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‘White Mass From Sky’Is BalloonBy LORETTA FULTON State EditorRANGER — It wasn’t exactly a blackout that hit Ranger Thursday morning. It was more like a whiteoutAt 7:30 a.m., Reporter-News distributorMike Hudson was driving in town when he noticed something out of the corner of hisCV6.“i thought it was a kind of cloud or puff of smoke or something,” Hudson said. li didn't know what in the world it could be.” Hudson watched the white, shapeless mass spiral toward the around until helost sight of it over the horizon.At about the same time that Hudson lost sight of the mass, Constable J.W. Vinson received a call saying that the strange white blob had draped over some power lines at the Norma Mills home, the power lines, knocking out power an setting the mass on fire.The fire was minor and power was restored to the city in about half an hour. But the questions were just beginning.First of all, what was it? And secondly, why was it draped over a power line in Ranger?It turned out to be a scientific research balloon that was launched from Palestine, Tex., at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The reason it was draped over Ranger was...Well, it just happened that way.Marvin Riley, who works out of the National Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, said the balloon was supposed to drop the scientific equipment — or “payload” — it was carrying somewhere west of Fort Worth and between Del Rio and Amarillo.After the “payload” is dropped, a pilot in an observer plane tracking the balloon electronically deflates the balloon so that it will float to earth.Both the “payload” and the deflated balloon are supposed to land out in the middle of nowhere. In this instance the “payload”What is it?O.J. Caraway, left, and Ranger Constable J W. Vinson examine a strange white massthat fell on Ranger Thursday morning. (Staff Photo by Don Blakley)See WEATHER Back page this section
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