BACKGROUND
WHAT STARTED OUT AS A USUAL EVENING IN FLATWOODS, WV ON SEPTEMBER 12, 1952 WOULD PROVE TO BE ANYTHING BUT USUAL FOR SOME OF THE LOCALS. FOUR BOYS PLAYING FOOTBALL IN THE SCHOOLYARD WITNESSED WHAT COULD ONLY BE DESCIBED AS A "SHOOTING STAR". THE BOYS, HOWEVER, KNEW WHAT THEY SAW WAS, BY NO MEANS, A SHOOTING STAR.
THE OBJECT APPEARED TO HAVE CRASHED ON A NEARBY PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE BAILEY FISHER PROPERTY, AND AS HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WHEN YOU GET A GROUP OF YOUNG, CURIOUS CHILDREN TOGETHER, THEY DECIDED TO MAKE THE TREK TOGETHER TO SEE WHAT HAD FALLEN FROM THE SKY AND APPARENTLY LANDED ON THE BAILEY FISHER HOMESTEAD. ALONG THE WAY THEY COLLECTED KATHLEEN MAY AND HER TWO SONS, WHO EAGERLY ACCOMPANIED THEM TO THE PURPORTED CRASH SITE.
THE CRASH SITE
AS THE SEVEN APPROACHED THE SITE AND NIGHT FELL, IT BECAME FOGGY WITH MIST AND THERE WAS A METALLIC OR SULFURIC SMELL ACCORDING TO MRS. MAY. AS THEY CRESTED THE HILL THAT LAY BETWEEN THEM AND THE CRASH SITE, THEY SAW AN OBJECT THAT WAS GLOWING AND HISSING, AND AS THEY APPROACHED THE SITE, THEY AGREED THAT THE OBJECT WAS ABOUT 10 FEET IN DIAMETER. THEY ALSO NOTICED JUST A FEW FEET AWAY, TWO GLOWING OBJECTS THAT RESEMBLED THE DULL GLOW OF A FLASHLIGHT.
THE BRAXTON COUNTY MONSTER
ONE OF THE CURIOUS ONLOOKERS HAD A FLASHLIGHT AND WHEN HE POINTED IT AT THE OBJECT, WHAT HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE "BRAXTON COUNTY MONSTER" WAS SEEN. THE DESCRIPTION WAS AS FOLLOWS: "...A BRIGHT RED FACE, BRIGHT GREEN CLOTHING, A HEAD WHICH RESEMBLED THE ACE OF SPADES, AND CLOTHING WHICH, FROM THE WAIST DOWN, HUNG IN GREAT FOLDS". THE MONSTER'S BODY WAS DESCRIBED AS BEINGMAN-SHAPED AND CLAD IN A DARK PLEATED SKIRT; LATER DESCRIBED AS BEING GREEN. SOME ACCOUNTS RECORD THAT THE CREATURE HAD NO VISIBLE ARMS, WHILE OTHERS DESCRIBE IT AS HAVING SHORT STUBBY ARMS; ENDING IN LONG CLAW-LIKE FINGERS, WHICH PROTRUDED FROM THE FRONT OF ITS BODY. IT SEEMED TO BE FLOATING ABOVE THE GROUND TOWARDS THEM. FRIGHTENED BY THIS SPECTACLE THE GROUP DISPERSED, BUT EVENTUALLY ENDED UP BACK AT MRS. MAY'S HOME AND PHONED THE SHERRIFF.
AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THE SHERIFF, ROBERT CARR, AND HIS DEPUTY WERE TIED UP ON ANOTHER INVESTIGATION OF A REPORTED BURNING OBJECT SUSPECTED TO BE A DOWNED AIRPLANE. BY THE TIME THEY COULD ARRIVE AT THE SCENE, MUCH EVIDENCE WAS DESTROYED BY CURIOUS ONLOOKERS.
ATTEMPTS TO DEBUNK
SO; WHAT IS TO BE MADE OF THE COUNTLESS EYEWITNESS REPORTS OF THE "BRAXTON COUNTY MONSTER"? OFFICIAL REPORTS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. ONE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION COMES FROM A LOCAL INSURANCE SALESMAN AND SELF PROCLAIMED "AMATURE ASTRONOMER", EARL STEPHENS. IT IS HIS OPINION THAT THE "BRAXTON COUNTY MONSTER" WAS, IN FACT, A METEOR, COMMONLY CALLED A FIREBALL, THAT ORIGINATED IN THE OUTER ATMOSTPHERE, FORMING A GASTEROUS BALL. STEPHENS BACKS UP HIS THEORY WITH THE FACT THAT THE EARTH ENTERED A METEORIC STREAM IN AUGUST OF THAT YEAR.
I AM NOT A SCIENTIST, PROFESSIONAL OR OTHERHWISE, SO WITH THE LACK OF OFFICAL REPORTS, I CAN ONLY RELY ON A HANDFUL OF EYEWITNESS REPORTS AND AN OPINION OF AN AMATURE ASTONOMER, AS THAT IS ALL THERE IS AVAILABLE FOR ME TO PONDER. I'LL LET YOU DECIDE FOR YOURSELVES.
DONALD KEYHOE'S EXPLANATION
"PIONEER UFO RESEARCHER"MAJOR DONALD KEYHOE WRITES IN 1953"
"THE AIR FORCE HANDS-OFF ATTITUDE SEEMED PECULIAR TO ME. FOR THE MONSTER STORY WAS HAVING A SERIOUS EFFECT, IN ADDITION TO LETTERS FROM WORRIED AMERICANS... IF THE AIR FORCE HAD SENT INVESTIGATORS PUBLICLY IN HOPES OF KILLING THE STORY, IT MIGHT HAVE BACKFIRED. PAPERS AND MAGAZINES WOULD PICTURE THE INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS AS MAKING A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION. IT MIGHT SEEM PROOF, TO SOME PEOPLE, THAT THE AIR FORCE WAS SOBERLY IMPRESSED BY THE REPORT - OR AT LEAST THAT GIANTS FROM SPACE WERE CONSIDERED A STRONG POSSIBILITY... IT WAS FAR BETTER TO BRAND THE WHOLE THING AS A HALLUCINATION - WHICH INTELLIGENCE EVIDENTLY BELIEVED WAS THE ANSWER... WHETHER OR NOT THE AIR FORCE ANALYSIS IS CORRECT, ONE POINT IS CERTAIN - INTELLIGENCE CAREFULLY AVOIDED A PUBLIC INVESTIGATION IN ORDER TO PREVENT HYSTERIA."
SOURCEhttp://www.educatinghumanity.com/feeds/posts/default
