West Rindge, 1947: pequenos incêndios num gramado, metal quente e um exame secreto no MIT

WASHINGTON FROM BOSTON 3 18 10-53P. DIRECTOR. METAL FRAGMENTS OBSERVED AT WEST RINDGE, N.H., JULY SEVEN, FORTYSEVEN, SECURITY MATTER-X. DEAN JOHN M. BUNKER, SECURITY OFFICER, M.I.T., CAMBRIDGE, MASS., ADVISED THAT TODAY HE WAS IN CONTACT WITH ONE CHARLES [suppressed] N. TASKER, OF WEST RINDGE, N.H., A RETIRED VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW ENGLAND TEL. AND TEL. CO. MR. TASKER ADVISED THAT AT APPROXIMATEY THREE PM ON JULY SEVEN LAST SEVERAL PEOPLE SITTING ON A PORCH OBSERVED ON THE LAWN OF EARL WHITEHEAD, [road omitted], WEST RINDGE, N.H., LITTLE CURLS OF SMOKE, WHICH ON INSPECTION DISCLOSED SMALL BURNED [suppressed] SPOTS ABOUT ONE AND ONE HALF INCHES IN DIAMATER ON THE GREEN LAWN. ALSO IN THE LONG DRY GRASS ON BOTH SIDES OF ROAD IN A CIRCLE APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED FEET IN DIAMETER SEVERAL LITTLE BLAZES HAD STARTED AND THE FIRE [suppressed] DEPT. WAS CALLED. FIRES WERE APPARENTLY CAUSED BY METALLIC FRAGMENTATIONS WHICH WERE TURNED OVER TO PROFESSOR RENTGES, OF MIT, BY A MR. PARKE D. APPEL, OF THE TELEPHONE COMPANY. RENTGES HAS ADVISED DEAN BUNKER THAT THEIR GENERAL [suppressed] APPEARANCE ARE SIMILAR TO THE LINING OF V DASH TWO BOMBS, WHICH HE HAD OBSERVED AT NEW MEXICO. [suppressed] PROFESSOR L.H. [suppressed]EWALD, AN OUTSTANDING METALLURGIST AT MIT, STATED THAT THEY ARE POSSIBLY THE LINING FROM A JET TURBO PLANE. AT PRESENT TIME HE IS IN PROCESS OF ANALYZING TWO OF THESE PIECES. THESE SCIENTISTS IN ROUGHLY RECONSTRUCTING THE METALLIC OBJECT STATE IT WAS APPROXIMATELY FOURTEEN INCHES IN DIAMETER, THREE -----END PAGE ONE-----

---PAGE TWO---- SIXTEENTHS OF AN INCH THICK, AND MACHINE TOOLED, AND SOME FRAGMENTS INDICATED THEY WERE BURNED AND [suppressed] APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO TERRIFIC HEAT. THESE SCIENTISTS ARE TREATING THIS MATTER AS CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. MR. [suppressed] TASKER, AT WEST RINDGE, N.H. IS ALSO ENDEAVORING TO COLLECT ADDITIONAL FRAGMENTS AND HAS STATED THAT THE FIRE CHIEF AT WEST RINDGE HAS ALSO SEVERAL FRAGMENTS IN HIS POSSESSION. MR. TASKER INDICATED THAT THE WHITEHEAD RESIDENCE IS SEVEN TO EIGHT HUNDRED FEET EAST OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS. DEAN BUNKER STATED HE WILL MAKE THE RESULTS OF M I T RESEARCH AVAILABLE IF SIGNIFICANT. OPINIONS OF SCIENTISTS AS SET FORTH ABOVE SUGGEST POSSBLE MILITARY INTEREST. MILITARY AUTHORITIES AT BOSTON HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. SOUCY. HOLD. [handwritten] Info to attention [illegible] 8/11/47. cc - Mr. Ladd.

Office Memorandum, United States Government. SUBJECT: METAL FRAGMENTS OBSERVED AT WEST RUDGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE, JULY 7, 1947. SECURITY MATTER (X). 7-29-47. Reference is made to Boston teletype to the Bureau dated July 18, 1947. Dean John M. Bunker, the original informant, has advised that a spectographic examination has been completed of the metal particles referred to. They were determined to be of ordinary cast iron which had been subjected to a very high degree of heat. The heat caused scales to be formed on the cast iron which were originally thought to be of some metallic alloy. The scientist examining the particles concluded that if they had come through the air from any great altitude in as small pieces as they were found then most of the heat would have been taken from them by the time they reached the ground and fires would not have resulted. It is noted they landed approximately 700 feet from a railroad track and inquiries were conducted by MIT to determine whether or not the particles could have been originally a part of a liner in a smoke stack or some other part of the steam engine. These inquiries resulted in positive information that the particles did not come from a train or locomotive. Measurements of the four pieces examined revealed that they had most likely been originally all part of one hollow cylinder, eight inches in diameter and three sixteenths of an inch in thickness. It is felt that one piece falling from a great height would have still retained a good part of its heat and probably would have mashed when it hit the ground. A scientist, whom Dean Bunker did not identify by name, recalled that cast iron cylinders of similar measurements had been used in New Mexico on research work on a guided missile project. However, this unidentified scientist did not so conclude to the exclusion of all other possibilities. It is interesting to note that the examination at MIT was actually conducted by [(b)(7)(D)] who furnished the Boston Office with an informal report similar in all major details to that supplied by Dean Bunker above. The men at MIT are gathering through friends all additional pieces of the original cylinder available. These will be turned over to the Boston Office. No further examination is being conducted by MIT and no effort is being made to reconstruct the original cylinder. Unless advised to the contrary by August 15, 1947 the Boston Office will destroy these specimens. In the interim they will be transmitted to the Bureau on specific Bureau instructions.

It is noted that the original Boston teletype reflected that this inquiry was being treated as "secret" matter at MIT. [(b)(7)(D)] has advised that the comparatively small number of research scientists at MIT during the summer are all cognizant of the incident and the results of the research. However, no publicity has been given and it is not anticipated that any will result. The Bureau's interest is not known to the scientists at MIT. There has been no speculation that a guided missile originating in a foreign land landed in New Hampshire. As indicated above, unless the Bureau requests specifically further investigative action, this case is being closed in the Boston Office. BSG:md. 100-20698.