Eventually APRO published some information about the “disaster.” Early in September 1957 a group of fishermen on a beach near Ubataba, Brazil, had supposedly sighted a disk-shaped object flashing down toward the sea. The UFO had suddenly veered upward and exploded, showering down fragments and sparks like fireworks. Several pieces had been obtained by a Brazilian representative of APRO, who submitted them to a chemist for complete tests including spectrographic and X-ray diffraction analyses. The analyses have apparently never been published. Although they evidently showed the presence of at least three elements common on earth--magnesium, hydrogen, and oxygen--APRO somehow deduced that the fragments in their original state had consisted of pure magnesium and that the hydroxide must have formed when they came in contact with the water. The final conclusion stated that the object consisted, at least in part, of 100% magnesium. Similarly, perhaps, a cook might assert that since chocolate fudge consists, at least in part, of 100 per cent sucrose, fudge must originally have been composed entirely of pure sugar, except for a little chocolate and milk it picked up in passing through the kitchen. From the few facts available a positive identification of the fragments is impossible. The description of the object seen by the fishermen fits that of a meteor that broke into pieces near the end of its flight. In the photographs the fragments look like ordinary meteorites, which often contain a fair amount of magnesium (see _Chapter_ V). There is no evidence to suggest that the fishermen’s “wrecked spaceship” was anything but an exploding meteor. In the last fifteen years the Air Force has patiently analyzed dozens of odd substances ranging from angel hair to pancakes. The statement made in 1960 by General Thomas D. White, Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, still holds true: “By an act of Congress the United States Air Force is charged with the Air Defense of the United States. Rapid identification of anything that flies is an important part of air defense. Thus the Air Force initiated and continues the unidentified flying object program. Under this program all unidentified flying object sightings are investigated in meticulous detail by Air Force personnel and qualified scientific consultants. So far, not a single bit of material evidence of the existence of spaceships has been found.”[XI-23] [XI-1] Ormond, R. “I Found a Little Green Man,” _Flying Saucers_ (August 1957). [XI-2] Scully, F. _Behind the Flying Saucers._ New York: Popular Library, 1951. [XI-3] Cahn, J. P. “Flying Saucers and the Mysterious Little Men,” _True_ magazine (September 1952). [XI-4] Lorenzen, C. E. “The Reality of the Little Men,” _Flying Saucers_ (December 1958), p. 26. [XI-5] Michel, A. _The Truth about Flying Saucers._ New York: Criterion Books, 1956. [XI-6] Maney, C. A., and Hall, R. _The Challenge of Unidentified Flying Objects._ Washington, D.C., 1961.