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Mr. Tolson
Mr. Boardman
Mr. Nichols
Mr. Belmont
Mr. Harbo
Mr. Mohr
Mr. Parsons
Mr. Rosen
Mr. Tamm
Mr. Sizoo
Mr. Winterrowd
Tele. Room
Mr. Holloman
Miss Gandy

0.20

(OBJECT)

NEW YORK--THREE CREW MEMBERS OF A TRANS-WORLD AIRLINES PARIS-NEW YORK FLIGHT REPORTED TODAY THEY SIGHTED AN UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF BOSTON, THE PILOT, CAPT. CHARLES J. KRATOVIL, OF PORT WASHINGTON, L.I., SAID HE SAW "A LARGE, WHITE-COLORED, DISC-LIKE OBJECT" AT 9:30 A.M. EDT. KRATOVIL SAID THE OBJECT WAS PURUSING A PARALLEL COURSE AHEAD OF HIS PLANE BUT HE COULD NOT GET A CLEAR LOOK AS IT MOVED ABOVE HIGH CLOUDS. AFTER THE PLANE ARRIVED AT IDLEWILD AIRPORT, KRATOVIL RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM TRANS-WORLD AIRLINES IN BOSTON STATING THAT A WEATHER BALLOON HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM GRENIER AIR FORCE BASE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, ABOUT 90 MILES NORTHWEST OF BOSTON, AT 4:30 A.M. EDT. THE MESSAGE SAID THE BALLOON WAS OVER BOSTON AT 9:19 A.M. EDT. KRATOVIL SAID THE MESSAGE DESCRIBED THE BALLOON AS "ABOUT 100 FEET IN DIAMETER AND JUST ABOUT FITS THE DESCRIPTION OF WHATYOU SAW." COMMENTING ON THE MESSAGE, KRATOVIL, WHO HAS BEEN FLYING SINCE 1927, SAID "IT SOUNDS LIKE A COVER-UP TO ME. IF THIS IS A WEATHER BALLOON, IT'S THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW ONE TRAVELING AGAINST THE WIND." KRATOVIL'S STATEMENT ABOUT THE OBJECT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE CO-PILOT, W. R. DAVIS OF HICKSVILLE, L.I., AND BY THE FLIGHT ENGINEER, HAROLD RANEY OF BAYSIDE, QUEENS. KRATOVIL SAID THE LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TOWER IN BOSTON SAID EIGHT EMPLOYES THERE TOLD OF SEEING THE OBJECT, AND IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A BALLOON.

6/1--MJ315P

NOT RECORDED

141 JUN 17 1954

WASHINGTON CITY NEWS SERVICE