Dallas, Texas, USA — 22 January 1878
Dark object: the very first “flying saucer?”
Mr. John Martin, a farmer who lived some six miles north of town, was out hunting in the morning when his attention was directed to a dark object in the northern sky. “The peculiar shape, and the velocity with which the object seemed to approach, riveted his attention, and he strained his eyes to discover its character. When first noticed it appeared to be about the size of an orange, which continued to grow in size.” Going through space at a wonderful speed, it came directly overhead and Mr. Martin compared it to “a large saucer.” First mentioned in the UFO literature by Major Donald Keyhoe, this use of the word “saucer” by John Martin has triggered many debates among researchers. John Martin’s use of the term seems to relate to the size of the object rather than its shape, just as Kenneth Arnold, in 1947, would use it to describe the motion of the crescent-shaped objects he witnessed. It is interesting, nonetheless, that “saucer” should be the word that came to the mind of these men when they tried to describe what they saw. The possibility that Martin observed a balloon must also be considered. The site is more likely to be Dallas than Denison.
Source: “Strange Phenomenon,” Ackley Enterprise, Iowa, February 8, 1878. The report was originally published in the Hampton Chronicle but as there are no precise details, our date of February 1 is only an estimation. 496. Case: W447