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May 4, 1812, Manosque, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France, people:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

Dr. Louis-Joseph-Marie Robert, a doctor and naturalist from Provence, had published in July 1812 a descriptive historical record of earthquake phenomena in the Manosque region in 1812, describing the earthquakes, the damages, but also luminous phenomena, one of which attracted ufological interest.

After pointing out that some people had asserted that they had seen electric flames emerge from the earth during the first earthquakes on 20 March 1812 and several times in the neighboring communes of Beaumont thereafter, he reported a phenomenon that occurred on May 4, 1812:

On the main road from Manosque to Villeneuve, seven travelers who were in the coach of Digne, have been so frightened that they had preferred to stop at the low grade inn of Quatre-Tours, rather than go to sleep at Manosque.

Indeed, approaching the car, there was a luminous balloon that fluttered along the road, which split into four fires, and then "the sight of the travelers became so disturbed, that they thought they saw dancing around them, four men locked up, each in a lantern."

While the event is perfectly dated in this publication, French ufologists who quote it rather faithfully otherwide, gave various dates: Pierre Delval gives a general date of March 20, 1812, Figuet and Ruchon change a 1 into a 7 to give the date May 4, 1872, with Henri Julien, Figuet returns to May 1812, Albert Rosales takes the date by Delval of March 20, 1812, and Julian Gonzalez gives thevague March or April 1812 date.

Basic information table:

Narratives:

[Ref. ro1:] DR. J. M. ROBERT:

[Ref. pd1:] PIERRE DELVAL:

[Ref. fr1:] MICHEL FIGUET AND JEAN-LOUIS RUCHON:

The authors indicate that on May 4, 1872, on the road from Manosque to Villeneuve (Hautes-Alpes and currently Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), "The phenomenon seen was so frightening that seven travelers who were in Digne's car stopped at the bad inn "Les quatre tours" rather than going to bed in Manosque. On the approach of the car, a "luminous balloon" which fluttered on the way divided into four fires, and then the sight of the travelers was so disturbed, that they believed they saw dancing around them four men each locked up in a lantern..."

[Ref. hj1:] HENRI JULIEN AND MICHEL FIGUET:

The authors indicate that during new earthquakes in the region in May 1812, the panic of the populations was general, and seven terrorized travelers en route to Digne in a public patache were so frightened that they decided to stop at the inn of the Four Towers, very piteous, rather than at Manosque.

They swore to have seen a luminous globe split into four lights and turn around their car.

Inside there were four visible men, each enclosed in a "lantern".

The authors wondered how this could be the first known visit in Provence of extraterrestrial entities.

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

[Ref. va1:] JACQUES VALLEE AND CHRIS AUBECK:

The authors say that on 20 March 1812, near Manosque, France, four entities inside lights were seen.

On the road from Villeneuve to Manosque, seven travelers in the coach to Digne were scared when they observed a luminous ball that hovered over the path close to the coach. The object split into four lights. Four human figures were seen, enclosed inside the objects, which looked like lanterns. Terrified, the travelers chose to stop at the inn of Quatre Tours rather than going all the way to Manosque.

The source is indicated as: Louis-Joseph-Marie Robert, "Notice historique sur le tremblement de terre du village de Beaumont, departement de Vaucluse, et examen des causes qui ont pu determiner dans un pays non volcanique, 128 secousses successives dans 75 jours...", (Aix: Augustin Pontier, 1812), 10.

[Ref. jg1:] JULIEN GONZALEZ:

This author indicates that near Manosque, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France, in March or April 1812, at an unknown hour, there was an encounter of the third type by several anonymous persons.

Henri Julien found in the history of the earthquake of the village of Beaumont (Apt), department of Vaucluse, by Dr. Robert, physician of the king to the lazaretto of Marseilles, this narrative:

"... The earthquakes were felt from 20 March 1812 at midnight, until 28 March and from 6 April to 15 May 1812 (...) A few people assured that they saw electric flames coming out of the earth, this phenomenon has been repeated several times in the neighboring communes of Beaumont since March 20, but the one that was seen on the highway from Manosque to Villeneuve was so frightening that seven travelers who were in the car of Digne preferred to stop at the bad inn of the Quatre Tours, rather than go to sleep in Manosque. On approaching the car, a luminous balloon fluttered along the way and divided into four fires, the sight of the travelers was so much troubled, that they thought they saw dancing around them four men, each enclosed in a lantern. At Sainte-Tulle and Manosque, a great light, resembling an aurora borealis, was seen, suspended in the air for a few minutes... All the domestic animals uttered cries and screams (...) Finally, I finish this historical precision by pointing out that the earthquake of Beaumont coincides with the appearance of this body planetary that has shone so long on our horizon... "

Julien Gonzalez indicates that his sources are "Lumières Dans La Nuit" #313, pages 20-21; Michel Figuet and Jean Louis Ruchon in "OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochées en France", page 39; Henri Julien and Michel Figuet "OVNI en Provence", pages 55-56.

Points to consider:

I am truly amazed at this report. Of course, Dr. Robert blames the sighting to a "disturbed" eyesight of the witnesses; but, at least apparently, it makes no sense as eyesight issues would not have resulted in seven different people reporting the same complex thing of four figures locked each in a lantern.

Of course, come have theorized that earthquakes are sometimes of often preceded or accompanied by luminous phenomena; this is true to me, it was shown in many articles outside the ufology litterature. Then some "skeptics" argued that these electrical phenomena cause electromagnetic effects in people brain so that they "see things" such as UFOs and/or UFO occupants. But again, there is no reason that the people would have suffered the same imaginary vision. Specially in 1812, atime when any notion of "UFO sightings" or beings floating in the air after a "luminous ball" split was nothing publicized like it became many decades later.

The report does not have any solid "scientific" value, of course. But I find it quite interesting.

List of issues:

Evaluation:

Possible extraterrestrial visitors.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

• [ro1] * "Notice Historique sur le Tremblement de Terredu Village de Beaumont (Vaculcuse)", by Dr. Louis-Joseph-Marie Robert, Augustin Pontier publisher, France, page 10, July 1812.
• [pd1] * "Contacts du 4e Type", book by Pierre Delval, De Vecchi publishers, France, page 204, 1979.
• [fr1] * "OVNI: Le premier dossier complet des rencontres rapprochées en France", book by Michel Figuet and Jean Louis Ruchon, Alain Lefeuvre publisher, France, page 39, 1979.
• [ld1] ? Ufology magazine Lumières Dans La Nuit (LDLN), France, #313, pages 20-21, 1992.
• [hj1] * "OVNI en Provence", book by Henri Julien and Michel Figuet, Editions de Haute-Provence publishers, France, pp 55-56, 1993.
• [ar1] * "Humanoid Reports from 2357 BC to 1869 AD", catalogue compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2005, at http://www.iraap.org/rosales/ancient.htm
• [va1] * "Wonders In The Sky - Unexplained Aerial Objects From Antiquity To Modern Times", book by Jacques Vallee and Chris Aubeck, Tarcher Perigee publishers, USA, 2010.
• [jg1] * "RR3 - Le Dossier des Rencontres du Troisième Type en France", book by Julien Gonzalez, Le Temps Présent publishers, France, pp 21-22, 2014.

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This page was last updated on September 30, 2017.