DISCLOSURE / FILE

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949

FBI-UAP-D011, D/FBI Correspondence Referral, 1949

1949 correspondence between Rev. Charles C. Barnes and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover reporting four converging beams of light and an explosion over the Cascade Mountains, later referred to the Atomic Energy Commission.

Brief

On January 31, 1949, Rev. Charles C. Barnes wrote to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover describing four beams of light he saw the previous May converging in the Cascade Mountains, where a "great explosion effect" appeared at roughly ten thousand feet for at least ten minutes. Barnes linked the sighting to possible radio-beam rainfall experiments and to the Columbia River flood, and asked Hoover to pass the account to the right authorities. Per the release description, Hoover thanked Barnes and forwarded the letter to the Atomic Energy Commission, noting Barnes believed it might relate to a military or scientific experiment in the AEC's purview. The file was stamped received in the FBI Communications Section in February 1949.

Metadata

Agency: FBI
Release: 6/12/26
Incident: 1949
Type: PDF • .pdf
Length: 4 pages
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Programs: Atomic Energy Commission
Tags: beams of light, explosion, Cascade Mountains, Oregon, 1949, weather modification

Key points

Rev. Charles C. Barnes, pastor at Box 391, wrote to Hoover on January 31, 1949.p.2
Barnes saw four beams in the sky one afternoon last May, passing northwest to southeast and converging in the Cascade Mountains.p.2
Small clouds were forming in the beams, and a great explosion effect appeared where they met against the mountains, visible at least 10 minutes.p.2
The explosion effect was at a height of about ten thousand feet.p.2
Barnes connected the sight to pre-war articles on radio-beam rainfall experiments in Europe, recalling Science Digest.p.2
He cited the Columbia River flood and unusual winter precipitation as reasons to report the observation in the interest of national security.p.2
Barnes noted one son in the Air Corps and another working with the A.E.C. at Hanford.p.2
Hoover acknowledged Barnes' letter of January 31, 1949 in a reply addressed to the First Presbyterian Church.p.3
The reply was logged in the FBI Communications Section, stamped FEB 10 1949.p.3

Verbatim

Last May one afternoon I saw four beam~ in the sky passing from the northwest to the southeast and converging in the Cascade mountains.
p.2
And where the beams met apparently against the mountains a great explosion effect was to be seen. I wou~d say that· they were visible for at least 10 minutes or longer.
p.2
The sight brought to mind an article read before the war about experiments carried on in Europe with various types of radio beams to effect rainfall.
p.2
I have one son in the Air Cor~and anothercwbtkg with the A.E.C. at Hanford which causes me to ptay for peace,
p.2
The explosion effect a height of about ten thousand feet.
p.2

Most interesting

Barnes framed his report around weather modification, suspecting the beams were radio-beam rainfall experiments rather than anything otherworldly.
He tied the observation to the Columbia River flood of the prior summer and unusual winter precipitation, treating it as a national-security matter.
Barnes had personal ties to the institutions involved: a son in the Air Corps and another working at the AEC's Hanford site.
Hoover forwarded the letter to the Atomic Energy Commission rather than handling it within the FBI, per the release description.

Cited in

TAKEAWAYThe Cold War collection deskp.1War.gov June 12, 2026

Common questions

What is Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949?: 1949 correspondence between Rev. Charles C. Barnes and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover reporting four converging beams of light and an explosion over the Cascade Mountains, later referred to the Atomic Energy Commission.
What does Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 reveal?: Rev. Charles C. Barnes, pastor at Box 391, wrote to Hoover on January 31, 1949. Barnes saw four beams in the sky one afternoon last May, passing northwest to southeast and converging in the Cascade Mountains. Small clouds were forming in the beams, and a great explosion effect appeared where they met against the mountains, visible at least 10 minutes.
Which agency produced Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949?: Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 is a primary-source record from FBI. Its original classification was UNCLASSIFIED.
When is Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 dated?: Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 is dated 1949-01-31. It was disclosed 2026-06-12.
What programs and topics appear in Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949?: Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 references Atomic Energy Commission, beams of light, explosion, Cascade Mountains, Oregon and weather modification.
What does Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 say, in its own words?: "Last May one afternoon I saw four beam~ in the sky passing from the northwest to the southeast and converging in the Cascade mountains." (source p. 2).

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Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949

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--- on information and May I add seemed to rise to / ' • I ! : I .·-· !I I ~~ ii I l ctf ~/ I 1 . REV. CHARLES C. BARNES, PASTOR Box 391 · - ' January 31, 1949 ·"' Mre J. Edgar Hoover Washington D.C .. 6189!) i Dear Mr. Hoover: Here is a bit of information which may be of great signi ficance, or may be merely an observation of a sientific experi ment. It may be known by military authorities and the AoEoC. or only a few may have seen it and none reported it to the right place. Here it is. Can you pass it to the rig~t persons? Last May one afternoon I saw four beam~ in the sky passing from the northwest to the southeast and converging in the Cascade mountains. In those four narrow beams small slou.d§ vvere forming. And where the beams met apparently against the mountains a great explosion effect was to be seen. I wou~d say that· they were visible for at least 10 minutes or longer. D The sight brought to mind an article read before the war about experiments carried on in Europe with various types of radio beams to effect rainfall. I would guess that I had seen the article. in the Science Digest. The Columbia River flood of last summer and the unusual precipitation this winter have forced me to_feel that this observation of mine should be sent somewhere in the interest of national security. I have one son in the Air Cor~and anothercwbtkg with the A.E.C. at Hanford which causes me to ptay for peace,· as weli as the fact that as a minister I deplore.the waste and tragedy, of war. That is one reason that I have fefrained from passing id~as that might incite warlike attitudes. these words to paragraph two. The explosion effect a height of about ten thousand feet. Sincerely, _,,.

Page 4 · born-digital extraction

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Full transcript4 pages · 513 words›

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Page 1born-digital extraction

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Page 2born-digital extraction

--- on information and May I add seemed to rise to / ' • I ! : I .·-· !I I ~~ ii I l ctf ~/ I 1 . REV. CHARLES C. BARNES, PASTOR Box 391 · - ' January 31, 1949 ·"' Mre J. Edgar Hoover Washington D.C .. 6189!) i Dear Mr. Hoover: Here is a bit of information which may be of great signi ficance, or may be merely an observation of a sientific experi ment. It may be known by military authorities and the AoEoC. or only a few may have seen it and none reported it to the right place. Here it is. Can you pass it to the rig~t persons? Last May one afternoon I saw four beam~ in the sky passing from the northwest to the southeast and converging in the Cascade mountains. In those four narrow beams small slou.d§ vvere forming. And where the beams met apparently against the mountains a great explosion effect was to be seen. I wou~d say that· they were visible for at least 10 minutes or longer. D The sight brought to mind an article read before the war about experiments carried on in Europe with various types of radio beams to effect rainfall. I would guess that I had seen the article. in the Science Digest. The Columbia River flood of last summer and the unusual precipitation this winter have forced me to_feel that this observation of mine should be sent somewhere in the interest of national security. I have one son in the Air Cor~and anothercwbtkg with the A.E.C. at Hanford which causes me to ptay for peace,· as weli as the fact that as a minister I deplore.the waste and tragedy, of war. That is one reason that I have fefrained from passing id~as that might incite warlike attitudes. these words to paragraph two. The explosion effect a height of about ten thousand feet. Sincerely, _,,.

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DISCLOSURE / FILE

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949

Brief

Key points

Rev. Charles C. Barnes, pastor at Box 391, wrote to Hoover on January 31, 1949.p.2

Barnes saw four beams in the sky one afternoon last May, passing northwest to southeast and converging in the Cascade Mountains.p.2

Small clouds were forming in the beams, and a great explosion effect appeared where they met against the mountains, visible at least 10 minutes.p.2

The explosion effect was at a height of about ten thousand feet.p.2

Barnes connected the sight to pre-war articles on radio-beam rainfall experiments in Europe, recalling Science Digest.p.2

He cited the Columbia River flood and unusual winter precipitation as reasons to report the observation in the interest of national security.p.2

Barnes noted one son in the Air Corps and another working with the A.E.C. at Hanford.p.2

Hoover acknowledged Barnes' letter of January 31, 1949 in a reply addressed to the First Presbyterian Church.p.3

The reply was logged in the FBI Communications Section, stamped FEB 10 1949.p.3

Verbatim

Last May one afternoon I saw four beam~ in the sky passing from the northwest to the southeast and converging in the Cascade mountains.

p.2

And where the beams met apparently against the mountains a great explosion effect was to be seen. I wou~d say that· they were visible for at least 10 minutes or longer.

p.2

The sight brought to mind an article read before the war about experiments carried on in Europe with various types of radio beams to effect rainfall.

p.2

I have one son in the Air Cor~and anothercwbtkg with the A.E.C. at Hanford which causes me to ptay for peace,

p.2

The explosion effect a height of about ten thousand feet.

p.2

Most interesting

Barnes framed his report around weather modification, suspecting the beams were radio-beam rainfall experiments rather than anything otherworldly.

He tied the observation to the Columbia River flood of the prior summer and unusual winter precipitation, treating it as a national-security matter.

Barnes had personal ties to the institutions involved: a son in the Air Corps and another working at the AEC's Hanford site.

Hoover forwarded the letter to the Atomic Energy Commission rather than handling it within the FBI, per the release description.

Common questions

What is Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949?

What does Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 reveal?

Rev. Charles C. Barnes, pastor at Box 391, wrote to Hoover on January 31, 1949. Barnes saw four beams in the sky one afternoon last May, passing northwest to southeast and converging in the Cascade Mountains. Small clouds were forming in the beams, and a great explosion effect appeared where they met against the mountains, visible at least 10 minutes.

Which agency produced Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949?

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 is a primary-source record from FBI. Its original classification was UNCLASSIFIED.

When is Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 dated?

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 is dated 1949-01-31. It was disclosed 2026-06-12.

What programs and topics appear in Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949?

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 references Atomic Energy Commission, beams of light, explosion, Cascade Mountains, Oregon and weather modification.

What does Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949 say, in its own words?

"Last May one afternoon I saw four beam~ in the sky passing from the northwest to the southeast and converging in the Cascade mountains." (source p. 2).

--- on information and May I add seemed to rise to / ' • I ! : I .·-· !I I ~~ ii I l ctf ~/ I 1 . REV. CHARLES C. BARNES, PASTOR Box 391 · - ' January 31, 1949 ·"' Mre J. Edgar Hoover Washington D.C .. 6189!) i Dear Mr. Hoover: Here is a bit of information which may be of great signi ficance, or may be merely an observation of a sientific experi ment. It may be known by military authorities and the AoEoC. or only a few may have seen it and none reported it to the right place. Here it is. Can you pass it to the rig~t persons? Last May one afternoon I saw four beam~ in the sky passing from the northwest to the southeast and converging in the Cascade mountains. In those four narrow beams small slou.d§ vvere forming. And where the beams met apparently against the mountains a great explosion effect was to be seen. I wou~d say that· they were visible for at least 10 minutes or longer. D The sight brought to mind an article read before the war about experiments carried on in Europe with various types of radio beams to effect rainfall. I would guess that I had seen the article. in the Science Digest. The Columbia River flood of last summer and the unusual precipitation this winter have forced me to_feel that this observation of mine should be sent somewhere in the interest of national security. I have one son in the Air Cor~and anothercwbtkg with the A.E.C. at Hanford which causes me to ptay for peace,· as weli as the fact that as a minister I deplore.the waste and tragedy, of war. That is one reason that I have fefrained from passing id~as that might incite warlike attitudes. these words to paragraph two. The explosion effect a height of about ten thousand feet. Sincerely, _,,.

I • (c (.. .... -. ··•·~.•·.~C~ '~ ' ,,,, ', ~~ •• ' ·~.~J~,. ~--~- ~,(~'ll-..., ~' ·~~~ ~~~ :~~ . . -~ ~~~J·,~ ,;_:, __ • .•-.~~;' i~~~, ~i)f~u; -~ ~.~.~~ ...W,. taJ--l - - I l. Page4 • - - - --- -- -- ---------- - ~ I

' .• -~ // j'-!J--,/ ;_q <t:f- Bev,,re.n<l . . Oherr·le 11· fl,.,, Ba~ne J!·f,'rf$·t Pre s·b1.rterl-4.fl Churc'll • Bo:: 891 • 1 0 1lc;ltf:nnvtJ.11e.. tJ'rfJ'gotJ , Deer- 1.~•. BaJ-ne-,, I lutve, ~IJJ.Q(ltued ,yl)Uf!i J;11.t;t,rJ?· gf- J~~w1~.y 81 1 , a.·f.}i;t9" (J.71,d U,(lJt·i t:o t.lian:Jl 1JO·t& J*fJ:"11; 3~Bdi'1l9 j;h,;e :ti!\f~l:l,;"4(':$:lrQff; wl1;h ,re/e;f':e:a~e_.. to 'l;;/le :~~~e,r yo~. ~;11:1t1Jo,n:att. .Li ·rM,:,. 'i,~~.. . '.flh:o,r,tgbi#tful lif 11,l.1.'e ~· e,itlmft~l®tS .u,i, th -~· ta: ·1t1tfrlt "'C-'Oilm:~c1tt~n~ /Ji,~!fjll/l'tl,J}fl ~1'-r.lS-• ~ I (; .. .,•, I I ' l!» ~ ' \ • ,___.-·-----· .lrs ID OMMuN,CAr,oNs sEci,UN \/.iAfLED I !5 · \ FEB.to 1949 P.M. Page3

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949

Brief

Metadata

Key points

Verbatim

Most interesting

Cited in

Related topics

Common questions

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949

Brief

Metadata

Key points

Verbatim

Most interesting

Cited in

Related topics

Common questions

Four Converging Beams Over the Cascades, 1949