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The Philadelphia Experiment From A-Z

A Matter Of Time

In the legend of the Philadelphia Experiment the date of the main “deadly” experiment given is Oct. 28, 1943. Below we will look at the various sources and dates given.

“Being employed at the Shipyard during this time, up to 1982, I was in a position to go into some shipyard records and files to find anything relating to the date or to the USS Eldridge DE-173. The listing indicated that the USS Eldridge was not in the shipyard in 1943. My search of the records uncovered another unusual fact. On the supposed date of the experiment, October 23, 1943, at all shops and offices on that day, a Saturday, the back channel employees were assigned work in other locations or given the day off. Most unusual for a wartime shipyard. This fact was verified in conversation with a now retired and deceased member of Liaison Group, Jimmie Judge.” – Sam Kuncevich

“The ‘result’ was complete invisibility of a ship, Destroyer type, and all of its crew, While at Sea (October 1943)” – Carl M. Allen

“The experiment, he {Carl Allen} said, took place in the last few days of October 1943 and the first week of November 1943” – Jacques Vallee [1]

“To the best of Allen’s recollection, the disappearance of the DE-173 occurred between 17:05 and 17:20 hours on, possibly, the 27th or, more likely, the 28th or 29th of October 1943.” – Bob C. Warth [2]

“…it appears that the Philadelphia Experiment took place sometime between July 20th and August 20th, 1943.” – William L. Moore [3]

In 1945 The U.S.S. Antietam (CV-36) went into the Philadelphia Naval Yard for degaussing. The crew, having heard of the PX legend, was starting to get concerned that their ship might be used for a continuation of the experiment. To ease tension, Captain J. R. Tague called all crew to quarters and read a memo from the Secretary of the Navy about the PX. The memo stated that the PX happened on October 28, 1943. This event was entered into the log of the Antietam in May, 1945. [4]

Carl Allen had said that he witnessed the experiment in October of 1943, from the deck of the S.S. Andrew Furuseth.

“..at approximately 5:05 in the afternoon on a nice, clear, sunshiny day. It was a beautiful, lovely day – no clouds in the sky…” – Carl M. Allen. [5]

Map Showing the Location / Routes of the ships

In the 1983 release of “The Philadelphia Experiment” movie, the date given was October 28th, 1943. In the 1993 sequel however, the date was changed to May 3rd, 1943 was given. I wonder if the movie producers were aware of this discrepancy in the sequel?

So you ask, what’s the real date? I am not sure we will ever know. After compiling the Time Line research my feelings are that, if an experiment was conducted at all, August 13, 1943 would be the earliest “best guess,” with the first week of November being the most probable.

According to “official” records the only two times the S.S. Furuseth and Eldridge could have been within visual distance of each other is on August 17, off New Jersey, or November 2-12, in the Atlantic. [6]

Below is the Eldridge’s Official History, and the Movement Summary of the S.S. Andrew Furuseth.

USS Eldridge Microfilm Page 001 - History
USS Eldridge Microfilm Page 002 - History
USS Eldridge Microfilm Page 003 - History
SS Furuseth Movement Report July-26th-1943

The famous Berlitz and Moore Book as well countless others on the Philadelphia Experiment state; The Deck logs of the Eldridge for the period from the date of commission (Aug. 27th, 1943) to January 1st, 1944, were “missing.” To this day (2018/Feb) this is still the case.. Mysterious?? However I was able to option The Eldridge’s War Diary back in the 80’s intact, They include the date, location of the ship at 08:00, 12:00, 20:00, and hand written/signed notes every four hours. If you are wondering what is in the logs of the Eldridge for the 28th, here they are and can be best described as “Business as Usual”

USS Eldridge Microfilm Page 099 / October 28th, 1943 (The Day Of The Experiment / Carl Allen)
USS Eldridge Microfilm Page 100 / October 28th, 1943 (The Day Of The Experiment / Carl Allen)

This section was so much larger before I cut out all the Bielek References, no need to further point out all the glaring holes in his story / craziness.

Some convoys that both the USS Eldridge and Andew Furuseth were in together (Not Complete but clearly shows the ships were in convoys together over time);

ConvoyDepartDateArriveDate
GUS.41Port Said24 May 1944Hampton Roads19 June 1944
GUS.34Port Said15 March 1944Hampton Roads14 April 1944
UGS.48Hampton Roads14 July 1944Port Said8 August 1944

Timeline of Events

NOTES:

  • These are just little snippets of information attached to a date, please refer to specific topics in the menus for detailed information.
  • Dates of “01/01/YYYY” are used when the event happened in that year but no exact date was given.
  • Refer to the Time Line of Events section for reference numbers and a larger view.

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  • US Naval Research Laboratory Opened

    US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) opened {7}

  • T. Townsend Brown

    T. Townsend Brown

    T. Townsend Brown signed on with the NRL as a specialist in radiation, field physics, and spectroscopy. {1}

  • T. Townsend Brown

    T. Townsend Brown  participated as a staff physicist in the U. S. Navy Department’s International Gravity Expedition. {1}

  • Tesla

    Tesla claims to a New York Times reporter that he is working on a particle beam weapon that will “bring down a fleet of 10,000 enemy air planes at a distance of 250 miles”. The report gains enormous amounts of publicity.

  • T. Townsend Brown

    Navy brought T. Townsend Brown into active service  to become the officer in charge of magnetic and acoustic mine sweeping research. {1}

  • Dr. Rinehart

    Late in 1939 Dr. Rinehart / Franklin Reno (pseudonyms) recalls that it was probably von Neumann that presented the idea for the experiment to NDRC. {1}

  • Albert Einstein

    Einstein in 1921 by F Schmutzer

    The withdrawn ‘complete’ version of Einstein’s UFT reappears {1}

  • Tesla

    Proposing the “death ray” for defense – Philadelphia Inquirer Tesla states;

    “It is based on an entirely new principle of physics that nobody ever has dreamed of. It is different. from the principle. embodied in my inventions relating to the transmission of electrical power from a distance, for which I hold a number of basic patents.”

     

  • Project “Rainbow” Appears

    A project named “Rainbow” appeared in the Inter-Services Code-Word Index. {1}

  • T. Townsend Brown

    Townsend Brown is Radio Officer, Ship’s Service Officer and Educational Officer at Atlantic Fleet Radar School Norfolk, Virginia.

  • Magician Joseph Dunninger

    Joseph Dunninger a Magician (known as “The Amazing Dunninger”, was cited as one of the most famous and proficient mentalists of all time) submitted ideas on battleship invisibility to the U.S. Navy from a “magician’s point of view.” {1,5}

  • USS Eldridge DE-173

    USS Eldridge DE-173 (1944)

    USS Eldridge DE-173 construction commenced Newark, NJ

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen worked odd jobs for the Marine Corps {1}

  • S.S. Andrew Furuseth

    S.S. Andrew Furuseth, 1942, Oct; Carl Allen states that he witnessed the strange experiment conducted on the Eldridge from the deck of the S.S. Andrew Furuseth

    S.S. Andrew Furuseth launched {1}

  • T. Townsend Brown

    T. Townsend Brown resigns from Navy “to avoid court martial”

  • Nikola Tesla

    Nikola Tesla

    Tesla died of heart failure alone in room 3,327 of the New Yorker Hotel. Soon after his death Tesla’s safe was opened and all Tesla’s papers and other property were impounded by the United States Government. Dr. John G. Trump was the main government official who went over Tesla’s secret papers.  Trump was a well-known electrical engineer serving as a technical aide to the National Defense Research Committee of the Office of Scientific Research & Development.

    Tesla’s funeral was on Jan 12th {10}

  • Jessup was employed by the U.S. Government

    From May 1943 to May 1944, Jessup was employed by the U.S. Government, his title or for what was never disclosed in his FBI records.

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen discharged upon report of medical survey of disability at Charleston, South Carolina. {1}

  • Albert Einstein

    Einstein Meeting With The Navy, 1943

    Albert Einstein signed a consultant’s contract with the R&D Division of the U.S. Navy. This was extended until June 30th, 1946.  {8}

  • USS Eldridge DE-173 Launched

    1943, Jul 25th, USS Eldridge Launched from the Federal Shipbuilding & D.D. Co. in Newark, N.J.

    USS Eldridge DE-173 launched according to the Greek records, a full 30 days earlier than the official history. {1}

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen enlisted in the Merchant Marine, and attended Seamen’s Training School at Hoffman Island, NY. Shortly after assigned to the S.S. Andrew Furuseth {1}

  • 283 Join Maritime Service in past 15 Days, Including Carl Allen

    The Pittsburgh Press Tue, Jul 13th., 1943
  • Albert Einstein

    Einstein Meeting With The Navy, 1943

    Albert Einstein met Naval Officers in his Princeton study.

  • Albert Einstein

    Einstein writes Lt. Stephen Brunauer / Navy Dept.  “…I have been asked by Dr. Vannevar Bush to accept an appointment as a consultant to Division 8 of the National Research Committee. I do not know whether this activity is compatible with my Navy appointment…” {17}

  • S.S. Andrew Furuseth

    Niobe (ex- Essi, ex- S.S. Andrew Furuseth)

    S.S. Andrew Furuseth sailed from New York, bound for Norfolk.

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen spent the weekend in Philadelphia. “It does not appear that Allen was in Philadelphia in October 1943 either {The Eldridge was not there}; but he was there in August-coincidentally at about the same time that the Eldridge was supposedly at Newark awaiting orders to transfer to New York for commissioning ceremonies.” {1}

  • Albert Einstein

    Einstein wrote Gustav Bucky that he now had “closer relations with the Navy and the Office of Scientific Research and Development in Washington.” {11}

  • S.S. Andrew Furuseth

    S.S. Andrew Furuseth sailed from Norfolk bound for Casablanca, North Africa. First time Carl Allen was aboard ship{1}

  • USS Eldridge DE-173

    USS Eldridge DE173, 1944

    USS Eldridge DE-173 left Newark, and sailed to Brooklyn NY. S.S. Andrew Furuseth and Eldridge could have been within visual distance of each other, off  New Jersey.{1}

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen's Seaman's Certificate of Identification, August 20, 1943

    Carl Allen Received his Seaman’s Certificate of Identification

  • New York Navy Yard

    1943 Aug 27th ~ New York Navy Yard Eldridge Placed Into Commission

    Eldridge Commissioned at 12:05 – New York Navy Yard, Charles R. Hamilton USNR Commanding Officer. 14:15 the last of the guests left the Eldridge. {16}

  • USS Eldridge DE-173

    USS Eldridge DE-173 Moored Starboard side to Pier F, Berth 16, New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn NY. Receiving Fresh water, salt water, electricity, steam and telephone services. Ship being outfitted, with no ammunition an board. Moored till 00:04 October 1st. {16}

  • USS Eldridge DE-173

    Eldridge shakedown and escort duties through to December 28.{16}

  • The Philadelphia Experiment

    USS Eldridge, 1944

    The Deadly Experiment with crew on board, executed between 17:05 and 17:20 hours. {1,5,6,7,9} (One of two possible dates given)

    “To the best of Allen’s recollection, the disappearance of the DE-173 occurred between 17:05 and 17:20 hours on, possibly, the 27th or, more likely, the 28th or 29th of October 1943.”

    “The ‘result’ was complete invisibility of a ship, Destroyer type, and all of its crew, While at Sea (October 1943)” – Carl M. Allen

  • USS Eldridge DE-173 (Logs)

    USS Eldridge Microfilm Page 099 / October 28th, 1943 (The Day Of The Experiment / Carl Allen)

    00:00-04:00 Eldridge Still Moored Starboard side to Pier “J” Berth 17, New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, NY.
    06:30 Eldridge underway steering down the East River, down the New York Harbor.
    08:05 Eldridge passed through the submarine net
    08:20 Eldridge passed through the Chapel Hill Channel
    08:45-16:05 Eldridge anchored in Loren Bay
    16:05 Eldridge completed calibration of HF/DF equipment.
    16:07-16:15 YP106 Pulls alongside Eldridge to pick up passengers
    16:25 Eldridge underway on various courses and speeds while compensating magnetic compass.
    17:25 Eldridge completed compensation of magnetic compass.
    17:30 Eldridge entered Ambrose channel.
    17:50 Eldridge passed between New York Harbor gate vessels
    18:18-24:00 Eldridge anchored in Graveshead Bay, Buoy #17A 210 Deg., Fort Lafayette 329 Deg. {16}

  • S.S. Andrew Furuseth

    Map Showing the Location / Routes of the ships

    1943-Nov-01-Nov-07 The Furuseth and Eldridge could have been within visual distance of each other in the Atlantic.

  • Carl Allen Meets Dr. Albert Einstein

    Carl Meets Einstein Written Statment

    “I now recall that we arrived {Furuseth} on the 11th, and docked on the 12th {of November}. And, at about 4:30 p.m. of that same day, Dr. Albert Einstein called on me to ask: “What did you see, feel, and think?” Because I was, and still am, the only living person who observed, at very close range, the DE-173 in the act of becoming invisible, and who plunged his arm, halfway to the elbow, into that stupendously colossal, whirling-whizzing forcefield and lived to tell about it. To do this, I had to plunge both hand and arm through a thick sheet of high-voltage, free-flowing electricity. “Why were you not killed?” Herr Doktor Einstein asked me. My reply delighted him, and we fast became friends that day. He was deeply concerned about the moral aspects of invisibility.” – Carl Allen

  • USS Eldridge DE-173

    USS Eldridge, 1943

    Report filed by Eldridge commander stating its position just 200 miles off the coast of Casablanca, North Africa, and heading towards the U.S. {1}

  • T. Townsend Brown

    T. Townsend Brown

    T. Townsend Brown suffered a nervous collapse; the Navy sent him home to rest. {1,11}

  • BBC Radio

    The BBC aired a radio series called “Brains Trust” which dealt with strange phenomena. The program featured a discussion with various people including a navel commander A.B. Campbell. Campbell told the story of the sailor walking through walls, etc. Note: this is only 55 days after the experiment is suggested to of token place. As far as I know this is the earliest media coverage of what was or may of turned into the PX.

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen left the Furuseth to become a crewman on the S.S. Newton D. Baker. {1}

  • Office of Research and Inventions

    (NRL) transferred to Office of Research and Inventions (ORI)

  • Dissapearing Destroyer

    Late 1945 A guard for classified audiovisual material saw film footage of a destroyer “disappear” and become invisible. {1}

  • CVS 36 Antietam

    USS Antietam (CV-36), March 2nd, 1945, Philadelphia Navy Yard

    Captain Teague read a memo to his crew about the PX, this event was entered into the log of the Antietam. {1}

  • USS Eldridge DE-173

    Eldridge was decommissioned, but remained in reserve {1}

  • Office of Naval Research

    ONR Logo

    Office of Naval Research (ONR) succeeded ORI

  • Carl Allen

    1947-May / Early Jun Carl Allen says he was a crew member of the SS Maylay, that was nearly capsized by the explosion of a UFO. {7}

  • Roswell UFO incident

    Roswell Crash

    On 8 July 1947 the Roswell Daily Record newspaper published a front page article with the headline “RAAF Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch in Roswell Region”, and the legend of America’s most famous brush with aliens was born.

    Today, many conspiracy theorists consider the so-called “Roswell incident” to be one of the most conspicuous pieces of evidence that the US government has covered up the existence of extra-terrestrial life on Earth. But the Roswell story’s position in the public imagination was far from immediate.

  • Harry Euton

    Early in 1951 Harry Euton while serving on the Gainard (DD-706) told a fellow ship mate of been part of a electronic camouflage experiment, where by accident or design optical invisibility was achieved. {18}

  • Eldridge Transferred to Greek Navy

    Ceremony at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Massachusetts, transferring the ships to the Royal Hellenic Navy 1951, Jan 15th

    Ceremony at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Massachusetts, transferring the ships to the Royal Hellenic Navy. Eldridge transferred to Greek Navy, and renamed the Léon (D 54)

  • The Case for the UFO

    The Case For The UFO Book Cover

    Mr. Jessup’s fist book “The Case for the UFO” was published on April 4th, 1955.

  • Albert Einstein

    Albert Einstein

    Albert Einstein whose theories exploded and changed our ideas of how the universe works, died in Princeton, N.J. of heart failure at the age of 76.

  • The Case for the UFO’s

    An annotated version of Mr. Jessup’s book “The Case for the UFO’s” was mailed to the Office of Naval Research, with a mysterious “HAPPY EASTER” written on the envelope. {9}

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen says in late 1956 the experiments were discontinued {6}

  • Carl Allen’s Letters

    Carl’s first letter, which concerned levitation, and such to Jessup, which to this day is still unknown and never published.

  • Carl Allen’s Letters

    The Allende Letters 2nd Letter to Jessup

    Carl Allen’s first (second) letter received by Mr. Jessup {1,9}

  • Jessup Replied to Carl Allen

    “Dear Mr. Allende: your most remarkable letters [sic], postmarked Gainesville, Texas Jan 5th, was forwarded to me here today.  This is without doubt the most remarkable report that I have had out of hundreds of letters from readers of my book.  I am retyping it so that copies can be studied by my techincal [sic] associates, and would like all the information I can get from you about more details, and especially names and addresses of witnesses.  This material is of the greatest importance…”

  • Carl Allen’s Letters

    The Allende Letters 3rd Letter To Jessup

    Carl Allen’s second (third) letter received by Mr. Jessup {1,9}

  • The Varo Edition

    The Case for the UFO Varo Edition

    Mr. Jessup was invited to the Office of Naval Research where he was given an annotated copy of his own book “The Case for the UFO” which has become known as the “Varo Edition.” Some of the mysterious notations referenced an invisibility experiment in 1943. {7}

  • Dr. Ivan Sanderson

    Ivan T. Sanderson

    Mr. Jessup turned over his information to Dr. Ivan Sanderson in NY, for safekeeping. {7}

  • NASA Formed

    NASA Logo

    NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) was formed, and the Vanguard project team and other employees from the Naval Research Laboratory were transferred to NASA.

  • Dr. J. Manson Valentine

    Dr. J. Manson Valentine

    Mr. Jessup told Dr. J. Manson Valentine that he had reached definite conclusions about the series of events surrounding the PX.

  • Long John Nebel

    Long John Nebel, 1958

    Mr. Jessup sent a long and depressing letter / suicide note to his friend Long John Nebel. {1}

  • Dr. J. Manson Valentine

    Dr. Valentine suggested that he come to dinner. The invitation was for the evening of April 20

  • Morris Jessup

    Jessup Death Certificate

    Jessup was found Dead on April 20, 1959, at 6:30 PM in Matheson’s Hammock Park, Dade County, Florida.  He was in his 1958 white Chevy station wagon behind the wheel. Cause of death:“Acute carbon monoxide intoxication / Deceased inhaled auto exhaust.”

    No notes or manuscripts of any kind were ever found, his briefcase seen with him that morning was missing.

  • Saucer Man Suicide

    "Saucer Man Suicide" ~ "Fort Myers News-Press" on Wed Apr-22, 1959

    No published obituaries were found about Jessup’s death, not from his local home town paper or any other source. However in 2017 I was able to locate a easy to miss little article “Saucer Man Suicide” that appeared on the front page of the “Fort Myers News-Press” Newspaper on Wed Apr 22nd, 1959 (Two days after Jessups death)

  • HNS Leon D54

    Eldridge Serving in the Greek Navy as the HNS Leon D54, 1960

    Eldridge Serving in the Greek Navy as the HNS Leon D54, 1960

  • Dr. Reilly H. Crabb

    Riley H Crabb

    Dr. Reilly H. Crabb First published Carl Allen’s letters to Morris Jessup. {1}

  • Invisible Horizons: True Mysteries of the Sea.

    Invisible Horizons: True Mysteries of the Sea.

    In 1963, Vincent Gaddis published a book of Forteana, titled Invisible Horizons: True Mysteries of the Sea. In it he recounted the story of the experiment from the Varo annotations. This is one of the early works that brought the store of the PX to the masses.

  • Jacques Vallee

    Carl Allen’s first letter received by Jacques Vallee. {7}

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen visited the Varo corporation, and demanded a copy of “His Book” The Varo Edition, and a small sum of money. {1}

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen APRO

    Carl Allen’s confession to the Aerial Phenomenon Research Organization (A.P.R.O.) the he was the one that wrote all three sets of comments in the Varo Edition. {1}

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen aka Carlos Miguel Allende, 1977 (from the Gray Barker Collection, Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library)

    One of the few color pictures of Carl Allen aka Carlos Miguel Allende, 1977 (from the Gray Barker Collection, Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library)

  • Carl Allen

    In a letter to his parents Carl Allen omits writing all three sets of annotations in the varo edition {14}

  • Robert Goerman

    (RG) May-31,1925 Birthplace of Carl Allen aka Carlos Miguel Allende

    Robert Goerman visited Carl Allen’s family, and viewed many original documents and letters from Carl to his parents.

  • Robert Goerman

    Receives a letter from Carl Allen stating that there was an still is two DE-173’s outfitted with the experimental equipment. {14}

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen sent his parents a annotated version of “The Philadelphia Experiment” Book. Stating that he was wrong and it was not the DE-173 but actually the DE-168 {14}

  • Carl Allen

    (RG) April-12,1980 Easter Greeting Card From Carl Allen to his Parents

    Easter Greeting Card From Carl Allen to his Parents where he talks about the Navy Ships Teleportation Event

  • Carl Allen

    Carl M. Allen - as Appeared in "Revelations: Alien Contact and Human Deceptions" by Jacques Vallee

    Carl Allen was interviewed by Linda Strand in Boulder, Colorado {7}

  • The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility

    The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility

    By Moore, William L. And Berlitz, Charles “The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility” was released in 1984 this was one of the first books that was written entirely about the PX

  • The Philadelphia Experiment Movie

    PX Movie Poster 1

    “The Philadelphia Experiment” Science Fiction move is Premeres in Theaters

  • Carl Allen

    Carl Allen Death Bed Statement

    Carlos Allende’s “death bed statement” is “THE NEWS of Colorado Centennial Country” Published in Volume 2, Number 31, dated August 22nd, 1986, page 1 and page 8

  • Leon D54

    Eldridge Serving in the Greek Navy as the HNS Leon D54, 1980's

    Léon (ex Eldridge) and Panthir entered the reserve service of the Greek Navy.

  • Carl Allen

    (RG) March-8, 1994 Obituary for Carlos Allende

    Carl died on Saturday, March 5th, 1994 at the age of 68 in Centennial Heath Care Center, Greeley CO. His obituary appeared a few days later in the Greeley Tribune.

  • Would You Like To Purchase The Eldridge?

    Scrapmetal Trading Ltd, Letter to Andrew, 1999, Oct 22
    I (Andrew Hochheimer) received a UPS Worldwide Express Envelope marked Urgent. It was from a scrap metal Trading Corporation in Pirae Greece the letter states;

    “Subject: ex. USS ELDRIDGE

    We have been informed of your interest for the abovementioned vessel.
    We have taken the liberty to write to you this letter in order to inform you that this vessel is now under our ownership. Therefore if you would still have an interest on this vessel please contact us at the abovementioned address and numbers, preferably in Piraeus – Greece, as soon as possible.”

    Looks as though they are looking for a buyer before turning it into scrap metal.
    See the article on this here 


[1]“Revelations: Alien Contact and Human Deceptions” by Jacques Vallee, Pg 205

[2]Letter to the author dated April 22nd, 1994

[3]“The Philadelphia Experiment” by Bill Moore & Charles Berlitz, Pg 170

[4]“The Philadelphia Experiment” by Bill Moore & Charles Berlitz, Pg 251-252

[5]1978 Interview between Carl Allen and Gray Barker

[6]“Mysteries of Mind, Space & Time – The Unexplained”, Pg. 2216

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