The article below was published in the daily newspaper Le Patriote de Nice et du Sud-Est, Nice, France, page 1, on October 6, 1954.
See the case file.
|
LILLE. -- A retired miner from Beuvry-les-Béthune, known in his town as a prankster, didn't miss the opportunity presented by the flying saucer craze to have some fun at the expense of residents in nearby towns.
Inspired by the hot air balloon system, the cheerful retiree built craft up to 3 meters in diameter. The envelope was made from sheets of thick grey paper, carefully glued together. At the base of the saucer was a small receptacle containing a tuft of tow soaked in a flammable liquid. Once the tow was ignited, the craft would rise and drift away with the wind, surrounded by yellow and orange reflections.
It was after one of these devices nearly set fire to a haystack that the gendarmes began to suspect the retiree. At his home, they discovered many models of "flying saucers"—prototypes the inventor was preparing to launch into the skies over northern France.
The hoaxer claimed he had already built and launched over a thousand of these devices. The former miner will likely face fines for dangerous mischief.
