The article below was published in the daily newspaper L'Est Républicain, Nancy, France, page 5, on September 23, 1954.
|
BOUZONVILLE. (From our correspondent). -- Stories of "flying saucers" or "flying cigars" were, until now, considered in the Bouzonville region (Moselle) as mere hallucinations or inventions from imaginative "witnesses."
However, since yesterday morning, people are beginning to believe in the existence of these mysterious craft, as several individuals were left stunned after witnessing an extraordinary sight—one that most of them kept silent about, perhaps fearing they would not be believed.
One of them, however, Mr. Louis Moll, the rural guard of Oberdorff (Moselle), had the courage to provide a detailed statement about the phenomenon.
"On Sunday evening, around 9:15 p.m.," he declared, "a bright light coming from the East descended from the sky and landed on the horizon, east of Tromborn.
"The mysterious craft, which was fairly large in size, then changed the hue of its illumination, resembling the glow of a neon tube."
As for the dimensions of the craft, Mr. Moll is certain—it looked like... a bus!
"After remaining stationary for about 40 seconds," he further stated, "the light turned reddish, and I thought I could see black shapes moving around without any perceptible noise. After rotating, the craft ascended almost vertically, took on the appearance of an orange sphere, then red, and flattened out before disappearing at high speed toward the southeast."
The entire event lasted about a minute.
The Bouzonville gendarmerie, which recorded this testimony, has opened an investigation and is working to track down and interview other witnesses of this strange phenomenon.
CHARLEVILLE (From our correspondent). -- Meanwhile, a municipal councilor from Otton (Ardennes) claims to have seen a craft he believes to be a "flying saucer" that had landed not far from him.
As he approached it, he distinctly saw an aeronaut standing beside the machine. Thinking he might have the chance to speak with him, he hurried towards him. He was, he says, about 100 meters away when, upon noticing him, the pilot returned to the saucer.
The saucer immediately took off and quickly gained altitude.
