Hillsdale UFO Incident - The Swamp Gas Case
A call was received from the New Womans Dormitory at Hillsdale College by the Office Of Civil Defense, from a student reporting that some type of craft had descended from the Northeast, flashed by their dormitory and disappeared to the South. At this time, the girl described as well as later, the observing of red, green & white pulsating lights. There were 17 of the college students that made this observation. At approximately 11:00 p.m., a second call was made by the girl to the Civil Defense Office informing them that the object had reappeared and had settled close to the ground approximately ½ mile from the dormitory. Van Horn at once called for help from the Police Department and 3 cars plus himself were sent in a 2 mile area from the dormitory to the East. Van Horn checked the area at the ½ mile point, after he was unable to locate anything. He at once returned to the dormitory.Upon arriving at the dormitory, he was escorted to the 2nd floor and taken to a room facing the east, from where he made the following observation:
He observed that there was an object which was at an approximate distance of 1,500' to 1,700' away from them, settled into a hollow and was apparently either near or on the ground.
The two lights upon his first observation were what he would describe as a dim orange on the right and a dirty white on the left.
After observing this for a period of about 10 minutes the lights began to grow in brilliance, the dim orange became red and true in color, the white became a true white. As the lights became more brilliant, the object or vehicle began to rise.
It would rise to a height of approximately 100' to 150', stop momentarily and began to descend. This occurred several times.
At one time upon descending, a glow from the side opposite them came from somewhere, and he was able to see a convexed surface.
The vehicle was also observed to move right to left, and left to right, and did so in a very smooth manner, The ascent and descent were at an estimated rate of 25' to 30' per minute.
At no time were any of the witnesses able to detect any type of sound or noise.
At approximately 4:30 a.m., those still observing the scene noticed the lights disappear and this was the last that was seen of it.
The area that this was observed in was by no means a swamp but rather an area which is cultivated by Hillsdale College as a park.
The Air Force sent in Blue Book astronomer and UFO expert Dr. J. Allen Hynek who, after a whirlwind probe that lasted two hours and 45 minutes.
It was a short time later that Hynek held the infamous press conference at the Detroit Press Club and suggested that a possible explanation for the recent sightings might have been marsh or swamp gas. The explanation became a front page story the next day in papers across the country and Hynek became the butt of jokes and cartoons. He was ridiculed to such an extent that Michigan Congressman Gerald Ford, later President Ford, asked for a Congressional investigation. It was one of Hynek's worst moments.
The important thing here is that if the Washington phone call actually took place, then Hynek was receiving direction from a high government source. The whole thing smells of more UFO governmental coverup.