UFO UpDates Mailing List
From: bikebob <bikebob@MO.NET>
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 23:53:56 -0500 (CDT)
Fwd Date: Fri, 02 May 1997 01:36:36 -0400
Subject: Retrun to the Joplin/Hornet 'Spook Light'
I grant permission to any/all to freely distribute the following
copyrighted (by me, Bob Soetebier) article under these terms:
(a) The copyright statement and proper attribution must remain
attached to article;
(b) The article must be reproduced in it's entirety...unedited;
(c) Any distribution (whether electronically, or in hardcopy
format) of the article is to be done so without charge.
(The article may not be reproduced commercially without
prior written permission from me.)
Bob Soetebier
St. Louis County, Missouri
[P.S.: In regards to the appended note about the "Joplin
'Spook Light'" video which follows this article, I would
just like to make it clear to one and all that I have NO
financial stake whatsoever in this video. I did purchase
a copy myself and thought you all might also find it of as
much interest as I did.]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Return To The "Joplin 'Spook Light'"
Copyright 1997, by Bob Soetebier
On Sunday, April 13, 1997, my wife and I made a return visit to check
out the site of the so-called "Joplin [aka: Hornet] 'Spook Light'"
[JSL]. On this, our second visit to the location, with a perfectly
clear sky, we were able to observe the JSL for almost two full hours.
It was back in early April 1993 at the Sixth Annual Ozark UFO
Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, that we first learned of the
existence of the long-standing JSL. Ted Phillips -- famous for his
many years of UFO physical-trace case investigations (both on his own,
and in the company of his best friend, astronomer J. Allen Hynek who
was the chief field investigator for the U.S. Air Force's "Project
Blue Book") -- was one of the featured speakers at that conference.
He spoke of his investigations of the JSL.
After the 1993 conference, my wife and I drove to the JSL site. At
that time we spoke to a few of the local area residents in the
vicinity of the site. Each of them recounted personally seeing the
JSL on more than one occasion. A few of them even stated that they
had had very close (within just a few feet) encounters with the JSL
at, or near, the popular viewing site.
At that time my wife and I did not witness the JSL. This is probably
due to the fact that we arrived at the site at during bright daylight
at 3:30pm and left the vicinity at 4:15pm to return to St. Louis.
Ted Phillips again was a featured speaker this year at Ninth Annual
Ozark UFO Conference in Eureka Springs, AR. Upon my invitation, and
just prior to Phillip's conference presentation, Ted and his wife
Ginger had dinner with my wife and I and some of our other friends.
At that time, Ted made it absolutely clear that as a result of his 30
years of investigating, observing and photographing the JSL -- with a
35mm camera, telescope, videotape, a CCD [Charged Couple Device] and
subsequent computer enhancement -- that, contrary to others' claims,
there was absolutely NO way that the JSL was the result of distant
headlights! He noted that the JSL was "furnace-bright," and that the
more detailed photos exhibit multiple lights of varying shape, color
and intensity, and that they make all sorts of strange and
unexplainable movements.
Phillips is convinced that the light is non-natural. He also noted
that from his analysis of the light's intensity it is brighter than
that of the planet Venus (which is second only to the Moon and Sun in
our skies.) He said that at that intensity of brightness that there
is no way that any sort of man-made object could be the responsible
source of light...it's just way too bright! From our own personal
observations on this latest trip to the JSL site, I certainly agree
with Ted's analysis.
Ted reassured us -- again, from his 30 years of experience in
investigating the JSL -- that on any given night we would have a 90%
to 95% chance of seeing the distantly-sighted JSL. He also made note
of the fact that he has observed the JSL in literally almost every
type of atmospheric condition, including rain and freezing drizzle.
Phillips said that he has only not seen the JSL on three visits to the
JSL site during those 30 years. He also emphasized that while he
personally has only seen the JSL from a distance, he does have a
life-long friend (whose word he said he trusts) who has told him that
he actually had the JSL show up INSIDE his parked car while he was
outside of it!
This year we arrived at the JSL viewing site at 7:00pm. Since it was
still daylight, we decided to drive down "Spook Light" road from its
eastern-most intersection with Stateline Road. We drove 3-1/2 miles
on the arrow-straight portion of the gravel road and turned around at
the western-most point where the road makes a curve to the south and
headed back. Because of the poor condition of the road (it's an
undulating gravel road full of innumerable potholes) it took us a full
40 minutes for the drive down-and-back.
Upon our return, at 7:40pm, to the viewing point (between 1/4 and 1/2
mile west of north-south Stateline Road) on the gravel road, we found
our friend Beverly Trout (Iowa MUFON State Director) in the company of
three of her friends already parked and waiting for us on the side of
the road. Right after we turned around and parked, a couple more of
our friends (from the St. Louis and Columbia, MO, areas) pulled up and
parked right behind us. At precisely 7:45pm "the show" began with a
vengence!
It was just at dusk at this time when the light flared up...way down,
and just above, the undulating road in the "V-notch" formed by the
trees along the side of the road. From that point on, and right up
until 9:35pm when we finally decided leave (it had gotten down to
almost freezing -- and so were we! -- by that time), the light was
visible almost the entire time. Occasionally it would "dim out" for a
period of anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds, or so. But, most of the time
it would be visible for minutes at a time.
During 95% of the time when the JSL was visible, there would usually
be at least one major or primary light that would vary in intensity.
That particular light would frequently flare up and even move around,
either up and down or slightly to the sides.
At times the movements of this primary light were dramatic. That is
they would be very quick and cover a short relative distance...never
moving very far, though.
At other times, this primary light would be accompanied by numerous
(up to 6 or seven additional), but smaller, lights. These lights
appeared on both sides of the main light, but usually above it, while
still to one side or the other. Sometimes three of these smaller
lights would also line up in a 45-degree diagonal line on the right
side of the main light. Typically, various of these smaller lights
would wink on and off, and/or disappear completely, only to reappear
in an altogether different position.
At varying times I saw some of these lights give off different colored
hues. These colors ranged from white to yellow to red to green to
blue. This was mostly best observed with binoculars. But, these
various colors were sometimes even visible with the unaided eye, too.
While we did not have a "close encounter" with the JSL, it was a
spectacular show nonetheless. I would definitely recommend others
consider checking it out whenever they are in the Joplin, Missouri,
area (near the tri-state border with Kansas and Oklahoma.)
I would urge caution, though, at any time when visiting the site. For
a couple of very good reasons I would particularly not recommend
visiting the popular viewing site on either a Friday or Saturday
evening.
Due to unfortunate incidents of vandalism (cut fences, etc.) and
littering (beer cans and bottles by the score by line the side of the
road) the local-area residents have understandably instigated a
"Neighborhood Watch" program. They have also prevailed upon the local
police to enforce the anti-loitering law.
Now, having said that, I should note that during the two-hour period
that we were parked along the gravel road we only had a couple of cars
pass by us. No one else showed up nor stopped to bother/question us.
It was just us and our half-dozen friends at the viewing site on that
particular Sunday evening. (Who knows...maybe we were just lucky that
we were left alone and that no one stopped to question our protracted
parked presence?)
Keeping the above-mentioned cautionary information in mind, the best
way to get to the JSL viewing site is to take Hwy. 43 for
approximately 6 miles s.s.w. from I-44 in the Joplin, MO, area. About
4 miles n.n.e. of Seneca, MO, Hwy. BB goes east from Hwy. 43. At this
intersection of Hwy. 43 and Hwy. BB, turn west on a paved county road
and go 2-1/2 miles to the head of the "T-intersection" with the
now-paved Stateline Road. Turn north/right on Stateline Road and go
1-1/4 miles. At this interesection, turn west on the gravel road on
your left.
If you arrive near, or after, dusk you won't have to drive too far
down this gravel road for a good view. I guarantee that when you see
the JSL it will be a memorable experience. Good luck, and hopefully,
happy viewing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[NOTE: "The Light at the End of the Road...The Joplin Spook Light" is
a brand new 90-minute video release. It is a John Carpenter
production of long-time UFO researcher Ted Phillips' 30 years of study
of this long-standing ("documented sightings from the 1800's")
anomalous light. The video includes Phillip's telescopic, CCD camera,
videotape and 35mm camera photo-documentation of the "Spook Light,"
and much more. It is available for $29.95 plus $3.00 shipping from:
Carpenter Research, 4033 S. Belvedere, Springfield, MO 65807.]
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