History of the UFO-Alien Problem: Before Roswell

Believe it or not, the Roswell incident was not the beginning of the UFO-Alien Abduction flap in America. This is often pointed to by scoffers as the beginning of what they say is the biggest hoax the world has ever seen. This is not the case, nor has a hoax been perpetuated by UFO enthusiasts or by the U.S. government. Though the Roswell incident is a popular focal point, it was not the beginning of UFO sightings in recorded history.

As early as the 1800's, there was a rash of sightings of what were then termed as Airships. Beginning in 1896 and continuing through 1897, cigar-shaped UFOs were seen flying the friendly skies. Although the reports came from all over the world, most of the reports were from the U.S.A. Historian Mike Dash writes that the sightings that occurred in 1896-1897 were perhaps the best quality UFO sightings that have been investigated and recorded in American history.

Dash points out that more than 1,500 newspapers were investigated to look for mention of the airships. Many of the news stories were exposed as misidentifications. There were also a few hoaxes. A percentage of these sightings defied explanation. The visual sightings described a level of technology absolutely unknown in the latter part of the 19^th century. The airships were identified as gigantic cigar-shaped flying machines able to fly great distances.

These airships reportedly were seen flying over the East Coast as early as 1887. In 1896, the best known of these airship sightings came from California. From these California airship reports came stories of contact with aliens. Common, ordinary folks with nothing to gain, and who indeed gained nothing by reporting these events, encountered these airships from California to Arkansas and from Kansas to Texas. One story from that era, remarkably similar to the Roswell Incident, came out of Aurora, Texas.

The story claims that one of the airships crashed into either a windmill or a sump pump that belonged to a local judge. A very dead and mangled corpse was recovered that witnesses deemed not of this world. The airship had unearthly symbols and writing on it. The crashed craft was believed to have weighed several tons and was made of metallic substances. Someone from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) discovered the actual burial site and tombstone. Although denied an exhumation of the body, metal detectors did find a quantity of foreign material (whatever that is supposed to mean) in the grave. Years later, MUFON members returned to the well-mapped and well-documented burial site only to find no sign of the grave or gravestone.

In 1909, there were sightings in other parts of the world such as Europe and New Zealand. In 1912 and 1913, reports began coming out of the United Kingdom. Though debunkers sought to discredit all the sightings, the most viable explanation of why these reports were not taken seriously by newspapers, like the San Francisco Chronicle, was that though the editors and reporters of that paper saw the UFOs, they didn't do any serious reporting for fear of destroying their credibility.

A very interesting note about the airships and their descriptions is that what was described in 1870-1897 is seen and described today. In fact, you can view a photo taken of an airship in 1870, and then watch a video of a current sighting of an object matching the descriptions of the airships from the 19^th century. The video is a UFO of the same craft design of the verbal and photo descriptions from the 19^th century. It is shown being chased by Soviet MIGS. (UFO - Cylinder Chased by Soviet MIG-21)

An actual abduction attempt associated with the airship sightings was reported in the late 1800's by Colonel H.G. Shaw. The Stockton (California) Daily Mail reported in 1897 that Shaw said the inhabitants of these airships tried to kidnap him and a friend, but they were able to fight off the attempt.

In 1954, the French weekly, Paris Match, described an event that took place in 1921 in which a boy was taken by two strangers described as wearing "diving suits" (atmosphere suits?). They took him to a bizarrely formed metal tank (a shuttle pod or ship?) before they released him. This might be the earliest Alien Abductee survivor report.

What is so astounding is that mankind has been claiming "contact" with aliens from even earlier periods in history!

During the Middle Ages, there were accounts of abductions. Those pesky Airshipstormented folks who were trying to survive plagues and pestilences. Within the context of that epoch's socio-religious worldview, the Airships and their inhabitants were thought to be mighty magicians from a magical land.

The events in today's UFO sightings and alien abductions are also seen as victims falling prey to a mighty force against which the planet has no hope of standing. If the aliens want that sperm sample, then damn it, they will take it! It would seem the same drama is being enacted once again only the actors have changed. Instead of demons impregnating women and then stealing their babies to raise in the demon world, it is ET's, the aliens, who are doing it.

Same plot with different characters in the script.

SOURCES:

Dash, Mike, Borderlands: The Ultimate Exploration of the Unknown; Woodstock: Overlook Press, 2000; ISBN 0-87951-724-7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_airship

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4468185100897567649

http://www.virtuallystrange.net/ufo/updates/2004/mar/m19-001.shtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLa3bivYDM4

Paris Match was founded in 1949 by the industrialist Jean Prouvost. The magazine is now part of Hachette Filipacchi Médias, which is itself owned by the Lagardère Group.