SUBJECT: MARITIME AERIAL PHENOMENA                           FILE: UFO2608






MARITIME AERIAL PHENOMENA.  (From "Just Cause".  December 1992.)
(Just Cause, Copyright 1992 by Citizens Against UFO Secrecy, PO Box 218,
Coventry, CT 06238, published bi-monthly with a subscription rate of
$15/yr.)
     Spot checks of a government marine publication have revealed interesting
reports of strange aerial manifestations that have largely been overlooked.
"Notice to Mariners" is a long-time weekly of the U.S. Hydrographic Office,
published since the 1800s.  The bulk of each number is devoted to reports of
lighthouse positions and schedules, hazard reports, chart revisions; etc.
Beginning in the late 1950s reports of "Celestial Phenomenon" crept into
various issues and continued fairly regularly into the mid-1960s.  The reports
were extracted from ships' logs, much the same way as those appearing in a
similar British serial, "The Marine Observer."


From "Notice to Mariners," March 9, 1963

        Celestial Phenomenon - North Atlantic.
        Second Officer H. Rathsack of the American S.S. Overseas
        Rebecca, Capt. D.N. Dibble, Master, reported the following:  At
        0600 G.M.T. December 1, 1962, in lat. 36 degrees 27' N., long. 7
        degrees 26' W. on passage from Bordeaux to Tripoli, a mysterious
        object was observed.  It was first observed bearing 130 degrees
        altitude 20 degrees and appeared to be a comet with its tail
        almost reaching the horizon.  Later it appeared more like an
        atomic mushroom.  It was visible about 40 minutes and faded away
        with the sunrise.  Barometer 1022.4 millibars, air temperature
        14.4 degrees C., sea temperature 19.4 degrees C.

From Notice to Mariners," October 28, 1961

        Celestial Phenomenon - North Pacific.
        Second Officer William C. Ash of the American S.S. Iberville,
        Capt. M.O. Vinson, Master, reported the following:  "At 1700
        G.M.T. on September 21, 1961, while in lat. 31 degrees 30' N.,
        long. 175 degrees 30' E., a few minutes before morning twilight,
        a white opaque mass about twice the size of a full moon appeared
        in the northwest at an elevation of about 20 degrees.  It
        continued to climb toward the zenith and at about an elevation
        of 40 degrees the mass opened gradually to appear as a huge halo
        with a satellite in the center having very nearly the brightness
        of a first magnitude star.  By the time it reached the zenith it
        had more than doubled in size reaching its maximum at the zenith
        and then diminishing as it proceeded to the southeast.  As it
        diminished it continued to decrease in size but did not appear
        to shrink into a corona as it had appeared but rather faded out
        completely at an elevation of approximately 20 degrees.  The
        entire mass was in view for approximately 8 to 10 minutes."
        Weather partly cloudy, wind NW force 2, slight sea and small NW
        swell, temperatures: dry 74 degrees F., wet 67 degrees F., sea
        79 degrees F.

From "Notice to Mariners," May 11, 1963.

        Celestial Phenomenon - North Pacific.
        Junior Second Officer B. Gronberg of the Swedish M.V. Kungsholm,
        Capt. H. Solje, Master, reported the following:  At 0500 G.M.T.
        April 4, 1963, in lat. 31 degrees 30' N., long. 128 degrees 53'
        W., on passage from Honolulu to Los Angeles, the following was
        observed:  A white cloud more intensive than the surrounding
        clouds was seen.  A few seconds later the cloud transformed into
        several concentric rings which become larger and larger similar
        to the rings formed when a stone is dropped into smooth water.
        In the center of the inner ring 6 or 7 bright white dots similar
        to bright stars were seen.  The phenomenon was bearing 315
        degrees altitude 45 degrees and was moving westward very
        rapidly. After about 3 minutes the dots separated into two
        groups, one group proceeded as before and the other group turned
        to the right and disappeared.  The phenomenon lasted about 7
        minutes.  Weather partly cloudy with good visibility, wind NE
        force 1, temperatures:  dry 20.0 degrees C., wet 16.8 degrees C.




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