saucers were going faster and faster and led a hellish round at the great excitement of passersby who expected their landing. A firefighter even prevented motorists to drive with their headlights on.

Ten minutes later, it was discovered that it was luminous reflections on glass insulators placed at the top of the mast of a high voltage power line.

The "hairy Martian" of Loctudy (Finistère) was a savant goat!

BREST, October 23 ("France-Soir" telegram). -- The mystery of the hairy Martian of Loctudy (Finistère) is finally solved. And the bakery worker who, at night, was followed in the courtyard of the bakery by a being with a face covered in hair and enormous eyes, recovered from his emotions, as well as the people of the town. The Martian was a learned goat belonging to a circus passing in the area and it had wandered into the yard of the baker.

• A HUGE FIREBALL arrested in Criteuil (Charente) the car of Mr. Fillonneau M., mason. The witness who had felt "a violent gust of air" found that the battery was discharged and the bulbs of his headlights were burned out.
• A LUMINOUS STOVE PIPE was observed by the country guard of Montboubert near Abbeville, Mr. Fernand Poirel.
• A CIGAR LIGHTER, which is then divided into three, was seen by many, many people in Schleswig (Germany).

The expected detail (???)
on the flying saucers

The braided "Martian"
spoke "russian"

A worker from Saint-Rémy (Vosges), Mr. L. Ujvari, 40 years old, has just told the gendarmes of Raon-l'Etape that he had been arrested on the road by a tall, medium-sized stranger, dressed in a gray jacket, adorned with shiny badges on the shoulders.

The man spoke an unknown language. Mr. Ujvari, a Czech national, tried to speak Russian. His interlocutor understood this perfectly. "Where am I, he asked, in Italy or Spain?" He then inquired about the distance between him and the German border, and the time. The worker having indicated to him that it was approximately 3:30 a.m., the man took out of his jacket a watch, which marked 4 o'clock in the morning.

The craft was 1.50 m high and 2.50 m. wide. It was shaped like two plates overturned against each other, from which a sort of periscope emerged.

Mr. Ujvari said the stranger was wearing a helmet similar to that of a motorcyclist. He was holding a revolver in his hand.

His last word to Mr. Ujvari was "farewell" in Russian.

WAR OF THE WORLDS

A false alarm had worried many people who believed... in an invasion of "Martians."

It was around 10 p.m. when a few strollers on avenue Anatole-France saw bright spots in the sky.

A person, seized with fright, gave the alarm to the police station, while firefighters on duty in a cinema, rushed to the cries uttered in the street by the witnesses of the strange appearances.

The saucers went faster and faster and led a hellish round, to the great excitement of the patients who expected their landing. A firefighter prevented motorists from driving with their headlights on, so as not to serve as a landmark for the "Martians".

Ten minutes later, one realized that they were light reflections on glass insulators placed at the top of a pylon of a high-voltage power line.

Alert in Anzin

Saucers above
the square

It was 10 p.m. when a customer leaving the Sports Hall observed luminous discs in close formation flying over the housewife school. He alerted other consumers who looked at the saucers that appeared to be immobilized. A North African trembling with fear rushed to warn the police station officers, soon about fifty people were gathered. In front of the... danger the fireman of the Salon cinema stopped the cars and turned off the headlights and each expressed his opinion: one said "they are at least above Cambrai", another immediately replied "Impossible, I see they are turning."

After 10 minutes, the eyes getting used to the darkness, one of the spectators saw the pylon of the high-voltage power line whose glass insulators are located 31 meters from the ground. Soon the mystery of the saucers was solved.

It was simply a lamp located on the ground, the lighting of which reached the insulators which weakly reflected this glow.

One laughed about it ... afterward.