Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency interview record, dated 20 October 1955, recounts a sighting by a traveler whose name is redacted. While riding a train after dark with three companions, he saw two round greenish yellow lights climb steeply and rapidly without noise, smoke or trail. His companions said they saw lights and details on the objects and that the objects passed over the train. The memo notes a nearby searchlight that did not track them and is signed off through Herbert Scoville, Assistant Director, Scientific Intelligence.
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He was riding on the train with 3 others and heard a cold, was feeling tired, and lay down in one of the two compartments. The others were in the second compartment. He heard the lights out. He noticed what appeared to be a yellow spot on the window. Looking closer he saw it was outside and seemed to be a greenish yellow ball which was ascending rapidly. After it disappeared, he went in to tell the others. While he was discussing it with them, a second object appeared and they all watched it. When the second object was first sighted, the compartment lights were on, but were then switched off. It was after dark and it was unable to see any outline or details of either object other than the greenish yellow light which appeared to be round. He could see no rocket trail nor smoke. He had the uncertain impression that the object was gently whirling or 'tumbling upward'. The trajectory was upward at a steep angle (not vertical) which he described as the way a fourth of July rocket goes off a highly inclined track. In both cases, the objects were first seen at a distance which he estimated was 600 to 800 feet above the earth. However, he emphasized he had no good way of telling how far away the objects were. The objects kept on going up without a break in their course. They did not level off. He seemed uncertain as to how they finally disappeared. At no time did he hear any noise above the train noise. There was a searchlight visible such as we used in World War II to spot planes. It was turned on but was not pointed at the objects and did not attempt to follow them. In the discussion with the others afterward they claimed to have seen lights on the objects and to have been able to make out some details. The others remarked that their eyes were better than his for he could see only the round yellow light. The others said the objects went over the train. The following information is provided within the report: 1. The report is prepared by a team of experts with expertise in the field of data analysis and machine learning. 2. The report is intended for use by the management of the organization to inform decision-making. 3. The report is free from any copyright restrictions. 4. The report is intended to be used in conjunction with other reports and materials.
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 2 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.