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Kittybriton
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« on: June 06, 2009, 02:53:10 am » |
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With a nod to the Van Helsing Society for pointing me in this direction, about halfway down the page linked to, there is a mention of a Round Platform with Handrail around Edge. The period is certainly right, and no doubt the witness believed she was seeing some new military transport still protected by the policies of secrecy. A quick search has revealed no further information, and I wondered if anyone here knows of a more detailed report, or similar instances? |
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Jake of All Trades
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« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2009, 03:58:22 am » |
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There's something very familiar about that. I will consult my UFO books and get back to you...
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"...it's a form of fiction, and as such, while there may be times when it's considered a worthy vehicle for pointing out some of society and individual flaws - I still want a side that will let there be lighthearted adventures in the clouds, on mars, or under the sea."
--Tinkergirl
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Kittybriton
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« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2009, 02:41:30 pm » |
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So far, I've found this wonderful reconstruction by David Sankey:  And since I've been exploring (in the loosest sense) the topic of alternative timelines I'm sure you can understand that I am tremendously excited, and keen to learn more. What surprises me about this image is that there are no weapons on the deck - if this was part of a war effort, either in this timeline, or another, I would have expected to see at least a machine gun. |
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Zwack
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« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2009, 04:02:27 pm » |
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The Celestial Emperor mentions a report of a 1916 floating platform that wasn't actually reported until 1968. I don't know if it's the same one. Ufoinfo.com refers to the Aldeburgh report Location. Aldeburgh England
Date: 1916
Time: 1155A
Looking out a 2nd story window, Mrs Whitehead saw, a little above the house (about 20 ft up), a round platform with 8-12 men, who were staring straight ahead & tightly gripping a brass handrail. They wore blue uniforms & "little hats like sailors." The object approached slowly from nearby marshes, made a turn, & disappeared behind nearby houses. The platform was about a foot thick. The center was "hollow," like a doughnut. No means of propulsion was evident. Duration, less than 5 minutes.
Humcat 1916-1
Source: Gordon Creighton, FSR 15 # 1
Type: A Given that Flying Saucer Review Volume 15 was published in 1969 I'm guessing that this is the same report. Given that some days I can't remember what I did that day, I wouldn't be too certain that the details were correct after 52 years. Still, if you're interested see if you can get that issue of Flying Saucer Review (Back issues on CD are available from http://www.fsr.org.uk/) Z.
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"At least those oddballs are interesting" - My Wife.
I'm British but living in America. This might explain my spelling.
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Sgt.Major Thistlewaite
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« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2009, 04:25:06 pm » |
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Ladies, Gents,et al,
Going with the principle that the most obvious or logical reasoning is generally correct (Occam's Razor) I would propose that what the lady saw was nothing more or less than the lowerable observation platform of an overhead airship, which was itself out of her line of sight, due either to elevation or atmospheric conditions. That she failed to notice the suspension cables is not surprising, but if you simply add those to the above representation, it suddenly makes perfect sense.
Thistlewaite
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Yet well thy soul hath brooked the turning tide, with that innate, untaught philosophy,Which, be it wisdom, coldness, or deep pride, is gall and wormwood to an enemy.
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Matthias Gladstone
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« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2009, 04:33:09 pm » |
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While less likely than Sgt. Major thistlewaite's explanation, I feel this is also plausible:  It's an early type of helicopter, used for observation. It could go up or down but not backwards, forwards, side to side or back in time. It's unlike anything that most people would have seen or had experience of at that point - it may have been a captured example being tested. -Matt |
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 "Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,With a cargo of Tyne coal, Road-rails, pig-lead, Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays." |
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Khem Caigan
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« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2009, 04:44:24 pm » |
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So far, I've found this wonderful reconstruction by David Sankey: It is interesting to compare Sankey's reconstruction with the image of the Vertical Take-off Flying Platformin US Patent 2953321 : |
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"Let us create vessels and sails fashioned for the heavenly Æther, for there
will be plenty of people who do not shrink from the vastness of space."
~ Johannes Kepler, letter to Galileo Galilei, 1609.
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Sgt.Major Thistlewaite
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« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2009, 05:17:31 pm » |
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However, not to be a wet blanket, this should also be considered: An interesting read, however one chooses to take it. Thistlewaite |
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Kittybriton
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« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2009, 05:29:07 pm » |
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The observation platform suggestion sounds interesting, and certainly deserves a more thorough follow-up (as much as I am able, given the constraints of time and space) since I am, as yet, largely ignorant of the design of airships beyond their application for bombing.
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James Harrison
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« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2009, 06:40:53 pm » |
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Ladies, Gents,et al,
Going with the principle that the most obvious or logical reasoning is generally correct (Occam's Razor) I would propose that what the lady saw was nothing more or less than the lowerable observation platform of an overhead airship, which was itself out of her line of sight, due either to elevation or atmospheric conditions. That she failed to notice the suspension cables is not surprising, but if you simply add those to the above representation, it suddenly makes perfect sense.
Thistlewaite
I'd go with this plausible explanation. There was certainly at least one similar platform invented by the Germans for their zeppelins- it was used to direct bombing when low cloud prevented accuracy. -EDIT- Knew I'd seen it somewhere! I'm referring to the 'Spy Basket' invented by the airship captain Ernst Lehmann (I think) in 1915/1916: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spy_basket |
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« Last Edit: June 06, 2009, 06:59:24 pm by James Harrison »
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Persons intending to travel by open carriage should select a seat with their backs to the engine, by which means they will avoid the ashes emitted therefrom, that in travelling generally, but particularly through the tunnels, prove a great annoyance; the carriage farthest from the engine will in consequence be found the most desirable.
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Mr. Boltneck
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« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2009, 09:07:16 pm » |
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There was a major feature in the Fortean Times about flying platform sightings, including this one. Alas, the article is not available on their site. The 1916 incident was far from being the only one, however, and similar sightings occurred well into the 20th Century.
The airship observation platform theory was examined in both the article and subsequent correspondence, the upshot being that no known airship platform looks even remotely like the flying platforms with railings that people saw on different occasions. They were typically more like a small gondola on a line, and did not take large crews. Of course, eyewitnesses are famously unreliable, so some sort of misperception/confabulation is arguably possible.
My personal approach to this sort of thing tends to follow the argument of the late Robert Anton Wilson: something happened to these people or was perceived by them. After that fact, the rest is off into the land of Maybe and Perhaps. In addition, as many authors have noted, whatever witnesses to crimes or mysterious phenomena are actually exposed to, their descriptions after the fact are modified by their culture, and also in some formulations, such things as "archetypes" or "memes." UFO waves provide some excellent examples of this.
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Angus A Fitziron
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« Reply #12 on: October 13, 2009, 11:45:03 pm » |
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I am not sure where the marshes would be that are referred to in the report, but my guess is that they are talking about where the River Alde curves round behind the town on its way to Snape. The water is quite deep there, so my suggestion for the apparition is: There was a significant mist laying over the river which cleared at about 30 feet above the sea level (as the sea wall is about that height and an onshore breeze would clear the mist above that height. A small ship that had anchored within the river or more likely had been repaired or otherwise put into Snape, had to put to sea (we were at war) despite the mist / fog. A platform, part way up the mast was being used as a look out to guide the ship. This may have been a "crows nest" or a gunnery sighting platform or wireless platform, but on this morning, an unusual number of sailors were manning the platform to keep the best possible look out for visual clues as the remainder of the vessel, concealed in the mist, felt her way out to sea. The observer, looking from a second floor window was just high enough to see over the mist bank to the sailors on the platform. You can study the lay of the land by looking at Google Earth, but I am sure Kitty is familiar with it! http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=52.143813,1.5923555&z=15&t=h&hl=en-GB |
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Airship Artificer, part-time romantik and amateur Natural Philosopher
"wee all here are much troubled with the loss of poor Thompson & Sutton"
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greensteam
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« Reply #13 on: October 13, 2009, 11:57:51 pm » |
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While less likely than Sgt. Major thistlewaite's explanation, I feel this is also plausible: It's an early type of helicopter, used for observation. It could go up or down but not backwards, forwards, side to side or back in time. It's unlike anything that most people would have seen or had experience of at that point - it may have been a captured example being tested. -Matt Unlike anything anyone NOWADAYS would have seen or had experience of if it comes to that. I would love to read what the Sun or similar redtop paper would make of readers reports of seeing part of that coming through the fog. |
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So it's every hand to his rope or gun, quick's the word and sharp's the action. After all... Surprise is on our side.
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Wells45
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« Reply #14 on: November 29, 2009, 11:59:37 pm » |
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The problem with your idea Sgt.Major Thistlewaite is... it's not as much fun! I vote for UFO's from Planet 10 by way of the 8th Dimension here to steal our women!  |
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« Last Edit: December 01, 2009, 03:03:24 am by Wells45 »
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“We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.” ~Carl Sagan
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Flynn MacCallister
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« Reply #15 on: November 30, 2009, 12:28:08 am » |
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The problem with you're your idea Sgt.Major Thistlewaite is... it's not as much fun! I vote for UFO's from Planet 10 by way of the 8th Dimension here to steal our women! I disagree! A viewing platform suspended from an airship is far more wonderful than some silly UFO! (I don't want to be stolen... O.o ) |
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Matthias Gladstone
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« Reply #16 on: November 30, 2009, 12:32:33 am » |
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Circular fighting top?  A ship similair to this one, perhaps without topgallant masts? I think Angus A Fitziron has solved it  -matt |
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patron_vectras
Officer
 United States
Student of Architecture; of literature; of life.
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« Reply #17 on: November 30, 2009, 08:47:31 am » |
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Medicinal hallucinogens.
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Keep Running,
Patron Vectras ;]
"Thou shalt not cover thy neighbor’s ox, thy neighbor’s wife, or thy neighbor’s airship" -Cpt. Everett of the Flying Cloud
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