Updated Sunday 3rd November 1996
I just got word last night that a new crop circle was located just west of Grayville, Illinois in rural Edwards County, near the White County line. It is in American CORN (not wheat) and covers about ONE ACRE (other than that I don't have exact dimensions yet). I'm pretty sure that it was first discovered on Saturday, October 12. It just made the Detroit News newspaper here in Michigan on November 18th!
The circle was described as having "every corn stalk lying flat", "with no debris", and that the "root wads are turned up out of the ground". Also, the circle was described as having "a giant horseshoe-shaped swirl". Those descriptions were from the 82 year-old farmer, Robert Hortin, who with his 27 year-old grandson, John, discovered the circle as they passed over the Little Wabash River bridge.
The farmers who actually farm the land are: Gary Bunting and Donnie Perkins. I'm sure that the field has been harvested by now, so I don't know if I'll actually go to this one -- it would be a five hour or more drive, but maybe . . .
Jeffrey Wilson
jwilson@online.emich.edu
Three formations have appeared in Iowa this month. Beverly Trout, state MUFON director for Iowa has reported to me that near the town of Nevada which is near Ames which is north of Des Moines, three adjacent field have each had a small circular formation.
What's interesting is that the three fields are each a different crop. There are no tramlines or pathways, in each circle the crop was swirled and had bent stems near the ground, little breakage and this in dry, mature crop. They were all anti-clockwise swirls. Strange lights were seen by several people on or about the night of the event. These lights were described to be 8 or10- brighter than car headlights in a row above the field. Similar to the Inman, Kansas sighting which proceeded that formation.
The first circle was about 15 feet in diameter in alfalfa and was cut right away. The farmer said nothing he knew could have done that. Even a rabbit would leave a path in the alfalfa.
The second circle was 1500' south-east and was in a field of mature soybeans with a 9% moisture content. It was about 30 feet in diameter with a ring of about 3 1/2 feet separated by a standing ring of about ten inches. The farmer cut around this and we should have aerial photos soon.
The third circle was 1500' south of the second in another field and was in corn (maize). It was about 35 feet in diameter although slightly tear drop shaped and the stalks were said to be bent, not broken. We should be getting a photo of this one too.
Samples from these have been sent to BLT research (Dr Levengood) along with controls and we should have a report soon.
As soon as I have more I will be in touch. All the best, Ron Russell
I went back down to Indiana yesterday on two reports of formations. We surveyed two formations. Both formations had been harvested already and were almost two months old! They were also within 10 miles of the other Indiana formation in Etna Troy Township.
I drew up diagrams of these and put information on them like I did before. I also got pictures of one formation (near Indian Village) from the farmer who took them before he harvested it. There were no pictures taken of the other formation before it was harvested. Hopefully I'll have more pictures to send you soon.
Roger Sugden of MUFON in Indiana has agreed to let me scan and post some of his overhead photos of the three sites I've sent you info on already. As soon as I scan them, I'll send them to you too (he just wants a short acknowledgement/advertisement/copyright notice).
Report by Jeffrey Wilson.
I've got some more news from here in the U.S.
There is now a confirmed sighting of a formation in Wolf Lake, Indiana (in Noble County). This formation is about 5-10 miles NW from the Etna Troy township formation.
The formation consists of 3 33-foot circles spaced apart to form a triangle. In the area central to the 3 circles, is a 45' circle that just touches all three of the outer circles.
The field has been harvested, but the farmer took ground photos when he discovered the site on Sunday, JULY (!) 7. This is almost two months old!!
I have also received word of another formation close by (within 10 miles to the NW) near Indian Village, Indiana -- but no one has visited the site yet to confirm. Word has it that it is a large circle with a straight pathway that connects to a smaller circle, that has a straight pathway that connects to another smaller circle. No other info available yet.
I'm going to visit both sites on Monday, I'll report more then.
I also received overhead photos of the Etna Troy formation, and the Sugar Creek, Ohio formation. Roger Sugden gave me permission to scan them and send them for you to post. I'll do that next week too.
I have also gotten Eastern Michigan University to grant me an Independent Study concerning crop circle for the coming semester. More details on that, but it looks like I might be the first to get college credit (as a class) regarding crop circles!
Report by Jeffrey Wilson.
I have located an Associated Press news story about the Swastika in New Jersey. It sounds as if it was cut, but the U.S. media is terribly unreliable about reporting this phenomenon. I'm going to try and get more information, and hopefully a photo, but it might take some time.
Farmer takes loss to remove giant swastika
MANSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Aug. 25 (AP) -- A farmer mowed down some of his own crop to eliminate a huge swastika found carved into a corn field.
"We'd rather take a financial loss than offend people," said Marge Casey, daughter of farmer Joe Goodenough. "The damage is the inconvenience and the bad name."
Goodenough said he had no idea the 60-foot swastika was hacked into the middle of his 30-acre field until a newspaper reporter showed him an aerial photo.
On Saturday afternoon he and his family mowed down stalks surrounding the Nazi symbol. The unripe corn was good only for cow feed, costing the farm at least $1,000.
Earlier, news helicopters hovered overhead to get a view of the swastika in this mostly rural township about 10 miles Southeast of Trenton.
The Goodenoughs believe the symbol was carved about a month ago, judging by the size of the ears on the hacked stalks.
Copyright 1996 The Associated Press
I also talked to ilyes today, and she tried to describe the South Dakota formation, and it sounds too complicated to describe clearly (or it could be just ilyes -- it was the first time I had talked to her directly). What I was able to get was that the largest circle has what could be described as a "peace symbol" inside it, and that one of the paths continue on outside the circle. There are accompanying pathways, and a "U"-shaped formation as well. That's about all I could get.
Keep up the great work, I'll keep you posted on further developments.
Jeffrey M. Wilson jwilson@online.emich.edu
The only thing I've heard about the South Dakota formation besides what you know is from Nancy Talbot of BLT Labs who said that she heard it was a "HUGE" circle with a hieroglyphic design inside. She also heard of a circle in California that is on an Indian reservation, but that they are not letting anyone near it.
I got a report of another circle within a few miles of the Indiana formation, but that the farmer either burned it, or cut his crop immediately so no one could find it. Roger Sugden of MUFON is going to do an aerial search this week for confirmation on it.
I should have aerial photos of the Etna Troy Township, Indiana formation by the end of this week too, did you guys want them? (I haven't even seen them yet!) In the meantime, I drew up a two-part diagram with some info about the formation.
Also, I'm resending the map of the area with the sites that we visited around Indiana/Ohio, as well as jpeg's of the Paulding, Ohio circle, the Etna Troy, Indiana mosaic, and a mosaic of the grass circle from Sugar Creek, Ohio too.
Report by Jeffrey M. Wilson
jwilson@online.emich.edu
This map of the area where the crop circles in Indiana and Ohio were located.
A single circle, with a glyph type design set inside, incorporating a 'Y' shape. The circle itself was 165 feet in diameter. The 'Y' design contained connecting arms coming off at 6 and 9 'o'clock.
Dumbell formation, with two circles and a connecting avenue. The largest circle is 85 feet in diameter, where as the other is 40 feet in diameter. The whole formation is 240 feet in length. Formed in Barley in late July.
A swastika type design formed near Maddison, reports state that the formation has been 'Cut' out of the field instead of been flattened normally. This could possibly be the local terminology to the phenomena.
Three circles in a triangular shape.( That's all we have on this formation at present).
Reported by ilyes. :-) Thank you for the telephone call. Mark and Stuart.
