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POINT PLEASANT - Rumors are flying through Mason County faster than the “thing,” which has boon spotted by several people in various locations.The “thing” is described as being six feet tall, soars with a pair of wings with a 10-foot span, has red eyes six inches apart and leaves a print like a hoof mark.Two young married couples first spotted the “thing” Tuesday night in a 10,000-acre section east of Point Pleasant. The sector contains the McClintic Wildlife Sanctuary and anabandoned government TNTplant.Since that time the fly I n g creature has been seen in various parts of West Virginia andOhio. Each description contains the phrase “red eyes, six inches apart,”The “thing” has caused asudden interest in the remote TNT plant area and nightly motorists plow bumper tn-bumper over the dusty, dirt roads in hopes of spo ting the creature.Monday morning quart e r-backs have taken three approaches to the sightings. They either laugh at the sighters, give theories about the creature or they contend they’ve seen it themselves.The latest theorv about theWcreature was advanced by Dr. Robert Smith, associate professor of biology at West Virginia University. Smith said the descriptions of the creature fitthat of the huge sandhill crane.Smith said the crane stands six feet or better, has a huge wing span and has red forehead feathers.However, Ohio Univers i t y Zoology department officials gave a different view- concerning the sandhill crane theory.Ohio U. officials said there has never been a known sighting of a sandhill crane in this part of the country.In his book, “The Sandh i 11 Cranes,” Lawrence II. Walkin-shaw, says the crane normally inhabits the plains of Canada, and the flat country' of tipper Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.The birds migrate each yearto the Gulf Coast, but they migrate down the Missi s s i p p i Valley. Like some other birds, the crane migrates at night The sandhill crane is grey-brown in color and has a red forehead.Members of the Proctorville-Fairland High School Science Interest Club have another theory'. Students of the LawrenceCountv school sav the creature*could be one of the two gas filled balloons they've released to study air currents.The 4x7 balloons were released about 30 miles west of Point Pleasant Mason County Sheriff George Johnson said he is not discounting the stories of the sightings, but believes the creature is nothing more than a “shite-poke,” a mem tier of the heronfamily.Others contend the creature could be one of the wild geese, which live on the ponds of the wildlife sanctuary. The stand about two and a half to three feet tall.One man said the description fit his “mother-in-law exactly, especially the red eyes, six inches apart.”Another Point Pleasant man said the creature Is something from the moon, chased down to earth by recent moon launchings.The young couples who first saw the creature, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Searberry and Mr. andMrs Steve Mallette, disagreedwith Dr. Smith’s theory aboutthe sandhill crane.After viewing a picture of the bird, one of them commented, “My God, that’s not the thing we saw. This thing could never chase us as it did.”Mrs. Mallette said, “I just wish Dr. Smith could see the thing.”The “thing” appeared in a road near an abandoned power plant at the TNT facility. The four spotted the “thing” five different times as It chased themat speeds of 100 miles an hourtoward Point Pleasant.One thing for certain, the remote, lonely roads in the TNT area aren’t suited for late night astronomy studies now and the sweethearts of the area are up in arms.SANDHILL CRANE—A West Virginia University associate professor contends the mysterious creature being seen in Mason County could be a sandhill crane The crane has never been seen in this area, officials said.
Newspaper Details
Athens Sunday Messenger
Athens, Ohio, US
Sun, Nov 20, 1966
Page 39
Full Page
Clipped by
Kevin S.
CA 11 Jan 2023
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