The article below was published in the daily newspaper Le Courrier Picard, France, pages 1 and 2, on September 30, 1954.
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LYON, September 30. -- In the departments of Rhône, Isère, Drôme and Savoie, many people claim to have seen, in recent days, with more or less clarity, craft having either the shape of cigars or that of discs.
In the Arbresle region, one of these witnesses, director of a Parisian music hall, even filmed a of these mysterious craft which evolved at a height estimated by him at around 700 meters. We will thus know, after development of the film, whether or not it is an optical illusion.
Near Feyzin (Isère), a young man reportedly saw in the country, not far from the ground, a machine having the shape of a dome and from which came a very bright light.
The witness compared it to that caused by the combustion of magnesium. The craft suddenly went up vertically, leaving behind a shower of sparks and disappeared.
In the Drôme, a resident, Mrs. L ... who was walking near Chabeuil, claims to have met, in the path that she followed, a small being dressed so oddly that she thought at first that it was a cellophane scarecrow.
The dog accompanying the walker barked furiously, overcome with terror. As for Mrs. L..., also terrified, she hid behind a hedge.
It was then that she saw rising from the cornfield which bordered the path, a disc from which came a whistling sound. Shortly after, the witness and some peasants went into the field where, according to them, a circular trace approximately 3 meters in diameter was clearly distinguished, with ears of corn lying down and broken branches at the edge.
Other residents of Chabeuil also said they saw a flying saucer that day.
Finally, in Savoy, near Lac du Bourget, above Mont Revard, several motorists, a total of fifteen people, simultaneously saw a craft moving for about four minutes in the shape of a disc, -tes [sic], then suddenly disappear.
Continued at the 2nd page under the title:
FLYING SAUCERS
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(Continued from the 1st page)
One of the witnesses, a doctor from Chambéry, is a former artillery observer. He carefully noted the observations and drew a diagram reproducing the path of the craft.
MM. Gérard, mechanic, and Paroux, driver, who were driving a high-speed machine coming from Nantes, saw, last night, while they were passing at a place called "La Butte du Rouge", commune of Saint-Nicolas-de-Redon (Ille-et-Vilaine) a craft which rose from the neighboring marshes.
This contraption, of some length, which was followed by a luminous trail, flew during ten seconds above the machine and disappeared in the sky.
Whereas the mechanic kept calm, the driver, however, was frightened, he fell ill and had to undergo a medical examination this morning.
Mr. Yves David, 28, a farmer in Brouloux, commune of Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, said he saw advancing on him, on the road from Cenon to Vouneuil, on September 10 at 10 p.m., a kind of "diver".
The latter, he said, came to caress his arm, uttered unintelligible sounds and withdrew towards a craft (that Mr. David cannot describe). A green beam of light was projected in its direction, nailing him on the spot, then the craft disappeared in the sky, vertically, without any noise.
Mr. David declares that he did not want to say anything about this bizarre encounter, lest someone makes fun of him. However, he shared it with a friend, asking him whether other people had seen the "diver". That's how the whole country learned about this.
A baker from Canet-Plage, said that when he returned from a delivery tour with his van, he saw above this locality, a brilliant disc which, after having flown in large circles, moved away towards the sea.
Also seven workers from a factory in the suburbs of Perpignan claim to have also seen an object of indefinite color evolving at high speed; which reportedly crossed the Pyrenees towards Spain.
Three residents of Lanta, near Villefranche-de-Lauraguais (Haute-Garonne), Mr. and Mrs. Brunet, and Mr. Gadra, local school teacher, say they saw an orange disc yesterday evening above the village.
The object moved at a great height and moved in a north-south direction.
After being visible for thirty to forty seconds, the luminous disc disappeared on the horizon.
