like a child to his mother's apron strings. That 'something,' in Jessup's mind, was the utilization of the universal gravitational field as a source of energy.
Jessup appealed both in print and in lectures to the public for serious research to be undertaken in this area of scientific endeavour, either by the government or by private individuals and corporations. Jessup's theories were to disturb at least one of his readers to such an extent that he began a correspondence wherein purportedly confidential Navy material and apparently bizarre imaginings were intermingled.
Even though The Case for the UFO never made the bestseller lists, it did manage to sell sufficient hardcover copies to warrant a Bantam paperback edition, which appeared in the early fall of 1955. It was not too long after the appearance of this paperback edition (most probably about mid-October) that Dr Jessup received a rather strange letter. It came in the midst of a packet of the type of 'fan mail' commonly generated by the publication of almost any book and which is routinely forwarded by publishers to their authors.
This particular letter, bearing a Pennsylvania postmark, was written in a rambling, scrawly hand in several different types and colours of pencil and pen, and hi a very odd style. Capitalizations appeared in the midst of sentences, words were oddly used and misspelled, and punctuation, where employed at all, seemed almost to have been thrown in as some sort of afterthought. Entire phrases were frequently underscored in different colours of ink.
Even stranger than the appearance of the letter, however, was its content. Its author, it seems, was particularly interested in taking issue with certain of the references in Jessup's book dealing with the power of levitation (i.e., defying the force of gravity to lift heavy objects) as it was apparently known to the ancients, and went on to comment at some length that Jessup's guess concerning the use of same to build many ancient structures was essentially correct. Indeed, according to the letter writer, the power of levitation was not only scientifically possible, but had once been a 'known process' here on Earth.
Unfortunately, no copies of this original letter seem to have survived, but we do know that the style of the letter was so convincing that Jessup wondered as he read it whether its author might by means of his strange writing style be trying to tell him that he personally possessed some firsthand knowledge of the process. The letter was signed 'Carlos Miguel Allende.'
Although unsure just how to take the whole thing, Jes-sup was apparently intrigued enough by the letter to take the time to send a brief response to the enigmatic Senor Allende asking that he supply more details.
Jessup at this point in his life was caught up in the rush of a heavy schedule, and after several months had slipped by without any additional word from his strange correspondent, he all but forgot about the affair. Busy with a series of public lectures and at the same time working to finish a second book entitled UFO and the Bible (the rush largely due to the manoeuvres of his agents in New York who hoped
to capitalize on the modest success of his first book), Jessup had little time to spend thinking about fan mail of any sort.
While travelling the lecture circuit he continued to impress upon the public the urgent need for some sort of government-sponsored research programme in the area of antigravity. On occasion he even went so far as to tell his audiences that if they really wanted to help get the ball rolling they could contact their legislators about this 'en masse.' 'If the money, thought, time, and energy now being poured uselessly into the development of rocket propulsion were invested in a basic study of gravity, beginning perhaps with continued research into Dr Einstein's Unified Field concepts,' he said, 'it is altogether likely that we could have effective and economical space travel, at but a small fraction of the costs we are now incurring, within the next decade.'
Unknown to Dr Jessup, Allende appears to have been in the audience during at least one of these lectures, and what he heard caused him to write another most unusual letter.
On January 13, 1956, exactly one year to the day after his completion of the manuscript for The Case for the UFO, Jessup, now in Miami, was surprised to receive the following letter from this same Carlos Allende, who now signed his name 'Carl M. Allen.' While the letter was written in the same odd style and bore the same Pennsylvania return address as had the first letter, the stationery carried the letterhead of the Turner Hotel, Gainesville, Texas, and was postmarked Gainesville. (Lest the reader be tempted to write to the Pennsylvania address seeking information, it should be noted that a check with the New Kensington, Pennsylvania, post office in December 1975 revealed that there is no longer any such address either in New Kensington proper or in any of the several RFD routes serves by that office. Letters sent to this address would be routinely returned to sender.)
This letter is sometimes erroneously referred to in other sources as the first Allende letter to Dr Jessup. As we have seen, it is actually the second. The letter is reprinted here, along with a third letter, by courtesy of Dr Reilly H. Crabb, director of the Borderland Sciences Research Foundation, Inc., Vista, California, who first published them as part of a limited-edition pamphlet in 1962.
Carlos Miguel Allende
R.D. No. 1 Box 223
New Kensington, Penn.
My Dear Dr Jessup,
Your invocation to the Public that they move en Masse upon their Representatives and have thusly enough Pressure placed at the right & sufficient Number of Places where from a Law demanding Research in Dr Albert Einsteins Unified Field Theory May be enacted (1925-27) is Not at all necessary. It May Interest you to know that The Good Doctor Was Not so Much influenced in his retraction of that Work, by Mathematics, as he most assuredly was by Humanities.
His Later computations, done strictly for his own edification & amusement, upon cycles of Human Civilization & Progress compared to the Growth of Mans General overall Character Was enough to Horrify Him. Thus, We are 'told' today that that Theory was 'Incomplete.'
Dr B. Russell asserts privately that It is complete. He also says that Man is Not Ready for it & Shan't be until after W.W.IH. Nevertheless, 'Results' of My friend Dr Franklin Reno, Were used. These Were a complete Recheck of That Theory, With a View to any & Every Possible quick use of it, if feasable in a Very short time. There Were good Results, as far as a Group Math Recheck AND as far as a good Physical 'Result', to Boot. YET, THE NAVY FEARS TO USE THIS RESULT. The Result was and stands today as Proof that The Unified Field Theory to a certain extent is correct. Beyond that certain extent No Person in his right senses, or having any senses at all, Will evermore dare to go. I am sorry that I Mislead You in MY Previous Missive. True, enough, such a form of Levitation has been accomplished as described. It is also a Very commonly observed reaction of certain Metals to Certain Fields surrounding a current, This field being used for that purpose. Had Farraday concerned himself about the Mag. field surrounding an Electric Current, We today Would NOT exist or if We did exist, our present Geo-political situation would not have the very time-bombish, ticking off towards Destruction, atmosphere that Now exists. Alright, Alright! The 'result' was complete invisibility of a ship. Destroyer type, and all of its crew. While at Sea. (Oct. 1943) The Field Was effective in an oblate spheroidal shape, extending one hundred yards (More or Less, due to Lunar position & Latitude) out from each beam of the ship. Any Person Within that sphere became vague in form BUT He too observed those Persons aboard that ship as though they too were of the same state, yet were walking upon nothing. Any person without that sphere could see Nothing save the clearly Defined shape of the Ships Hull in the Water, PROVIDING of course, that the person was just close enough to see yet, just barely outside of that field. Why tell you Now? Very Simple; If You choose to go Mad then you would reveal this information. Hal/ of the officiers & the crew of that Ship are at Present, Mad as Hatters. A few, are even Yet confined to certain areas where they May receive trained Scientific aid when they, either, 'Go Blank' or 'Go Blank' & Get Stuck.' Going-Blank IS Not at all an unpleasant experience to Health
ily Curious Sailors. However it is when also, they 'Get Stuck' that they call it 'HELL' INCORPORATED' The Man thusly stricken can Not Move of his own volition unless two or More of those who are within the field go & touch him, quickly, else he 'Freezes'.
If a Man Freezes, His position Must be Marked out carefully and then the Field is cut-off. Everyone but that 'Frozen' Man is able to Move; to appreciate apparent Solidity again. Then, the Newest Member of the crew Must Approach the Spot, where he will find the 'Frozen' Mans face or Bare skin, that is Not covered by usual uniform Clothing. Sometimes, It takes only an hour or so Sometimes all Night&all DayLong & Worse It once took 6 months, to get The Man 'Unfrozen'. This 'Deep Freeze' was not psycological. It is the Result of a Hyper-Field that is set up, within the field of the Body, While the 'Scorch' Field is turned on & this at Length or upon a Old Hand.
A Highly complicated Piece of Equipment Had to be constructed in order to Unfreeze those who became True Froze' or 'Deep Freeze' subjects. Usually a 'Deep Freeze' Man goes Mad, Stark Raving, Gibbering, Running MAD, if His 'freeze' is far More than a Day in our time.
'I speak of TIME for DEEP 'Frozen Men* are Not aware of Time as We know it.
They are Like Semi-comatose person, who Live, breathe, Look & feel but still are unaware of So Utterly Many things as to constitute a 'Nether World' to them. A Man in an ordinary common Freeze is aware of Time, Sometimes acutely so. Yet They are Never aware of Time precisely as you or I are aware of it. The First 'Deep Freeze' As I said took 6 months to Rectify. It also took over 5 Million Dollars worth of Electronic equipment & a Special Ship Berth. If around or Near the Philadelphia Navy Yard you see a group of Sailors in the act of Putting their Hands upon a fellow or upon 'thin air', observe the Digits & appendages of the Stricken Man. If they seem to Waver, as tho within a Heat-Mirage, go quickly & Put YOUR Hands upon Him, For that Man is The Very Most Desperate of Men in The World. Not one of those Men ever want at all to become again invisible. I do not think that Much More Need be said as to Why Man is Not Ready for Force-Field Work. Eh?
You Will Hear phrases from these Men such as 'Caught in the Flow (or the Push)' or 'Stuck in the Green' or 'Stuck in Molasses' or 'I was "going" FAST', These Refer to Some of the Decade-Later after effects of Force-Field Work. 'Caught in the Flow' Describes exactly the 'Stuck in Molasses' sensation of a Man going into a 'Deep Freeze' or Plain Freeze' either of the two. 'Caught in the Push' can either refer to That Which a Man feels Briefly WHEN he is either about to inadvertantly 'Go-Blank' IE Become Invisible' or about to 'Get Stuck' in a 'Deep Freeze' or 'Plain Freeze.'
There are only a very few of the original Expierimental D-E's Crew left by now, Sir. Most went insane, one just walked 'throo' his quarters wall in sight of his wife & child & 2 other crew Members (WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN), two 'Went into The Flame.' IE They 'Froze' & caught fire, while carrying common Small-Boat Compasses, one Man carried the compass & Caught fire, the other came for the 'Laying on of Hands' as he was the nearest but he too, took fire. THEY BURNED FOR 18 DAYS. The faith in 'Hand Laying' Died When this Happened & Mens Minds Went by the scores. The expieriment Was a Complete Success. The Men Were Complete Failures.
Check Philadelphia Papers for a tiny one Paragraph (upper Half of sheet, inside the paper Near the rear 3rd of Paper, 1944-46 in Spring or Fall or Winter, NOT Summer.) of an Item describing the Sailors Actions after their initial Voyage. They Raided a Local to the Navy Yard 'Gin Mill' or 'Beer Joint' & caused such Shock & Paralysis of the Waitresses that Little comprehensible could be gotten from them, save that Paragraph & the Writer of it, Does Not Believe it, & Says 'I only wrote what I heard & them Dames is Daffy. So, all I get is a 'Hide-it' Bedtime Story.'
Check observer ships crew, Matson Lines Liberty ship out of Norfolk, (Company MAY Have Ships Log for that Voyage or Coast Guard have it) The S.S. Andrew Furuseth, Chief Mate Mowsely, (Will secure Captains Name Later) (Ships Log Has Crew List on it.) one crew member Richard Price or 'Splicey' Price May Remember other Names of Deck Crew Men, (Coast Guard has record of Sailors issued 'Papers') Mr Price was 18 or 19 then, Oct. 1943, and Lives or Lived at that time in His old Family Home in Roanoke, VA. a small town with a Small phone book. These Men Were Witnesses, The Men of this crew, 'Connally of New England, (Boston?), May have Witnessed but I doubt it. (Spelling May be incorrect) DID Witness this. I ask you to Do this bit of Research simply that you May Choke on your own Tongue when you Remember what you have 'appealed be Made Law'
Very Disrespectfully Yours, Carl M. Allen
P.S. Will Help More if you see Where I can. (Z416175)
Days Later
Notes in addition to and pertaining to Missive. (Contact Rear Admiral Rawson Bennett for verification of info Herein. Navy Cheif of Research. He may offer you a job, ultimately) Coldly and analytically speaking, without the Howling that is in the Letter to you accompanying this, I will say the followint in all Fairness to you & to Science. (1) The Navy did Not know that the men could become invisible WHILE NOT UPON THE SHIP & UNDER THE FIELDS INFLUENCE. (2) The Navy Did Not Know that there would be Men Die from odd effects of HYPER 'Field' within or upon 'Field'. (3) Further, They even yet do Not know Why this happened & are not even sure that the *P within 'F' is the reason, for sure at all. In Short The Atomic bomb didn't kill the expierimentors thus the expieriments went on - but eventually one or two were accidentally killed But the cause was known as to Why they died. Myself, I 'feel' that something pertaining to that Small-boat compass 'triggered' off 'The Flames.' I have no proof, but Neither Does the Navy. (4) WORSE & Not Mentioned When one or two of their Men, Visible-within-the-field-to-all-the-others, Just Walked into Nothingness, AND Nothing Could be felt, of them, either when the 'field' Was turned on OR off. THEY WERE JUST GONE! Then, More Fears Were Amassed. (5) Worse, Yet, When an apparently Visible & New-Man Just walks seemingly 'throo' the Wall of his House, the surrounding area Searched by all Men & thoroughly scrutinized by & with & under an Installed Portable Field developer AND NOTHING EVER found of him. So Many Many Fears were by then in effect that the Sum total of them all could Not ever again be faced by ANY of those Men or by the Men Working at & upon the Experiments.
I wish to Mention that Somehow, also, The Experimental Ship Disappeared from its Philadelphia Dock and only a Very few Minutes Later appeared at its other Dock in the Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth area. This was distinctly AND clearly Identified as being that place BUT the ship then, again, Dissapeared And Went Back to its Philadelphia Dock in only a Very few Minutes or Less. This was also noted in the newspapers But I forget what paper I read it in or When It happened. Probably Late in the experiments, May have been in 1946 after Experiments were discontinued, I can Not Say for Sure.
To the Navy this Whole thing was So Impractical due to its Morale Blasting effects Which were so much so that efficient operation of the Ship was Drastically hindered and then after this occurrence It was shown that even the Mere operation of a ship could Not be counted upon at all. In short, Ignorance of this thing bred Such
Terrors of it that, on the Level of attempted operations, with what knowledge was then available It was deemed as impossible, Impracticable and Too Horrible.
I believe that Had YOU then been Working upon & With the team that was Working upon this project With yourself knowing what Vou NOW know, that 'The Flames' Would Not have been so unexpected, or Such a Terrifying Mystery. Also, More than Likely, I must say in All fairness, None of these other occurrences could have happened without some knowledge of their possibility of occurring. In fact. They may have been prevented by a far More Cautious Program AND by a Much More Cautiously careful Selection of Personnel for Ships officers & Crew. Such was not the case. The Navy used whatever Human Material was at hand, Without Much, if any, thought as to character & Personality of that Material. If care, Great Care is taken in selection of Ship, and officers and crew AND If Careful Indoctrination is taken along with Careful watch over articles of apparel Such as rings & Watches & Identification bracelets & belt buckles, Plus AND
ESPECIALLY the effect of HobNailed shoes or Cleated-shoes U.S. Navy issue shoes, I feel that some progress towards dissipating the fearfilled ignorance surrounding this project Will be Most surely & certainly accomplished. The Record of the U.S. Maritime Service HOUSE Norfolk, Va (for Graduated Seamen of their Schools) Will reveal Who was assigned to S.S. Andrew Furuseth for Month of either Late Sept. or Oct. of 1943. I remember positively of one other observer who stood beside Me When tests were going on. He was from New England, Brown Blond Curly Hair, blue eyes. Don't remember Name.
I leave it up to you to Decide iif further Work shall be put into this or Not, and Write this in Hopes there Will be,
Very sincerely,
Carl M. Allen
Invisible ships? Disappearing crew members?? A wild and fantastic tale indeed -but surely an intriguing one as well to a man of Jessup's interests. According to Vincent Gaddis' brief account of the affair, published as part of his book Invisible Horizons in 1964: 'Jessup's first reaction was that the letter was either a hoax or the rantings of a crackpot. The very nature of UFO investigation attracts twisted and unstable minds.'
The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility Page 3