Midland, Michigan Fused Sand and Ball of White Light
Document coverPage 1 of 65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_2 · View original on war.gov
Raymond Edward Lane and his wife Laura reported observing a ball of white light approximately the size of a bushel basket burning about one foot above the ground near Midland, Michigan on July 9, 1947, leaving behind fused sand with radioactive properties.
“about 5:15 p.m., July 9, he and his wife, Laura, were walking in a field when they heard a puff noise about one hundred feet away. They turned and saw a ball of white about the size of a bushel basket burning approximately a foot off of the ground. The fire died out immediately and later Lane scooped up a three inch area of fused sand into a can for examination at their laboratory.”
Verbatim from 65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_2 · View original on war.gov
Case details
- Date
- 1947-07-09
- Precision
- day
- Location
- Midland, Michigan; Dow Chemical Company field
- Country
- United States
- Region
- Michigan
- Branch
- FBI
- Unit
- Detroit Office
- Sensors
- eyewitness
- Shape
- ball of white
- Size
- about the size of a bushel basket
- Altitude
- 1 ft
Resolution
Material examined by Dow authorities contained fused sand with ammonia odor, small silver nugget, and low-level radioactive grayish material; discrepancies in witnesses' accounts; Lane had knowledge of chemistry and access to radioactive luminous paint
Source document
Agency: FBI
File: 65_HS1-834228961_62-HQ-83894_Section_2
Case ID: 1947-FBI-8A4099
View original on war.gov →Extracted via LLM. Verbatim excerpt validated.