Roswell Daily Record, July 9, 1947, front page
Local Weatherman Believes Disks to be Bureau Devices
Weatherman L. J. Guthrie, of the Roswell bureau of the United States weather service, today was disposed to agree with army officials that the so-called disk found on the Foster ranch, northwest of Roswell by W. W. Brazel, and recovered by the army air forces at RAAF, was one belonging to the weather service.The weather service has been dabbling with radar controlled balloons and similar devices for some time, Guthrie said, and from descriptions of the instrument found by Brazel, he said that it coincides with what he has learned about the experiments.Guthrie said that the weather bureau has used balloons of several styles to measure wind velocities in the upper stretches, and that some of them had been designed in triangular shape, with a radar target disk attached. These instruments were sometimes covered with tinfoil, he said. By radar, bureau observers could "shoot" the balloon targets, therefore measuring distance the instruments travel in upper air currents, and their rate of speed.Guthrie said that a great deal of meteorological equipment and supplies had been given to the weather service by the army after the close of the war, and that among the equipment was some of the radar triangles and other radar controlled devices. All army weather observation material is serial marked, he said, and easily identified.The weatherman said that these radar controlled instruments are also put into use to detect thunderstorms.The fact that the instruments are of triangle shape, and tinfoil covered leads the weatherman here to believe, he said, that many of the so-called disks reported to have been seen all over the nation are weather bureau property."These instruments are sent up daily and from scores of places all over the United States," Guthrie said, "and it is barely possible many have been sighted by those who were making a search for disks, after first reports of their being seen began to pile up."Roswell Morning Record, July 17, page 3
Disks Are Made to Order Here Says Roswell Weatherman
Flying disks will be made to order in the Roswell area, red-yellow, white or indigo.
Shortly before 9 o'clock this morning A L. Turner, driver for the 201 Taxi, and a passenger, Bettery Person 608 West Walnut, reported to Bill Robinson, assistant secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, they had seen what appeared to be a flying disk sailing over the New Mexico Military Institute.Checked with L. J. Guthrie, supervisor of the local weather bureau station at the airport, and discovered the daily 8:30 a.m. balloon run was in progress.Guthrie reported the balloon had been travling [sic] in all directions, but at the time of the time of the phone call, 9:05, was straight up. This is typical of approaching thunderstorm action, the weather mentor said.The weather bureau man informs balloons of all colors are used by the local station in making the runs, which gives information of the velocity and direction of winds aloft. "We have red, yellow, white, blue, or indigo."The weather bureau is now located at the municipal airport, not far from NMMI.
