Sweetser, Indiana 1966

[FusionCrst@aol.com]

Hello List,

I am still investigating a claim of a meteor sighting in 1966.  I found this 
article which describes an interesting event specific(perhaps) to my quest.  
If any of you are familiar with this report, please share the details.
Thank you,
George Nicula

Front Page Washington Post - September 17, 1966 

A flaming meteorite lit up the skies across the north central United States 
last night, frightening hundreds of persons who saw it before it broke up in 
bits of smoking debris over northern Indiana. 

Police department and newspaper switchboards from the Washington area to 
Northern Michigan were swamped with calls as witnesses reported everything 
from flying saucers to airplane crashes. 

A tower observer at National Airport here said it was "bright red in color, 
as it came down across the sky." 

Michigan Gov. George Romney, flying in his private plane to a convention in 
St. Clair, Mich., said the meteorite "almost hit us. It really frightened us 
- we thought we were under attack. All of a sudden this thing was coming, and 
it was as bright as noon." 

Weather Bureau meteorologists in Washington said the usually dry, clear 
atmosphere accounted for the good look at the meteorite. If it had been any 
cloudier, we couldn't have seen it here," one said. 

Smoldering chunks of the meteorite came down on the soybean farms of Wayne 
Glassburn, at Sweetsers, Ind. near Kokomo, police there said. Witnesses said 
the pieces were about 1 1/2 feet in circumference, and fell within 20 feet of 
each other. Police and civil defense officials said there was no fire. 

But Sheriff's deputies in Caro, Mich., said they had found lots of small 
fires - "nothing serious." 

The meteorite was first observed in the Washington area at about 8:50 p.m. 
Some observers thought it was a NASA rocket fired from Wallop's Island. But 
NASA officials reported that a shoot scheduled for last night had been 
postponed. 

Robert Boyland, a Federal Aviation Agency official in Kalamazoo, said the 
meteorite "lit up the entire northeast sky and the early morning sun." 

Glassburn, 40, said a fragment fell into the field about 100 yards from where 
he was standing. He said it was like "a dragon spitting fire -- only larger." 

Meteors are transient celestial bodies that enter the earth's atmosphere. 
Their incandescence is caused by the heat generated when they enter the 
atmosphere at great speeds. If they hit the ground most of the burn up before 
they do - they are called meteorites. 

Thanks again.

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