February 21, 1997: Contact & Disclosure - Steven M. Greer | Mel's Hole - Mel Waters
The conversation shifts when Art reads a stunning listener fax from a man named Mel Waters in rural eastern Washington, who describes a mysterious hole on his property near Manastash Ridge. The hole measures nine feet across, has never filled despite decades of dumped trash, and has swallowed 80,000 feet of fishing line without reaching bottom. Dogs refuse to approach it, birds avoid it, and nothing tossed inside produces an echo or impact sound.
This landmark episode introduces two of the most enduring mysteries in the show's history. Greer's disclosure crusade would reshape the UFO conversation for decades, while Mel's Hole instantly captivated listeners and became one of Art Bell's most legendary segments.
Key Moments
Greer claims 70-80 firsthand witnesses ready to testify: Greer says he can produce 70-80 firsthand military, intelligence, and aerospace witnesses willing to testify before Congress under penalty of perjury.
Three-hour meeting with a sitting CIA Director on UFOs: Greer claims a nearly three-hour meeting with a sitting and empowered Director of Central Intelligence specifically on the UFO subject.
Greer declares ET secrecy oaths null and void: Greer says he sent a position paper to the White House, CIA, Defense Secretary, and Senate Intelligence Committee declaring witnesses' security oaths illegal because the underlying programs are extra-constitutional.
Art reads the original Mel's Hole fax on air: Art reads Mel Waters' fax describing a 9-foot-9-inch-diameter hole near Manastash Ridge with 80,000 feet of fishing line lowered without hitting bottom.
Mel Waters tells the resurrected hunting dog story: Mel Waters recounts a local legend that a man threw his dead dog into the hole and later spotted the same dog - same collar - alive while hunting nearby.