The USS Supply UFO sighting on February 28, 1904, is a significant and intriguing early UFO incident that took place in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Francisco, California. This case stands out due to its detailed witness accounts and the unusual behavior of the observed objects.
The Incident
On the morning of February 28, 1904, at approximately 6:10 a.m. local time, three crew members of the USS Supply reported seeing a formation of three unusual objects in the sky. The sighting occurred under clear weather conditions, allowing the witnesses to observe the objects with clarity.
Description of the Objects
The objects were initially described as "remarkable meteors" by the witnesses. However, upon closer observation, their appearance and behavior suggested something far more unusual:
Lead Object: The lead object was egg-shaped and described as being the size of six suns, which translates to about 3 degrees of arc in the sky. This made the lead object significantly larger than any known meteor or conventional aircraft at the time.
Other Objects: The two smaller objects were described as perfectly round and smaller than the lead object. These objects followed the lead object in a precise echelon formation, a configuration often seen in military formations but not in natural celestial phenomena.
Behavior of the Objects
The behavior of the objects was particularly noteworthy and did not align with typical meteor activity:
Approaching the Ship: The objects appeared near the horizon below the clouds and moved directly toward the USS Supply, maintaining their echelon formation.
Soaring: As the objects approached the ship, they began to soar and rose above the cloud layer, a maneuver not characteristic of meteors which typically descend and burn up in the atmosphere.
Ascending into Space: The objects continued to climb into space, maintaining their formation throughout the sighting. This upward movement into the stratosphere further distinguished them from meteors.
Witness Accounts
The primary witness, Lieutenant Frank H. Schofield, was a credible and experienced observer who later rose to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet. Along with Schofield, two other sailors on deck also observed the objects, providing corroborating testimonies. Their detailed descriptions and the consistency of their accounts added significant credibility to the sighting.
Historical Context
This sighting is particularly significant as it occurred long before the modern era of UFO sightings and the widespread recognition of UFO phenomena. At the time, there was no widespread knowledge or framework for understanding such sightings, making the detailed observations of the USS Supply crew all the more remarkable.
Investigation and Documentation
The sighting was documented in the Monthly Weather Review of 1904, making it one of the earliest UFO reports to be published in a scientific journal. This documentation provided a level of formal recognition and preserved the details of the incident for future investigation.
Subsequent Analysis
Organizations such as the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) later reviewed the case, highlighting its importance in the study of UFO phenomena. The characteristics of the objects, their behavior, and the credibility of the witnesses have made this sighting a subject of ongoing interest and analysis within the UFO research community.
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