We lived on the East shore of Canadrago Lake outside of Richfield Springs, Otsego County, NY for over 10 years.I became quite familiar with the lake and the sky over the lake during that time.
According to my USGS map, at this point the lake was 1¼ miles wide.
In the summer of 1956 or 1957 while I was outside showing a neighbor and his wife how to load my muzzle loading pistol.
They were Mr. & Mrs. C.
As he and I were bent over the pistol, Mrs.C said Oh Look at the lying saucers.
Mr. C. said Oh those are just gulls.
I looked up expecting to see gulls, which I did.
But beyond them on the horizon, looking to the West, on the other side of the lake, in a gap between 2 hills, the hills were at least another ½ mile from the far shore of the lake, I could see a heavy cloud cover just above the hills.
The sky above the gap was very bright,and clear.
As we watched, several, I saw 5, Mrs. C saw 6, shapes somewhere between cigar and cylinder in shape, passed from behind one hill or cloud to the other hill or cloud.
They passed by in a straight line one following the other, they were moving at a speed slower than an airplane would fly.
I had no direct point of reference, but upon further reflection I believe that they were each about 2 boxcars long and 2 boxcars high.
With no actual point of reference I may have over estimated the size.
Rome airbase is only 75 miles away, so I checked for tail fins or helicopter rotors, but it was just a smooth outline.
While a blimp would have explained both the speed and shape, it would have been in the news if half a dozen blimps were in the area.
Also there was no outline of an observation car beneath the shape nor were there any fins.
Around this time or later, the large troop carrying helicopters were developed but again the basic shape of the helicopter did not fit into this outline.