Lights in night sky over Putnam County, WV in 1959. Two lights collide/merge and debris found the next day.

This information was just told to me by my Father (81 years old).  Sometime in the summer(?) of 1959 one night between 2200 and 2300 hours, my Dad, Mom, two older sisters and a family friend, saw two large lights in the sky over Putnam County, West Virginia.  The two large lights came from opposite directions (one from the east and one from the west) they appeared to collide or merge into one very large light and then disappear.  The next day debris was found over some of the hills and fields throughout the county. Dad said that the Charleston Gazette carried stories about it, but he couldn't remember what the paper said it was.  My two sisters were 11 and 12 at the time.  Also some the the woods and fields had a purple substance coating the grass and trees.  Everyone just assumed it was all military related.
Date is approximate.  We would welcome a copy of the article, which we would very much like to post with the report.  PD