This article was published in the daily newspaper Hillsdale Daily News, of Hillsdale, Michigan, USA, on March 24, 1966.
Also check other files on the Michigan 1966 swamp gas story.
Nonidentified Flying Objects are reportedly still in the Hillsdale area.
Hundreds of people cruised the streets Wednesday night, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of those things from outer space, and from the reports that poured in many were not disappointed.
Susan Merrill, 12-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jason L. Merrill, 263 Union St., reported that for the second night she sighted a UFO.
Her mother made sketches of the two Susan has described.
The one above is the one spotted Wednesday night about 9:15.
The three circles in the lower half of the object represent lights which changed colors - red, white and green - but in no apparent pattern.
Susan said the object, which she estimated to be 20-25 feet across and 15 feet high, appeared to rise from behind some bushes. She said this one did not wobble or have a yellow exterior glow like the one she saw Tuesday night. But it was spinning, she said.
There was, she said a yellow glow which appeared to emanate from within and from time to time bright yellow flashes of light were seen to come from the top part.
The circular arrows represent the path traveled by a point of light which circled above the object occasionally.
Susan said she could detect no physical connection between the circling point of light and the object but other students are reported to have seen what they described as a wire connecting the object with the point of light.
The object was viewed for about 25 minutes, William Van Horn, Civil Defense director, instructed Susan, via walkie-talkie, not to approach the object and she said she abandoned the watch.
Falling temperatures and snow flurries whipped by a stiff wind made outside activity extremely uncomfortable.
The drawing below was made by Mrs. Merrill from Susan's description of the Tuesday night sighting.
The three circles in the lower half are the lights, red, white and greenish.
The double line through the center is where a concentration of yellow light emanated from and the dark lines spreading in a fan shape from either side of the drawing represent the overall yellow glow the object possessed.
Police were kept busy Wednesday night chasing down leads phoned in by "saucer watchers."
One report stemmed from the sighting of white lights shining on the orange indicator at the airport and another report was caused by the red lights atop the microwave tower west of the city.
One wild chase for Mr. Van Horn was precipitated by the sighting of a brilliant red, dancing light east of Stock Fieldhouse.
Investigation disclosed the glowing remains of two or three railroad flares, apparently set off by pranksters.
Mr. Van Horn told The Daily News it is quite evident pranksters are now getting into action and expressed the fear that this will hinder serious scientific observation and investigation.
He said Wednesday night that UFO reports are consistent enough to indicate "something" was sighted but would not make any comment about what that "something" might be.
Dr. Allen Hynek, an astrophysicist working with the U.S. Air Force is coming to Hillsdale to investigate the reports.
