When Flying Saucers Invaded
Prince Rupert
Hugh
Ferguson was watching a Canso flying boat
touch down in the harbour when he happened to
look up and see the flying saucers. It was a
week before Christmas, 1952, and all over the
city people were doing exactly what Ferguson
was doing. Heads tilted back, mouths open,
they watched the saucers race across the sky.
"They were
heading northeast and rolling," said Vern
Ciccone, manager of the Eaton's store. "There
were four or five of them."
"I saw
them.” said Fred Slade, who was unloading
parcels at the post office. "They were flying
in formation. Two of them at first, then
three, followed by five more."
It was the
second time in 15 days that flying saucers
were sighted over the city. On December 3, at
least nine people watched a shiny spherical
object streak across the harbour. But this
time, the saucers were seen by hundreds.
Ciccone said they were very small, "slightly
dark on top and shiny at the bottom. They were
round, and seemed to veer several times as
they moved towards the northeast." He watched
them for nearly five minutes, in the midst of
a large crowd.
At least one
man didn't believe the things were flying
saucers. He wouldn't give his name to
reporters. "Do you think I want half the town
down my neck?" but he said there was a simple
and natural answer to the mystery. In the cold
atmosphere, he said, rapid condensation
created little "cloudlets" that joined
together to make one big cloud. But he
wouldn't change Ferguson's mind. "I didn't
believe in flying saucers before," he said.
"But I sure do now. I saw them."
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