0935, 16 July, 1952 from photo office window, U. S. COAST GUARD AIR STATION,
Salem, Mass. by Station Photographer:
I was sitting in the Photo Office filing negatives with my back toward the window when I turned slightly in the direction of the window and noticed something bright outside, I observed the sky and saw what appeared to be several bright almost brilliant lights slightly on the starboard side of the power plant smoke stacks. I could not determines:
The color temperature of the lights was a high number of Kelvin degrees -- extremely brilliant and white. They seemed to be wavering but I am not certain of this. I observed these lights for possibly 5 or 6 seconds and then turned to a 4/5 Busch Pressman Camera (135 MM F4.7 Raptar lens with a Rapax shutter, loaded with 4/5 Super XX cut film). I had this camera on the desk in order to clean the lens and was not certain there was film in it. I adjusted the focusing scale roughly; to infinity, pulled the slide and,prepared to shoot the picture when I noticed tha lights were considerably dimmed down. I assumed that what I had seen was merely some sort of reflection, but I rushed out of the lab into the Sick Bay and got Thomas Flaherty, HM1 to come back to the window with me. As I entered the office, I noticed that the lights were again burning brightly and without saying anything to Flaherty I dived for the camera and hit the shutter, after which I told him to look out and as he and I did there was a momentary flash and we could no longer see any lights. I developed the film which was exposed at about 1/50th second, f 4.7; in Dektol 1:1 for about 3 3/4 minutes, the developing agent immediately at hand. After I had fixed and washed the negative, I took it to CDR. J.D.; Hudgens, XO for his examination.
It was an extremely hot day and I think that perhaps some sort of refraction of ground reflections could possibly have accounted for the lights, but in my estimation this is an improbable explanation. The lens was quite dirty and so was the window screen. I cannot in all honesty say that I saw objects or aircraft, merely some manner-of lights.
Submitted 17 July, 1952
/s/ Shell R. Alpert
CERTIFIED TO BE A TRUE COPY:
Station Photographer
Declassified 7-29-52
F.G.E.
W. D. STRAUCH, J., LCDR, USCG