Attaches a Balloon to the Warship of the Air -- July 7, 2019

San Francisco Call, 28-November-1896

There were many sightings of unidentified flying objects in the United States during the late 1890s. I wonder what people saw. The Cuban junta may have been the Cuban Revolutionary Party, founded by José Martí. Martí was killed in battle in 1896. No one seems very concerned about the inventor proposing to destroy Havana. The "Normal student" who was at Mrs Young's house was studying to be a teacher at what is now San Jose State University.  A "boniface" is someone who runs a restaurant or a hotel.

This is our seventh report from the San Francisco Call.

18-November-1895: "Claim They Saw a Flying Airship" http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/02/claim-they-saw-flying-airship-february.html
23-November-1896: "The Great Airship That is Startling the People of Many Cities" http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-great-airship-that-is-startling.html
24-November-1896: "The Apparition of the Air"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-apparition-of-air-april-7-2019.html
25-November-1896: "Mission of the Aerial Ship"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/03/mission-of-aerial-ship-march-7-2019.html
26-November-1896: "The Mystery Again Seen at the Capital"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-mystery-again-seen-at-capital-may.html
27-November-1896: "It Is to Be Used to Destroy the City of Havana"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/06/it-is-to-be-used-to-destroy-city-of.html

IT FLITTED OVER SAN JOSE.

Aerial Lights Cross the

Vision of Prominent

Residents.

THEIR APPEARANCE MOST

VIVIDLY DESCRIBED.

Hart Takes Some of His

Professional Friends Into

His Confidence.

ATTACHES A BALLOON TO THE

WARSHIP OF THE AIR.

The Public May Be Given an Aerial View of the

Great Mystery of the Day at a Pre-

arranged Time and Place.

Interest in the great aerial mystery continues without sign of abatement. It still furnishes the main theme of discourse in all circles. Many are ready to make oath and stake all their earthly possessions that a veritable flying-ship has been hovering above the earth in this vicinity, while the scoffers are also in evidence, equally vociferous and insistent.

As yet, however, nothing has transpired that can be accepted as either positive proof or disproof of the existence of an aerial voyager, operated and controlled by human inventive genius.

San Jose has furnished one of the most interesting reports of the mysterious aerial lights that have yet been published. The strange moving illumination was seen there by a number of men of the highest standing in the community, and the description of the phenomenon given by them is both vivid and clear.

General Hart now states that the inventor is a cousin of the electrician of General Antonio Maceo, commander of the patriot forces in Cuba. He also contributes much additional information relative to the reputed warship of the air and has promised to intercede with the inventor to have the invention appear at a prearranged time and place for the purpose of gratifying the deep and widespread curiosity of the public.

PROFESSOR WORCESTER'S EVIDENCE.

The Well-Known San Jose Educator Scrutinizes the Mysterious Flier

and Gives the Result of a Calm Examination.

SAN JOSE, Cal., Nov. 27.— An interesting account of the mysterious moving light which passed over this city Thursday evening, and which is supposed to be attached to an airship, is given by Professor H. B. Worcester, president of the Garden City Business College. Professor Worcester resides with his family in East San Jose. To a Mercury reporter who asked him regarding the strange light, he said:

"There was a small party at my house in East San Jose on Thanksgiving day and dinner was prolonged until about 7 o'clock in the evening. The company then repaired to the front of the house to enjoy some music and I went into the rear yard to get a lantern. I happened to lookup and saw several miles away, apparently about over College Park or Santa Clara, a large light moving rapidly toward San Jose. In a second I surmised it was the mysterious light which people had seen and which was supposed to be attached to an airship. In order to call the attention of those in the house to the same I ran round the house to save time and called out that the airship was passing. Everybody rushed out into the front yard.

"Within the time it had taken me to run around the house the light had changed its course from east to southwest and had traveled several miles and was in a line over the southern portion of San Jose. The entire party saw the moving light and saw it go west, then turn south and then change to southeast Wo watched the light until it disappeared behind the horizon.

"When the ship turned to the southeast I could distinguish two lights, one behind the other. The single light first seen was about the size of an engine headlight and had more the appearance of a large incandescent light than anything else. It was moving at the rate of from 60 to 100 miles an hour and it was only a few moments before it had disappeared behind the horizon.

"There were three things regarding the light which impressed me, viz.: Its velocity, its regular movement and its apparent intelligent control. The motion of . the light would suggest the alternate flapping of wings.

"I have seen many fire-balloons, but the light I saw had none of the characteristics of such a toy. Its velocity was too great for a balloon on such a still night and its movements too regular. The light was about 1500 feet high when first seen and may have continued at that elevation, but it appeared to lower as it disappeared on the horizon."

Professor Worchester stated that his party consisted of Professor M. S. Cross of the University of the Pacific, Mrs. Dr. Allen, Mrs. Colonel Moore, Miss Annie Chase, Harry Worcester and himself. All of these, he said, saw the mysterious light and expressed their belief that it was under intelligent control. Among others who saw the sight was a party at Belle Vista, near Alum Rock, composed of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rengstorff of Mountain View, Mr. and Mrs. Bert M. Babcock and Mr. and Mrs. Elton.

SAN JOSE, Cal., Nov. 27. -- John Bawl, a farmer who bears the reputation of being practical and unimaginative, declares that he saw the airship in flight over his residence in East San Jose, on Monroe street, near Franklin, Thursday evening and though it was moving rapidly and was at a considerable altitude. he was able to plainly distinguish its general outline and most striking features. He describes the great winged ship with vividness and realism. His wife and family corroborate his story.

"I was standing in the rear of my residence about 7 o'clock, or shortly before that," be said, "when my attention was attracted by some bright object in the sky about 150 yards distant, and bearing rapidly toward me from the northwest. I looked at it closely and observed it was lunging about from side to side, sometimes swerving sharply to one side, but always maintaining a general southwesterly direction. It occurred to me that this was the famous airship, and I shouted lustily to my family and they all witnessed It as it came over our residence. It was so high up I could form no very definite idea of its size.

"It had a pair of wings which were constantly flapping not from side to side like a bird's, but with more of a forward and downward motion. Beneath it several feet hung a ball of red light which lit up the bottom of the ship and sent its rays far down below it. At the front was a cone-shaped projection which I surmised was a windbreak. The vessel lunged badly and once made a beeline to the west, but regained its course again. It varied in height considerably during the time I watched it. Its speed I judged to be about that of an electric-car doing its best."

Mrs. Bawl tells a similar story of the strange voyager of the air.

General Hart May Give the Public

an Aerial Exhibition of the

Mystery.

Ex-Attorney-General W. H. H. Hart came a step nearer to disclosing the name of the inventor of the reputed successful airship yesterday He also gave many new details regarding the marvel, and promised to confer with the inventor with the object of bringing the wonder of the air within the observation of the public at a prearranged time and place.

"Interest in the airship, general," remarked the reporter to the legal captain of the aerial warship, "continues unabated, and the public are anxiously awaiting more definite news in reference to it. They are demanding something more tangible than aerial lights at night."

"I am sorry that I am still unable to tell you all you want to know. I can tell you this, however: The inventor is a cousin of John Linn, the electrician of the Cuban patriot general, Antonio Maceo. Linn is now, of course, in Cuba, but was formerly a resident of Chicago, and is an American citizen. The inventor is not a Californian, but came here, owing to our favorable climate, to make tests of and perfect his machine."

"It is admitted that the power problem is the great one in aerial navigation, and in view of this a detailed description of the Fargo storage battery which you state is to be used on the improved and remodeled craft would be interesting," suggested the reporter.

"I would be glad to comply with your suggestion, but we have only made application for a patent for this storage battery in this country, and to expose its composition and construction would interfere with the procuration of foreign patents on it. I reiterate, however, that of my own knowledge I know that the Fargo storage battery has sufficient capacity to furnish power for a flying-ship, if the latter can be constructed to fly at all. This arrangement is different from all other methods that have been heretofore tried. No acids are used at all, and it will store electricity in any amperage and voltage. A 20-horsepower battery to run ten hours can be made to weigh 150 pounds, and to run six hours the battery would need to weigh not more than 100 pounds. Tests have been made which prove this. The man who invented the battery is not the man who invented the airship."

"Why not have the inventor, in order so satisfy public curiosity, bring his winged craft over a certain place at a certain time, giving him sufficient latitude for delays and baffling air currents? His programme could be announced through you to the public. He would thus run no risk of identification, nor would his invention be in danger of being exposed. Such an arrangement would be most gratifying to the public, and would, at the same time, most conclusively substantiate all the claims made on his behalf."

"He don't care to submit his invention to the public, and is perfectly indifferent to what the public thinks. I have an arrangement to see him on Monday, how ever, and will then endeavor to have him carry out the plan. When I last saw him he said be was going south to test his machine in the higher altitudes. He is experimenting on the difference between the heavy atmosphere near the ocean and the lighter air on elevated plains. You see he is preparing to carry out precisely what I have said in reference to Havana. I know he can and will do it, and he is not going to give out a description of his invention until he makes the attempt on Havana. I am quite convinced he will be at Havana within sixty days with one of those ships equipped to do what he says it can do."

"This plan, then, of destroying Havana is a preconceived idea of his?"

'Certainly; and he came out here to work it oat. I did not know him before he came to me on this matter, though I know his friends."

"Have you had my applications to sell stock in connection with this invention?"

'No, and there is none to sell. I asked my client if he wanted to sell any stock and he said no. He added that be had all the money he wanted, and did not care to take in any person or organize any company for the present. This was the only thing that gave me the impression that he might be off his pins. He is the first man I have struck of that kind in California. But I am quite convinced that he is not crazy nor a crank. He is thoroughly cool and logical in all be says, and his entire conduct is such as to inspire perfect confidence in his invention and faith in what he says."

In response to an inquiry as to how he looked, General Hart said he has a dark complexion and bears considerable resemblance to Arion, now performing at the Chutes

HART GETS CONFIDENTIAL.

Discloses New and Important Features

of the Aerial Mystery to

Professional Friends.

General Hart told a cluster of friends, principally professional men, gathered in the Supreme Court rooms yesterday something more about the airship which his client has in view. "My client says that he has built one airship and has successfully navigated it," said General Hart. "The first ship cost him $15,000. He says that he will now construct a second airship in the locality of Bolinas and that the expense will be $30,000.

"So far as I know, the second ship will resemble the first. I am now willing to make public some more facts concerning the general structure of the ship which has been operated in this locality recently. The sustaining power is supplied from gas tanks, which are in the hull of the vessel and which are connected with the balloon which flies over the airship by a pipe.

When the inventor wants to go up higher be lets more gas into the balloon out of the tanks, which are filled with condensed gas.

"When the inventor wants to fly lower he simply opens a valve in the balloon and the contrivance naturally descends, just as an ordinary balloon does. It appears to me that the unsafe part of the whole contrivance is this reliance upon the balloon, which is all that keeps the ship up. If the balloon would fail down would go the ship. For this reason I am frank to say I would not care to take a ride in the airship. Do I believe that the airship actually exists? Why, certainly !

"The inventor says that he has traveled 120 miles in the air in about six and a half hours, which is a little over twenty miles per hour. His storage battery he uses for power only to propel his airship when he is sailing against the wind. When he is running with the wind or a few points off he needs no power, but naturally drifts, just as a balloon would.

"I believe that four pounds of dynamite thrown vertically downward from the deck of the airship would make terrific havoc among an enemy gathered below the ship. The dynamite throwing could be done most easily by hand. All that would be necessary would be simply to drop it.

"The condensed gas serves no purpose except to raise the airship. It has nothing to do with propelling it in any other direction.

"It may or may not be possible for my client's airship to sail the air from Key West to Havana. He thinks that it is possible. Whenever be arrives in Cuba his power would be nearly exhausted. Therefore it would be necessary for him to have a Cuban base of power supply. The location may be something like thirty miles from Havana. That would seem to me to be about the proper distance."

WAS NOT A PLANET.

Observations by a Clever Watcher

of the Mysterious Light.

The following communication has been received:

Editor Call — Dear Sir: As public attention is at present very much taken up with the recent appearances of a strange light in the heavens here and in neighboring places, I venture to offer one or two observations made by myself personally on the occasion of the appearance of the strange light in the western sky some few nights ago, which attracted so much attention among our citizens. These observations you may take for what you may think them worth, merely prefacing my remarks by saying that in years gone by I made somewhat of a study of astronomy, and took quite an interest in the heavenly bodies and their movements.

On the night in question I was one of a group of persons stationed near the edge of the sidewalk in front of the Flood building, southwest corner Fourth and Market streets, watching a strange bright light in the western heavens. At first it seemed to me as though I had sometimes seen the evening star look nearly as large and bright, and so I remarked to a gentleman in my immediate vicinity. But a closer observation seemed to show that it had not the steady and serene rays that mark the light of a planet. It was observed for brief intervals from time to time, and its altitude when I first observed it seemed to negative the idea of any terrestrial obstruction.

I then decided to make a practical test and take the bearings from some fixed object, taking the small building with its turret-like cone that forms a gore at the south side of Eddy street, at its junction with Market, and maintaining my position by a telegraph-pole at the edge of the sidewalk.

The light appeared to be in a straight line from where I stood with a point directly over the aforesaid turret-llke roof that crowns the gore at the southwest corner of Eddy and Market streets. I soon observed that the light moved from over the point of the roof in an easterly and northerly direction, until at last it had crossed the path In the sky corresponding to the width of Eddy street, when it disappeared around the corner of the Baldwin Hotel.

The gentleman above referred to observed the same thing, and remarked that by stepping backward he could see it again. This test proved conclusively to my mind that the light observed was not that of a planet, for If any one ever saw Venus or any other planet travel from the westward in a north-easterly direction he must have observed a phenomenon not recorded in ancient or modern times.

You may insert the above, if you deem it of sufficient interest, in your valuable paper.
Yours respectfully, Austin R. Reid,
219 Geary street, City.

MODESTO HAS IT.

Prominent Citizens See What They

Believe to Be Lights of the

Aerial Destroyer.

MODESTO, Cal., Nov. 27.— Residents in the northern part of this city were treated to a sight of what was undoubtedly the flying machine at 10:30 o'clock last night.

J. E. Ward, cashier of the First National Bank, discovering what he believed to be the lights of the flying machine, aroused his neighbors, all reputable men, among whom were County Treasurer W. A. Downer, Deputy Treasurer W. B. Bell, C. P. Schafer, the bookkeeper of the First National Bank, Armory L. J. Maddux and others. The lights were seen at a considerable height, going in a northwesterly direction toward Stockton. The lights moved steadily and at an even height from the ground.

SEEN AT TACOMA.

Sighted Near Mount Tacoma—Varicolored Flashes.

TACOMA, Wash., Nov. 27 — The airship phenomenon which has startled San Francisco has appeared here. Several reputable people have observed it. They believe it is an airship and that the inventor has either made two models and set one up in this neighborhood or was taking an evening spin from California to Puget Sound. The airship seen here resembles that described by California witnesses in every particular. It possesses the same birdlike shape and moves swiftly with an up and down wavelike motion, varied occasionally by a dart forward and some times in slanting directions.

Last Tuesday night the operator of the airship is believed to have visited and explored the top of Mount Tacoma. Tuesday night Druggist George St. John closed his drugstore on Pacific avenue at 11:30 and went home. He reached his residence on Tacoma avenue fifteen minutes later and soon retired. It was a beautiful moonlight night and the window curtains a few feet away from the bed were left up.

Just about 12 o'clock Mrs. St. John saw the strange light and called her husband's attention to it. It appeared to be high up in the heavens east of Mount Tacoma and moving in a southeasterly direction. The distance from Tacoma must have been at least fifty miles. They watched the heavenly stranger over half an hour. They first saw it through a north window in their room, but after a while could see it through a window several feet further south without having changed their positions. This proves that the airship traveled a long distance during the time they were watching it.

Mr. St. John says that vari-colored lights were shot forth in ail directions. They were emitted from each end and both sides. Sometimes the light at one end or one side would be cut off. Some of the lights were white, others red, blue and green. These four shades were distinctly visible. When all the lights were shining the aerial monster seemed incased in a brilliant glow, having the appearance of a powerful electric searchlight. The size then seemed to be that of an arc light. It flashed often, sending the various colored rays shooting out from the center in every direction like spokes in the hub of a wheel. Sometimes it had a wavering motion and swayed back and forth in its course through the heavens like a vessel at sea in a storm, but the undulating motion was its chief course, being varied by frequent dartings.

The moonlight was not strong enough to permit a distinct view of Mount Tacoma, but the airship was seen to approach the neighborhood of the mountain at what seemed to be its exact height, and dart hither and thither as if an exploration was in progress.

The supposed airship was still in sight when Mr. and Mrs. St. John became tired of watching it and went to sleep. They spoke of the strange occurrence to many friends next day, but what they had witnessed was not made public until to-day. They have eagerly read accounts of the California airship, and declare that what they saw must have been the same or an exactly similar contrivance.

Hundreds of people are on the lookout here for another appearance of the airship.

It Is to Be Used to Destroy the City of Havana -- June 7, 2019

San Francisco Call, 27-November-1896

There were many sightings of unidentified flying objects in the United States during the late 1890s. I wonder what people saw. The Cuban junta may have been the Cuban Revolutionary Party, founded by José Martí. Martí was killed in battle in 1896. No one seems very concerned about the inventor proposing to destroy Havana. The "Normal student" who was at Mrs Young's house was studying to be a teacher at what is now San Jose State University.  A "boniface" is someone who runs a restaurant or a hotel.

This is our sixth report from the San Francisco Call.

18-November-1895: "Claim They Saw a Flying Airship" http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/02/claim-they-saw-flying-airship-february.html
23-November-1896: "The Great Airship That is Startling the People of Many Cities" http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-great-airship-that-is-startling.html
24-November-1896: "The Apparition of the Air"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-apparition-of-air-april-7-2019.html
25-November-1896: "Mission of the Aerial Ship"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/03/mission-of-aerial-ship-march-7-2019.html
26-November-1896: "The Mystery Again Seen at the Capital"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-mystery-again-seen-at-capital-may.html

AS LARGE AS A BIG WHALE

W. H. H. Hart Tells of the Length of the Airship.

ANOTHER WILL BE BUILT

It Is to Be Used to Destroy the City of Havana For the Junta.

TEN MILLIONS IS DEMANDED.

No Trouble to Navigate the Sky Now That a Perfect Storage Battery Is Invented.

The subject of the airship and lights seen by the people of half a dozen counties has not lost any of the interest in the public mind. Notwithstanding the fact that the weather was very cold last evening hundreds of people on both sides of the bay spent considerable time out of doors looking for the mysterious lights to reappear and skip across the sky.

Up to a late hour no lights were seen, and the impression was that the inventor and his assistants were taking a night off and enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner and a little rest.

The legal representative, however, says that the men never rest, but are hard at work improving and perfecting defective parts oi the machinery. He promises that ere long the public will have positive proof that the ship exists.

Attorney W. H. H. Hart is as enthusiastic over the airship in which he is interested as though the matter were that of praise instead of ridicule on the part of the unbelieving. He seems to be thoroughly convinced that he has a good thing, and if there are those who regard the whole affair as a hoax or a fake, Mr. Hart says they will have to remain in ignorance so much longer.

That it exists and has made successful flights be has no doubt, although he has not seen it.

Of those who are convinced that there is such a thing as an airship Mr. Hart said: "It will be a matter of only a very short time before they can say, 'I told you so.' Even if I had not personal knowledge, I would be very careful about branding the thing as a fake. The position of The CALL has been fair and impartial. It has simply published the statements of those who saw that which they believed to be an airship, and has made no attempt to convince the general public that these people were either fools or had wheels in their heads."

The attorney, in the course of a long conversation upon this all-important subject, explained a number of features that heretofore have not been made public. In the first place he gave the length of the airship as about 125 feet and of a width in proportion to its length. This corresponds to the statement of W. J. Taylor of East Oakland, who said the airship he saw on Wednesday evening looked like a large whale. Another important disclosure was that the inventor and Mr. Hurt nave already discussed a proposition to construct another airship of not over fifty feet in length, to be used for war purposes principally.

"The one the inventor has now," said Mr. Hart, "is too large and uses up too much power in running against the wind — that is, it presents too much surface to the wind — and the one we are thinking of constructing will carry the same apparatus and power. The amount of power now used to operate the big airship will last twice as long and do much more service if applied to a smaller ship."

"Do you seriously consider the building of another airship?" was asked. "Yes, if there is any inducement. I see in to-day's paper that the Cuban Junta wants to purchase Cuba's liberty from Spain for a hundred million dollars. Now our ship would secure the same results at a much less figure. I talked with the inventor yesterday morning and he said that if the Cubans would give him $10,000,000 be would wipe out the Spanish stronghold of Cuba."

"Would he demand the cash in advance or its equivalent in securities?"

"Oh, no. The new Cuban Government would be good for such a debt. All he would want would be the dynamite. He would furnish the rest and do the job."

The attorney spoke of how the inventor with his airship and deadly explosive would do the job with as little emotion as though it was a nest of rats instead of a city of wealth, power and beauty. Resuming, he said:

"If such an agreement or contract is made the airship can be taken to New York and shipped by steamer to Cuba. My suggestion is that it be landed not far from the scene of operations. I advised that a balloon be used to raise the airship to the desired height, so as to save the power stored in the storage battery. When the ship is raised to the desired height the balloon can be cut loose and the airship go about its business. When it gets through dropping dynamite into Havana it would still have plenty of power left to get back to where it started from."

"And the inventor will do this job for 110,000,000?"

"So he says. He asserts that he is not in need of money and that it will only take about thirty days to build a smaller airship. The material would cost considerable, as aluminum comes high. He could put the smaller ship into perfect working order for about $25,000 or $30,000, and I believe that he will construct such an airship before long."

The attorney was led off to the subject of the power need on the airship and, as before, he said that it is electricity stored in a storage battery. He has an interest, he said — a part interest — in a new storage battery so light that it practically overcomes one of the greatest obstacles of aerial navigation. Mr. Hart continued, saying:

"For a long time scientists puzzled their heads over the question how they could secure a large amount of power without carrying a large amount of weight. This has been accomplished in the Fargo storage battery in which I am interested. I can put in an airship a twenty horse power battery that will not weigh over 100 pounds that will run continuously for ten hours. It does not require any more power to run the airship that my client has operated lately."

"Has he a Fargo storage battery in his ship?"

'Well, I am not at liberty to state at present. The inventor of the Fargo storage battery and the inventor of the airship are personal friends, and as I was interested in the new battery it may account for my being called into the airship scheme. I do know that this battery would give all the power such an airship would require, and it can be easily charged from any common motor."

The destruction of Havana by an airship came once more before the eye of Mr. Hart, and he said that the charging of the storage batteries might be a matter of difficulty in the neighborhood of Havana. The destroyer would not dare to go too near to the Spanish fortifications, as it is not bullet-proof. It might be difficult to secure electricity in the little tropical island. The battery might possibly be charged on the deck of the steamer from a dynamo run by the steamer's engines, but even that would be attended by great risk considering the vigilance of the Spanish cruisers.

"Would not international complications arise out of an aerial warship leaving the United States to destroy a Spanish city in Cuba?"

"Oh, no, not at all. The parties could go outside of the jurisdiction on a chartered or purchased steamer and sign the contract and make all of the arrangements necessary. No, the United States would not become involved in any annoyance with Spain. At any rate, the inventor is ready to take the risk and send an airship to Cuba for war purposes as soon as the Junta is ready to talk business."

While much of this conversation was taking place Mr. Hart was at the Chutes showing his little boy the hot air balloon. After the huge smoke-filled bag had shot into the air with the daring athlete dangling to the end of the parachute crossbar, and the excitement was over, the attorney started for home. Just before entering the house he said: "You can tell the public that in a very short time it wi11 have positive proof that the airship is a reality and not a hoax. I assert this, although 1 have not yet seen my client's airship. I am convinced that it exists, for I know that the main obstacle, sufficient power, has been overcome, and that was all that has stood in the way of aerial navigation tor years past."

GLEAMED OVER SAN JOSE.

Several People Saw Lights Moving In the Air Above the City.

SAN JOSE, CAL, Nov. 26.— The mysterious airship, according to the statements of many persons of good standing, passed over this city again this evening about 7 o'clock. The lights of the machine alone a:e alleged to have been seen, but all of the parties who saw these from different quarters agree as to the character and course pursued by the supposed airship.

Robert Shiels, an employe of the San Jose Art Emporium, was on San Carlo street, near Eighth, in the company of two young ladies, when his attention was called to the moving light by persons residing in the neighborhood. Mr. Shiels claims to have previously been skeptical in regard to the airship, but stated positively that he is now satisfied he saw the lights of the machine.

He said he at first saw one light about the size of an ordinary arc electric lamp. He stood still and watched the light moving westerly. It began to lower and then two lights were visible. When it arose again only one light could be seen.

The machine, he said, eventually took a southerly course, again displaying two lights which were visible for some time and then disappeared in the distance. George Brasted said he saw the light from the Julian-street road about three miles from this city. His description of its size and course agreed with that given by Shiels.

S. S. Farley, proprietor of the Mayverne Creamery, saw one large light moving rapidly westward. A turn south was made when two lights were visible. Mr. Farley's wife, Percy Steeves and a Miss Harris, who are neighbors, were with him at the time the supposed airship (something missing - JT) and substantiate his statement.

Mrs. B. P. Young, who resides at 328 East San Carlos street, stated that her attention was called to the supposed airship by the son of Mrs. Parkinson, who resides opposite, and who was sent to her house to tell her the airship was passing over the city. She went to the door in company with her daughter and a young lady, a Normal student, and they saw the moving light as stated. Each of these persons is satisfied that the lights they saw were attached to an airship.

LIGHTS IN THE SOUTH.

Several Believe That the Airship Was Over Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES. Cal., Nov. 26. — The now thoroughly famous airship, which has interested so many people in Central California for many days and nights, has apparently passed over the Tehachapi range, and was seen in Southern California last night by at least three persons of excellent reputation for truth and veracity. One of these is George Smith, the book dealer off Second and Main streets, who insists that be saw the aerial navigator and its lights while on a Pasadena car last night. Others of the passengers, Smith believes, also beheld the remarkable sight. Walter F. Parker, secretary of Mayor Rader, insists that he saw the airship while star-gazing last night, and Robert Kern, the well-known boniface, also adds his testimonial to the general credence of the reports made. None of these gentlemen ever gaze on the wine when it's red, hence their story does not need an affidavit.

It is also reported that Frank Smith, a brakeman on the Santa Barbara local train, saw mysterious lights in the San Fernando Valley last evening. The brakeman concluded that the overhead lights were meteors, and therefore did not communicate with any one on the train about the matter, but the proximity of at least three lights at the same time, moving on parallel lines, impressed him with the idea that the sight was a remarkable one. On relating his observations to a fellow railroader here to-day, he was reminded of the airship of the bay region. He afterward secured copies of The Call, read up the whole story for the first time, and is now confident that the aerial navigator is what he saw.

A remarkable feature of all the stories is that the lights were all seen at the same time and each individual describes exactly what the others saw, viz.: triple lights dancing in a zigzag way and moving on parallel lines from northwest to southeast and passing over the mountains toward Riverside.

Saw a Bright Light.

PETALUMA. Cal.. Nov. 26.— Almost the entire population of Petaluma was on the streets last evening about 7:30 o'clock, watching a distant twinkling, brilliant light moving horizontally and southward as well, which, under telescopic scrutiny, further showed what was apparently a dark cigar-shaped body, which evidently carried the light, so, though skeptics are numerous no doubt Petaluma was treated to a far-away view of the much-talked-of airship.

Viewed the Airship.

ALAMEDA, Cal., Nov. 26— During the excitement of the past three evenings over the reported airship the wags have made life miserable for many of the Alamedans. Monday night Max Gundlach and J. A. Riley, two well-known businessmen, were upon the street corner with a section of tin-conductor of a gutter-pipe, looking through it and insisting that they had a telescope and could see the outline of the aerial monster. They refused to allow anyone to look into it until they had been paid. Being so well known no one hesitated to pay the price asked. The people taken in refused to divulge the sell to others and so the joke went on indefinitely.

The Mystery Again Seen at the Capital -- May 11, 2019

San Francisco Call, 26-November-1896

There were many sightings of unidentified flying objects in the United States during the late 1890s. I wonder what people saw. This is our fifth report from the San Francisco Call.  
18-November-1896: "Claim They Saw a Flying Airship"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/02/claim-they-saw-flying-airship-february.html
23-November-1896: "The Great Airship That is Startling the People of Many Cities"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-great-airship-that-is-startling.html
24-November-1896: "The Apparition of the Air"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-apparition-of-air-april-7-2019.html
25-November-1896: "Mission of the Aerial Ship"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/03/mission-of-aerial-ship-march-7-2019.html

William Henry Harrison Hart was the Attorney General of California from 1890 to 1894. Monadnock and Monterey were New Navy monitors.

HART STANDS BY HIS SHIP

A Confirmation of the Story Received From Sacramento.

THE MYSTERY AGAIN SEEN AT THE CAPITAL

It Makes Its Appearance in the Company of the Deceptively Brilliant Venus.

JOKERS MAKE GENEROUS PURCHASES OF FIRE BALLOONS.

More New and Interesting Particulars Regarding the Local Invention Given by the Ex-Attorney-General.

Either the reputed airship is one of the most gigantic hoaxes of the age, or it is one of the most wonderful advances made in mechanical science, and is the solution of the great problem of aerial locomotion which has enlisted the inventive genius of many centuries.

Whichever it ultimately proves to be, the subject is to-day the all-engrossing topic. Greetings are tuned to this key; heated arguments are evolved out of it; wagers are laid, and even physical strife has been engendered over the question whether or not there really exists a successful aerial traveler.

Though there were many new and interesting developments yesterday, nothing has yet been brought to light that definitely and conclusively solves the mystery, and speculation continues as absorbing as for the past week or more.

Ex-Attorney-General Hart in an interview fully confirmed his interview of the day before and added much interesting information to the first statement he made. Among other things he substantiated the first reports concerning the airship which came from Sacramento by affirming on the authority of the inventor that the airship was actually over Sacramento when the people there claimed to have seen it. Sacramento, according to reliable witnesses, was again visited by the aerial vision last night, which put Venus into the shade by the more brilliant glow of its lights.

Considerable sport was enjoyed by practical jokers last night in dispatching fire balloons skyward, but they had no more the appearance of the alleged lights of the aerial mystery than the dull glare of a candle resembles that of an incandescent light. Venus again beguiled people at som3 points, but her deceptive charms have evidently been shorn of much of their power by the publication of the story of how people had been mistaking her for her earthly and more interesting rival.

HART CONFIRMS THE STORY FROM SACRAMENTO.

General Hart was as reticent yesterday as on the day previous regarding the identity of the reputed airship's inventor or his whereabouts, but was more definite in his statements as to the identity of the flying machine, whose secrets are now reposing in his breast. His words were the first uttered by any reliable person positively connecting the invention in his charge with the peregrinating lights seen in the heavens at various places during the past week.

"As I stated before," said the ex-Attorney-General, "I have not myself seen the machine in action or at rest, and I cannot at this time reveal the names of the persons connected with its invention and construction for the reasons already stated. You know the idea now is not to get it patented, but to use it for war purposes.

"I do Know, however, that it made a flight last night and was seen at East Oakland by a lady, Mrs. Taylor, the wife of W. J. Taylor, who is a bookkeeper and who lives in East Oakland. She saw not only the lights, but an outline of the ship. It was also seen by others in the same locality. I do not know what the movements of the machine are to be at any particular time, but I was told by my client that I would not see him again for some days, as he intended to make experimental trips with his invention right along for some time."

"People are inclined to be skeptical, general," remarked the reporter, "of the existence of the machine and expect some statement from you definitely connecting the lights alleged to have been seen traveling the air with the invention now in your charge."

"So far as the public is concerned," smilingly replied the attorney, "we do not care what they think of the matter. In fact, we would rather they believed it a thing of fancy. We are not asking the public for anything and do not propose to do so, and therefore don t propose to take them into our confidence."

"But your reputation is more or less at stake in view of the statements published in the newspapers and for which you have become sponsor."

"Well, all I can say on that score is that the interview with me as published in The Call is absolutely correct in every particular, and I will add this on the authority of a statement made to be by the inventor: He told me he actually went over Sacramento at the time the people there claimed to have seen the airship. The inventor has now practically decided to follow my advice to maintain as much secrecy as possible, and consequently I don't want to go into particulars about it "

"Where was it put together? Was it not in the vicinity of Oroville?"

"That is a question I do not care to answer."

'You have stated that you are satisfied the invention is a success?"

"Yes. I have implicit confidence in it and that it is a success, because it is very like the one I saw in New Jersey, and which I witnessed make a flight of fifteen or twenty rods."

"Did Dr. E. H. Benjamin assist in the construction of the machine?"

"I don't know Dr. Benjamin, and don't know whether he did or not "

"From what do you derive your confidence in the airship; from having seen it in actual operation, from a view of it at rest or simply from having seen the plans?"

"I have seen the plans. I have no doubt that when the machine is completed it will be a success.*

"What do you mean by being completed?"

"When it is completed for the purpose for which it is now intended to utilize it for war purposes. It would drown everybody in it if it were to fall over a body of water as it is now built."

"What are the other weak points that the inventor is trying to perfect by these trial flights?"

"From what I understand it has to be able to carry power enough to maintain itself in the air for a certain number of consecutive hours, say about six. It can now maintain itself for six hours, but not against the wind. To sail against the wind or at angles to it more power is required than to go with it. Then it lands too quickly. There is no provision for maintaining it in the air when the power gives out."

"Is it not possible that people frequently take the planets, such as Venus, Mars and Jupiter, which now appear very clearly in the sky. for the airship?"

"In all probability. The airship sometimes displays one light and sometimes three. These lights are under control and can be used as desired by the person managing the airship. I have no doubt that you will have ample and unmistakable evidence of tie existence of the invention in a few days. The machine will be made plain to the public, though my advice is to keep the details of its construction secret."

How this evidence was to be presented the general did not say, but allowed it to be understood that the machine would be brought so close to the earth's surface that its shape would be plainly distinguishable, as well as the lights that are now seen.

Picking up some telegrams, General Hart called attention to the widespread and deep interest the reports of the flights of the aerial wonder have created. "Here are telegrams from two New York papers," he said, "asking me to confirm the reports telegraphed East about the invention. One of them asks for 500 words, but all I shall say in answer is that I believe the airship will be a success and that the inventor insists on secrecy, and has nothing more to say at present."

ALL SACRAMENTO AGAPE.

Thousands Confident the Airship Mystery Made Another Visit.

SACRAMENTO, Cal.. Nov. 25.— Again the mysterious serial visitant made its appearance over this city this evening, and within a few brief moments the entire city was in an uproar of excitement. The floating searchlight was plainly visible to all the gazing thousands, and it so timed its arrival as to appear at the same time that Venus, the brilliant evening star, was illuminating the heavens. The onlookers found that a marked difference existed between Venus and her strange aerial competitor. This difference consisted not only in the marked color of the lights, but also in the size of the two lights. Large and brilliant as is Venus, queen of the heavens, the light shown by the mysterious aerial visitant proved to be fully three times as large.

When the searchlight of the winged visitor first appeared it was seen moving rapidly from the northeast and heading in a southwesterly direction. As it neared the southern boundary of the city it turned directly toward the west and after passing the city went south, being distinctly visible for upward of twenty minutes. It moved with far more rapidity than it had been seen to do in its two former visits, and this would be accounted for in case it be a veritable airship by the fact of the calmness of the atmosphere, there being not a breath of wind moving at the time of its first appearance.

Later in the evening it again approached the city from the west, having evidently made a circle, and passed away to the north and east, thus completing the circuit of the city and allowing nearly all the residents a perfect view of the mysterious visitant. There were many, however, who failed to leave their houses in time to catch a glimpse of the swiftly moving light and who, when they did reach the open and gazed up into the ethereal vault, saw nothing but Venus; but the vast majority saw both — Venus and the moving searchlight.

Among the numerous groups gazing skyward this evening was one composed mainly of State officials and prominent lawyers of the city, and their expressions of amazement and, in cases, intense chagrin were very plainly expressed, often in vigorous though perhaps not eloquent or refined Saxon.

Hon. E. D. McCabe, secretary to Governor Budd, was one of this group, and as it was the first time he had witnessed the mysterious light he was correspondingly astonished. During the past week he has been inclined to laugh at the theory that aerial navigation had been accomplished, and in speaking of the subject after the disappearance of the visitant he said: "I am simply astonished, and will not attempt to give any explanation of this mystery. The light is certainly produced by electricity or magnesia, and can by no possibility be a star or a meteor. Again, there were seconds when it flickered and disappeared entirely from view, exactly as I have time after time observed ordinary arc lights to do when the current was interrupted.

"In my judgment it certainly resembled an extra large arc light, and it moved so rapidly that I was obliged to repeatedly step back several feet in order to keep it in view over the intercepting buildings. I am not prepared to say it is an airship, although it certainly looked as though attached to a body of some kind. I can only say that I am thoroughly convinced that it :s a mystery and in my judgment neither a star nor a fake."

District Attorney Frank D. Ryan viewed the visitor for the first time. After expressing his astonishment he muttered:

"And there will be strange sights seen in the heavens. Wars and rumors of wars. I shall certainly attend church to-morrow, for this may be the advent of the millennium." Then laughing he said :

"That thing is too deep for me. I don't understand it. It might be that aerial travel has been accomplished. It seems as strange and improbable as were the inventions of the telephone, phonograph and electric power as applied to streetcars."

George A. McCalvy, Deputy Secretary of State, said: "I confess I am simply amazed, for ever since the first appearance of the reputed airship 1 have been a most pronounced skeptic. Attorney Collins of San Francisco is an intimate friend of mine, and I must confess that I have experienced considerable amusement by interviewing him by 'phone since his reported connection with the air vessel. In the language of the day, 'I have done many things to Attorney Collins,' but you may put me on record as saying that I am now fully convinced that there is more truth than poetry in the old adage 'that he laughs best who laughs last.' This light is certainly no fake and I am almost tempted to believe that the problem of aerial travel is solved."

J. A. Donlon, Assessor of Ventura County, was one of the onlookers. It required considerable persuasion to induce him to cross the street to catch a glimpse of the mysterious visitant, but the look of incredulity quickly left his face and he said: "This simply passes my understanding. That is certainly no star, and I won't attempt to offer any explanation."

Professor Dodge of Galt, who is in attendance on the Teachers' Institute, now in session, saw the light and declared that he could distinguish the outlines of a dark body connected with it, but so indistinctly as to be unable to give any idea of its shape.

Judge W. A. Henry was also an interested spectator, and also proclaims it not a fake, but a reality.

Charles T. Jones, the attorney, was a spectator, but firmly declined to give any opinion as to what the light was, except to say that he thought it was neither a star, a meteor nor a fake.

W. R, Stone of the Secretary of State's office was also deeply interested in the moving mystery. He said:

"It looks like an arc light and moves as though attached to some kind of a vessel, and is certainly neither a lantern attached to a kite nor any other kind of a fake that I can imagine. I must confess that I am stumped to find an explanation of the mystery other than that it may be an air vessel.''

Such were the expressions of but a few of some of the leading men of note in this city, and there were hundreds who stood in close proximity to these few and who uttered similar sentiments.

Lieutenant Fred Martin, commander of the Signal Corps, who was an onlooker, said:

"It simply passes all explanation, and I am fully convinced this is no fake. This afternoon two gentlemen, Messrs. Haines and Fleehart, came into my office about 4 o'clock and told me that they had just seen the airship moving over the city in a northeasterly direction. They described it as a dark, misty object, traveling at an enormous height, yet visible against the clear blue of the ether. I did not pay very much attention to their story at the time, as I was inclined to think they might have seen a cloud, but they were evidently much in earnest in their deliberations and said that no clouds were visible and that the dark object moved with great rapidity. Now that I have seen this mysterious light coming from the same direction in which they saw it going, I am rather inclined to believe that they have been eye-witnesses of some mysterious air vessel."

DR. BENJAMIN DISAPPEARS

The Friend of the Inventor Changes His Place of Residence.

Dr. E. H. Benjamin, formerly of 633 Ellis street, who is reputed to have considerable knowledge of the airship, has apparently disappeared, and as mysteriously as the light that so many thousands have seen in the heavens.

For two years past Dr. Benjamin had rented the front room of this lodging house from E. H. Keiser, but yesterday the furniture, carpets and household fixtures were disposed of under the auctioneer's hammer. Where Mr. Keiser and his tenants have gone was not stated, nor was there a reason given except one given in the spirit of fun by a pretty brunette, who said:

"We have had to move for our self-protection. You see, since that airship story has been afloat, the representatives of the press have been calling here at all times of the day and night to see and interview Dr. Benjamin. Why, some of them have camped upon the front steps until 4 o'clock in the morning, and if they had not been personally known to the police no doubt the officers would have suspected that there was trouble in the house". Our house has become an object of curiosity to every one who passes, and dozens have stopped and looked up to the windows as though they expected to see the windows open and an airship or two fly out, and all because the name of Dr. Benjamin has been connected with the airship story."

"Where is Dr. Benjamin to-day?" was asked of the lady, but before she could answer the glib-tongued auctioneer chipped in and said: "He has gone to get his airship and take this lady to Europe, where he will marry her."

After the parties had joked to their own apparent satisfaction they gave this information. Dr. Benjamin left the house early in the morning — about 8 o'clock as near as they could judge. He said that he would be back at noon, but he failed to return.

Before leaving he packed up all his effects in trunks, which the auctioneer and his assistants moved into a back room there to wait until the owner should return. Those who moved his effects found in his room some refuse copper which furnished food for comment for a long time. These consisted of a lot of copper cups about the size of ferules for small canes. As these to some extent resembled percussion caps, such as are used on the end of blasting fuse, it was suggested that the little cups were a part of the material to be used, as Attorney Hart suggested, for the destruction of Havana.

The romance of these little pieces of brass was shattered, however, when it was learned that Dr. Benjamin has been experimenting upon continuous bridgework for teeth and these little cups wore the crowns for rows of artificial grinders. Many of these cups were taken away by the anctioneer's assistants for souvenirs, but upon being told that they were only unfinished store teeth the men tossed their copper cups into the street in dis »gust.

Dr. Benjamin did not return during the afternoon or evening and although in the evening a dim light was to be seen in one of the rooms no response was made to a call at the door. In truth the door bell was fastened on the inside. Thus Dr. Benjamin disappeared. Whether his effects have been removed or not is a matter of conjecture.

In connection with the movements of Dr. Benjamin there is one incident that apparently connects him with the inventor of the airship. It will be remembered that several people who claim to know much about the new ship of the skies have stated that it was built near Oroville and that its first flight was taken therefrom on the night that the lights were seen in Sacramento. Also that the inventor and owner is or was a wealthy resident of Oroville. The latter statement was made by Attorney Collins at the time when ex-Attorney-General Hart said that he talked too much. On that occasion Mr. Collins stated that the inventor was brought to him by a client. In the same interview he acknowledged that Dr. Benjamin was his client. Subsequently he said that Dr. Benjamin has wealthy relatives in or near Oroville.

It was learned last evening that a few days before the appearance of the airship's lights over the Sacramento Valley Dr. Benjamin went to Oroville to see his relations.

His visit at that particular time has given rise to some speculation in the mind of Dr. Joseph D. Hodgen, secretary of the State Board of Dental Examiners, of 1005 Sutter street. Last evening Dr. Hodgen said:

"I have known Dr. Benjamin for some time. He comes from Maine, I believe. He is not a regular practicing dentist, but he gives much of his time to experiments in dental work. Of late he has been at work upon continuous plate bridge work in artificial teeth, an idea he got from a dentist irom Oregon.

"About two weeks ago I met him with his gripsack in his hand on the street, and he told me that he was going to Oroville or Auburn for a week. I am sure, come to think of it, that it was Oroville and not Auburn. He said that he was going to see his aunt. I have not seen him since. The day I saw him was either on the 17th or the 12th inst. soon after that I saw the first accounts of the airship over the Sacramento Valley."

NEW CONVERTS.

Dr. Paulln No Longer a Skeptic on the Airship Proposition.

That each day is witnessing the conversion of many skeptics to tne belief that the airship is a verity is shown by the willingness of these doubting individuals to become witnesses to their new faith. Last night Dr. Paulin of 1757 Nineteenth street, East Oakland, took the trouble to telephone his interesting experience to The Call. He said :

"I never had any faith in the airship until to-night. About 8 o'clock Judge Horsburgh, a neighbor, called to us and told us we could see the airship. We looked out and saw above us what appeared to be a group of four or five lights and above them was outlined something whicn had the form of a whale. It was moving toward the City. Then it changed its course toward Sausalito, and swerved again toward the City and soon went out of sight."

A night watchman at North Berkeley says that he saw the light Tuesday night distinctly, and watched it while it traveled from San Pablo and crossed over until it was back of the high hills of Berkeley. This may give some indefinite sort of a clew concerning the place where the alleged airship may be, in hiding during the day, so this man thought.

A noticeable fact connected with the mystery of the alleged airship is that the light which is observed is seen to be traveling against the wind as often as with it. his would not be the case if the light were carried by a balloon or kite, as a matter of course.

PRACTICAL JOKERS.

Lighted Balloons Sent Up in Various Parts of the City.

Toy balloons were sent soaring upward with hot air for a motor from several places along Market street last night. The wind was brisk, and when once the balloons were above the roofs they traveled along steadily and naturally attracted some attention.

Soon, however, the fuel which gave them motion consumed the balloon. There was no one who was stupid enough to believe for a moment that any such proposition as that had been sufficient at any time to deceive the many who have ascribed to the mysterious airship the posession of a large electric light. Those who sent up the fire balloons on Market street last night soon tired, observing that little interest was taken in them.

Several persons with apparently an idea of having a little fun at the expense of the public went to the top of Nob Hill last evening about 9:30 o'clock and sent up a hot-air balloon with a Japanese lantern attached to the bottom.

Instead of mounting rapidly to a great height the thing wobbled around and floated off on the wind over Kearny street toward the bay. For half a mile it scarcely rose 300 feet, and its construction and shape were plainly seen. The people on Kearny street jeered at the fake article floated over them, and several suggested that Mr. McEvoy of the American Detective Agency had changed his place of operation from Inspiration Point, near Piedmont, to Nob Hill, San Francisco.

A local fireworks company reported to-day that they had been doing a big balloon business within the last few days. In fact they have sold more of this kind of fireworks within a week than they have since ihe Fourth of July. Purchases have been made by people from Alameda, Haywards, Fruitvale, Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco.

AGAINST FAKERS.

A Vigilance Committee Formed in the Mission District.

Public interest in the airship is growing every day and with witless practical jokers people have no patience.

The prevalence of small hot-air balloons, carrying dingy lights across the darkened heavens, imposing on the credulity of persons looking for an aerial wanderer, has led to the forming of a vigilance committee. The committee is at present composed of but four members— James Peoples, Ed Perley, Gus Skelly and N. L. Peoples, and is known as the Mission Dolores Vigilance Committee. Although the organization has but few members each member is capable of making it thoroughly interesting for any man caught in the act of releasing a miniature gas bag. The most enthusiastic member is James Peoples, the captain, who measures about six feet four inches and is built in proportion. He is looking for and is anxious to meet a practical joker with a balloon under his arm. Then the trouble would commence.

"We take an occasional trip to Twin Peaks in search of balloon men," said Mr. Peoples, last evening, "but as yet we have not captured one.

'If we do find one all four of us (we measure all together something like twenty-four feet six inches) will jump all over him for his idiotic acts, and it is safe to say that he will reform."

ATTRACTIVE VENUS.

Her Charms Still Beguiling Many of the Uninitiated.

AUBURN, Cal., Nov. 25.— People here have been inclined to discredit the existence of the aerial traveler of the heavens, but last night found several reliable citizens who can swear that they saw the light in the sky.

John T. Walsh, hospital steward, noticed a light in the western sky just about over Sacramento, forty miles distant. He called his wife and she and several of the hospital patients vouchsafe the story as true. Their description is that it was a round light of yellowish hue, nearly as large as the sun. It dipped and curved for a while and then disappeared. Dave Chamberlain noticed a light In the heavens when going to supper shortly after 6 o'clock, and when he reached home called his father's and mother's attention to it. Deputy Recorder Henry Hart is another who saw it.

FRESNO, Cal., Nov. 24.— The airship passed over Fresno at 6 o'clock this evening. Only the light could be seen. Some say it was Venus setting. The light passed over the city in a northwesterly direction.

INQUISITIVE RIVALS.

Searchlights Seeking for the Warship of the Air.

VALLEJO, Cal., Nov. 25.— The searchlights on the monitors Monadnock and Monterey are flashing throughout the heavens this evening. in hopes of discovering the whereabouts of the great airship. Up to 8 o'clock no discoveries have been mads and it is expected by the officers at the yard that some other course will be pursued by the air voyagers for fear that big Betsy and Alice on the Monterey will be trained on and fired at the warship of the air.

The Apparition of the Air -- April 7, 2019

San Francisco Call, 24-November-1896

THE APPARITION OF THE AIR

Oaklanders Say Its Frame Was Like the Body of a Bird.

ATTORNEY COLLINS' TALE SUPPORTED

Another Lawyer Who Was Informed of the Alighting of the Flier.

MOVING LIGHTS ONCE MORE MYSTIFY THIS CITY.

Dr. Benjamin Disclaims the Invention — Mayor Sutro's Testimony and That of Other Reputable Citizens Offered.

There were many sightings of unidentified flying objects in the United States during the late 1890s. I wonder what people saw. This is our fourth report from the San Francisco Call.  
18-November-1896: "Claim They Saw a Flying Airship"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/02/claim-they-saw-flying-airship-february.html
23-November-1896: "The Great Airship That is Startling the People of Many Cities"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-great-airship-that-is-startling.html
25-November-1896: "Mission of the Aerial Ship"
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com/2019/03/mission-of-aerial-ship-march-7-2019.html

Irving M Scott was the president of the Union Iron Works, which built many warships, including the USS Olympia and the USS Oregon.  

Adolph Sutro was the mayor of San Francisco.  Sutro Heights is now a city park.  

Testimony concerning the existence of an airship which is supposed to be navigating the air over the bay cities by night and hiding from observation in some secluded place before daybreak came in yesterday from many sources. Many persons saw mysterious lights moving overhead. But the projectors of the phenomenon which has caused intense and general interest seem to revel in mystery. Among those who yesterday told of seeing the lights carried about by an aerial visitor were Mayor Sutro, Colonel Menton, the excursion agent of the Southern Pacific Company; Samuel Foliz, advertising manager of The Call; Professor C. H. Murphy of the Polytechnic High School, also many others.

What they saw or heard from others who saw the moving light is told in the sub-joined account. They all tell practically the same story, which is that the light appeared quite high overhead and that it moved very fast. They did not all observe it to be moving in the same direction.

Dr. Benjamin, who has been supposed to have invented a flying machine or airship, which la supposed to be the cause of the phenomena observed overhead during the past few nights, was in the City yesterday, and last evening was interviewed by The Call. Dr. Benjamin said that he did not know anything about the airship. At the same time he conceded that if he did know of such an invention of his own, he would consider it wise not to give any information concerning it until he had secured his patents. Dr. Benjamin said that Mr. Collins is his attorney, and admitted that he visited Mr. Collins yesterday afternoon. This, in connection with the fact that Mr. Collins admitted that he is attorney for a man who claims to have invented an airship, must be taken for what it is worth.

Concerning this mystery it should be clearly understood that The Call does not aver that an airship has been invented, nor does it deny that such is the fact. There is no intention on the part of The Call to deceive its readers. The statements which have been made by reputable citizens are given, and these will undoubtedly be carefully considered and the consensus of public opinion will place the true value upon the different circumstances. There are several theories to account for the mysterious moving light, which do not necessarily imply the existence of a flying machine or airship.

There is no doubt that many people firmly believe in the airship. There were many such who sat up late last night to watch for the appearance of such a vessel. Many stood on roofs and in other elevated places, in the rain, until late, hoping to get a glimpse of it. At the hour of going to press the whole matter remained a mystery.

Henry W. Bradley of the law firm of Stanly, Hayes A Bradley made a very interesting statement which will be widely read.

The most circumstantial story yet told came from Oakland last night. Passengers on a streetcar claim to have been attracted by the light overhead and looking upward they saw distinctly the outlines of an airship, which resembled a huge bird in its outlines and which seemed to rise and fall in its course. Many residents of Oakland say that they, also, discerned the outlines of the vessel.

BODY LIKE A BIRD. 

What Spectators Across the Bay Say That They Saw.

OAKLAND, Cal., Nov. 23.— There is a general impression in this city that the airship which has been seen so often recently is being housed somewhere in Alameda County when it is not being tested by its inventor.

The whole population is about equally engaged between discussing the qualities of airships and looking at the sky expecting to see the winged machine parting the clouds. Reports are continually being received of its being seen in the neighborhood of Berkeley and Haywards, as though the inventor were confining his experiments to the low land between the hills that skirt the northern boundary of the county and the bay. Several people saw the light over Haywards last night, and the number of people who have seen it in North Oakland is constantly increasing.

Last evening the conductor wearing badge No. 26 of the Alameda electric line reported seeing the affair over Fruitvale. He says it had a powerful headlight and there appeared to be several smaller lights on board.

Mayor Davie is a firm believer in the existence of the airship. "I doubted the story of those who declared they had seen it," said the Mayor to-day, "but when I looked through the names of the reputable people who unhesitatingly assert that they have seen it I doubt it no longer.

"I have always believed in the practicability of airships, and a few years ago old Dr. Freeling had a model that closely resembled the picture published of this invention, and he told me before he died that when aluminum was brought into use the secret of air-flying would be solved. I have no doubt that some one has built a machine, because many of those who have seen it are certainly entitled to credit."

Attorney A. A. Moore heard the story of the airship a few days ago. "I did not talk with Mr. Collins," he said, "but I was talking with a friend, an attorney, who told me that Collins had talked with him about a client who had invented an airship."

Last evening at about 7:80 o'clock the passengers on an Alameda car were startled by the sight of a brilliant stream of light high in the heavens off in the direction of Haywards. The passengers distinctly saw the outlines of an airship and watched its maneuvers high in the skies.

The ship resembles a huge bird in its outlines and seemed to rise and fall in its course. A light streamed from the head of the ship, throwing a white stream of light for several hundred yards. As the outlines of the airship were plainly discerned the passengers in the car became greatly excited. The phenomenon had first been noted by a man who had been idly watching the heavens. As soon as he perceived the light he attracted the attention of the other passengers and all intensely interested watched the peculiar machine as it made its way through the skies.

It was high in the heavens and appeared to be of huge size. When first seen it seemed to be floating over San Leandro. It moved rapidly, going at least twenty miles an hour. It shot across the skies in the northwest, then turned quickly and disappeared in the direction of Haywards. Not only was the airship seen by the passengers, but many other residents of this city distinctly saw the brilliant light and the huge, bird-like body floating in midair. None of the spectators were acquainted with each other, and yet their stories are startlingly similar, agreeing as to time, direction of the airship and description. These facts leave little doubts in the minds of many people that a successful airship has been invented, and is navigating the heavens.

Miss Wilson, a daughter of Captain Wilson of the police force, and her friend, Miss Hunter, are among those who viewed the strange sight. The two friends accompanied another young lady to the streetcar about 7 p. m. yesterday, where their attention was attracted by the peculiar light in the skies. The huge bird-like body from which the light emanated was clearly visible, and both young ladies are positive it was an airship. It followed the same course as described by the passenger on the Alameda car. Police Officer Carson and John Strickler, the flagman at Fourteenth and Broadway, also declare that they saw the airship.

"The representatives of the afternoon papers were almost hysterical in their demands that I discredit The Call's interview. I wish to say right here that I have not a word to take back of all that has been reported. It was a truthful, reliable interview and The Call is the only paper that has reported me correctly. The stories in the evening papers that I had denied the interview were false and the writers actually told me that they were going to write such stuff before they left my office.

"Since the fact was published that I am the attorney for the inventor I have not seen my client. We mailed the papers regarding the patent to Washington last week and expect to hear soon of their arrival. I do not know when I shall see my client again, but I expect him any day. He is a man that impressed me with the idea of being perfectly able to manage his own affairs, and I have no doubt he knows what he is doing.

"I wish to correct one idea that seems to be prevalent. Some papers have published the fact that the inventor is an Oroville man. I have not said so. He is a San Francisco man, but he has constructed his machine near Oroville. I did say this afternoon to the reporters of the San Francisco evening papers that the story as published in the Chronicle was a fake. Not only that; I told the young fellow from the Chronicle that he had grossly misrepresented me in his interview where he quoted me as having said I saw the airship work, the inventor having come here, and, after talking to me a while, getting into it and moving away. The statement that I had seen it working at all is false.

"As I told you before, as I told him, and as I now repeat it, all I know is that I have been appealed to by a man who appears perfectly sound to act as his attorney in securing for him a patent on his invention. It would be presumptuous for me to say the story that an airship was being worked about the bay was a fake, when it is taken into consideration the number of people who stake their reputation on having seen one. Even if it was not the ship of the man who came to see me, it is not for me to say that these people have not seen an airship. There is more than one man at work on the question of aerial navigation, and some one is bound to solve it as they did the steam-engine and the electric-car. I am as skeptical regarding the actual working of the craft as anyone, but am not such a fool as to say that it is an impossibility.

"I was told in this city to-day that the Chronicle had secured a man — one Dr. Benjamin, I believe —to maintain throughout that the invention is his and that he is the one who has been going about the heavens at night. He is to say that he has paid me $500 as a retainer and that I am to have $1500 when the patents are issued. This is along the line of their story as first told, and it must be kept up at any cost. I desire to denounce the whole story in advance as a pure fake to support the wild imagination of one of their reporters. It places me in an unfair light before the public and injures my business to have such stories set afloat when there is not the least foundation for them.

"When the Examiner man came to me Sunday afternoon he told me that his paper had the whole story and knew the inventor and would publish it this morning. They did not particularly care, he said, for my version, but would like to have it just to verify what they knew. The bold bluff did not work and the story in to-day's Examiner trying to ridicule the affair, but at the same time leaving loopholes to escape, was the result.

"There is no denying the fact that the public has been aroused to a high pitch of expectation by the reports published. The Examiner sent a man to me to-day who said they bad treated the whole affair as a huge joke, but found that the people were looking at it in a serious manner and they were ready to give the news as received, regardless of how improbable it might look. He asked me to give a true account of the matter as far as I knew anything, but when I denied having seen the machine work or having ridden in it he laughed and said I was hedging."

KNEW OF THE AIRSHIP.

Attorney H. W. Bradley Was informed of Interesting Facts.

"I am at a loss to know how you could have ascertained that I know anything about the airship," said Henry W. Bradley of the law firm of Stanley, Haye and Bradley, of this City, yesterday, to a representative of The Call.

"Do you know anything about it?" Mr. Bradley hesitated a moment, then said: "The man you want to see is George A. Collins, the attorney. All I can say is that if Collins said what is accredited to him in a published interview this morning, Collins knows what he is talking about, and I will say, further, that Collins would scarcely take part in a fake story, because he would have more to lose than to gain by so doing.

"Now, there is that first publication in The Call about the airship. That undoubtedly was sent by telegraph from Sacramento after 1 o'clock in the morning, for it states it was after midnight that the object was seen over that city. Then there is McGovern at the California Hotel, who told me Saturday night that be saw it between 2 and 4 o'clock in the morning. I know that it landed at 3 o'clock—"
"Where?"

"You have made me say more than I intended to," replied Mr. Bradley, with a look upon his countenance which seemed to say that he wished he had remained silent; then as a faint smile lighted up his features: "I cannot tell you where it landed; that is, I do not feel at liberty to state where. The man you want to see is Collins.

"You must understand that I cannot speak about this matter, but will say this: The Call has been consistent in this matter. It is on the right track and it must not back water; and then it got ahead of all the other papers on a big piece of news.

"Then there is A. L. Hart of Sacramento, who stated that if certain parties of that city declared that they had seen the object he believed what they said."

"Where is that wonderful and much talked-about airship now?" was asked.

"That I cannot tell you, but I will say this: I was to have inspected it to-day, but for some reason the invitation I expected did not reach me; possibly be cause the premature announcement in The Call has interfered with projectedplans, or it may be the weather.

"I wish to place myself right in this matter. While in conversation with a gentleman three or four days before the first publication of the airship story in The Call I was told that such an invention was in existence and the difficulty of navigating the sky would soon be overcome. The gentleman who gave me this information did so in confidence, a confidence that I will not betray. As an attorney I could not afford to do so and as a man I would not.

'There is another reason I have for not wishing to give expression to my knowledge or views, which is this: Several of the newspapers have published interviews with Mr. Collins and other papers have asserted that he denied the truth of the statements attributed to him. Now, it would not look well for me to make statements contradictory to his or have him deny statements that I made. Therefore, I will keep silent."

Mr. Bradley stated that be is in no way connected with the airship scheme, either as an attorney or as a friend to the parties most concerned.

"Do you believe that the existence of an airship at the present time is possible?" he was asked.

Mr. Bradley smiled and cautiously answered: "Was the airship not seen by hundreds of respectable citizens in Sacramento. San Francisco, Oakland and other places? I would not presume to dispute their statements."

"Then you believe that we have such an invention that has proved a success?"

"Yes. I believe what my friends tell me. However, I am not an authority. All I know, that is, all 1 think I know, is from hearsay testimony, and I do not intend to commit myself upon hearsay testimony alone. I have never seen it, and I do not expect to make a trip in it as it has been reported."

SEEN LAST NIGHT.

Many Persons In This City Gazed Upward and Wondered.

The mysterious light was seen last night in this City by a gentleman of undoubted practical experience. Samuel Foltz, advertising manager of The Call, was looking out from his residence at 1157 Stanyan street about 9:15 p. m., when he noticed a light traveling in the direction of Berkeley. He at first thought he was dreaming, but looking again he called out the people residing in the house and all agreed that the light corresponded in appearance with that attributed to the mysterious flying ship.

Mr. Foltz said that the light was apparently that of an ordinary lamp; that it was located about 300 feet above the earth, and was, when sighted, above the locality of Van Ness avenue, and that it was traveling direct and with tremendous velocity toward Berkeley. The light remained in sight about four minutes, when it passed out of view.

C. H. Murphy, a teacher at the Polytechnic High School, told an interesting story last evening: "I was coming down Valencia street about 9:15 to-night," said Mr. Murphy, "and I noticed the phenomenon. Above, at an elevation of possibly 4000 feet, was an electric glow, which was moving toward the park at the rate of one mile per minute. This was observed by hundreds of pers6ns. Every one on Valencia street might have seen it. There was only one light. This had a vibration or wave. There was no fake about this. When I saw the light I was on the south side of Valencia street."

OVER SUTRO HEIGHTS.

Airship Seen by the Mayor's Employes a Few Days Ago.

None of those who have seen the mysterious moving lights in the heavens that are believed to be those of an airship is more firmly convinced that a flying machine hovers nightly over the bay cities than Mayor Sutro, and the story he tells to support his expressed belief is vastly interesting.

The Mayor is nothing if not practical, and he says that there is not the faintest doubt in his mind that the aerial courser passed over Sutro Heights a short time ago and that it was a genuine airship and doing a very fair job of air-sailing.

"I have not seen the ship myself," said the Mayor after the meeting of the Board of Supervisors yesterday, "but some of my people at the heights have, and their stories leave no doubt in my mind as to the truth of the stories The Call has published on the subject.

"Their narratives were not given me after the paper got hold of the matter, but were told several days ago when no such thing had reached public print.

"When I reached home one evening, about the length of time ago I mention, I found them in a great state of excitement, and when I inquired the reason of the agitation they told me of a strange spectacle they had witnessed a short time before. They told me that shortly after dark they had seen a strange, brilliant light coming in from the direction of the sea.

"At first little attention was paid to it, but as the light drew nearer all became very much interested and watched the brilliant spot closely.

"As it approached the heights they saw that it was not over 500 feet above the ocean and was moving swiftly and with a slightly undulating motion.

"When almost over the beach two lights were discernible, one apparently being below a misty-looking mass and the other behind it.

"They paid particular attention to the latter, as it threw a long ray of light, similar to that cast by a searchlight, far out into the darkness. They told me that this stream of Light was 500 f >-et long, but I presume that, while it seemed that long, it was in reality much shorter.

"They watched it until it disappeared in the direction of the City and saw it turn toward the north just before it passed from view. Now, these people would not try to tell me ghost stories, and I know that they saw just what they described.

"I certainly think that some shrewd inventor has solved the problem of aerial navigation and that we will hear all about it within a short time. It would not be any more wonderful than the invention of the telegraph, the telephone, the phonograph or the X ray, and it would seem that some one must hit on the proper appliances when so many smart men have been working on the problem."

It has been stated that the airship passed over the Seal Rocks a short time ago and played its light on the seals, and it may be that this was the occasion when it was seen from the heights.

COLONEL MENTON SAW IT.

Three Lights in View as the Mystery Sailed.

Colonel W. H. Menton, the excursion agent of the Southern Pacific Company, lives in the Supreme Court building at the corner of Larkin and McAllister streets. He is confidant he saw the mysterious aerial peregrinator Sunday night This is his story as he told it yesterday:

"Last night, at about 20 minutes of 8 o'clock, the elevator-boy came to my door and told me if I wanted to see the airship to go to the window. My wife and two lady friends went at once to the window, and looking out toward the park, say at an apparent height of about 100 yards, saw three lights. One shot its rays toward the northwest, another toward the southwest, and one, the most brilliant, poured its light directly toward the earth. These lights had the appearance and intensity of search lights.

"I am sure," continued Colonel Menton, "that it was neither a star, meteor nor any other wanderer of the heavens. The light was far brighter than any of the electric lights I saw just below, in and about the park.

"It was traveling toward the west, and we saw it distinctly for ten or fifteen minutes. We all gazed at it until it disappeared in the distance. It neither rose nor fell, but maintained an even course parallel with the earth."

CROSSED THE GATE.

And Some Time Later Was Seen Over the Twin Peaks.

M. H. Cohen of 510 Baker street, a conductor on the Hayes-street car line, saw an object in the sky at 7:05 last Sunday evening, which he believes was the airship. The object seemed to be 300 or 400 feet above the earth. Speaking of the sight yesterday he said: "I first saw it at Market and Eighth streets. It seemed to be moving across the Golden Gate and a flash was occasionally displayed. I called the gripman's attention to it, and he looked and said, "It might be the airship."

Two gentlemen on the rear end of the car saw it. I told the receiver and the night watchman about what I bad seen. The car left the ferry at 7:13 o'clock, and at First street I saw the object again directly over the Twin Peaks. The forward light seemed to be steady. I informed Frank Allen, the machinist at the car house, and he remarked that he had seen a similar object and called the attention of two ladies to it.

"I did not see the object again until I got to the top of P:erce-street hill. Then it seemed to be coming back again from Twin Peaks. "We left the park at 7:51, and looting back from Ashbury street got a good view of it A light was flashed downward for a few minutes. The night was dark, and while the flashes of light could be seen distinctly, the object could only be seen vaguely. There were thirty passengers on the car who saw it. The gripman's name is G. W. Britton. Another person who saw the object in the air was J. Wyatt, conductor on the car following mine."

BENJAMIN TALKS.

Is Inconsistent, but Refuses to Father the Invention.

Dr. E. H. Benjamin, the man who has either by chance or for a purpose been suggested as the inventor of the airship, was seen at 633 Ellis street last night by a Call reporter. He had retired and was asleep, but arose, partly dressed, and cordially invited his late visitor into his room, a large single bedchamber at the front of the boarding-house and with a bay-window overlooking Ellis street. Dr. Benjamin is a sinewy built man above the average height, and with a large mustache and brown hair and gray eyes.

He frankly denied having any connection with or personal knowledge of an airship, but his avowals of willingness to impart the information were it his to give were not consistent with his acknowledgments that a man with so very valuable an invention, not completely perfected and not yet securely patentable, would be justified in lying in a straightforward manner in order to divert from himself all attention that might result in his being persistently followed and the whereabouts and design of the flying device made known.

During a long conversation he said in part:

"I am a dentist and have been for twelve years. I am 34 years old and a bachelor. 1 have a married uncle in Placerville; his name is F. W. Benjamin and he is a practicing physician of some means. George Collins is my attorney, for I have known George for a long time and whatever little law business I have wanted done I have had him do it. I saw him to-day and he laughed heartily when I told him that they had me the inventor of the airship. He is a shrewd fellow. Well, I only wish I was the inventor. But I am inclined to think I would be afraid to go up in it.

"It is true that I am an inventor, but along other lines. My inventions have to do with dentistry, and consist in patented crowns and bridges for teeth and a reducer to draw the gold bars in making gold caps without seams. Then I have a number of other little dental inventions. Since my name appeared this morning in connection with this affair my friends have joshed me a good deal about being the inventor, and I have told some of them that they may have a ride with me to-morrow if the night is favorable. I have given some thought to the possibility of inventing an airship.

"I firmly believe that there is an airship somewhere near here, and that it will not be long before the public sees it, for as yet, as I understand the newspaper accounts, no one has really got a good view of an airship so much as of a brilliant, moving searchlight. I expect to be followed for a while and given a warm reception until people are convinced that I am not the man they are looking for."

HE IS WELL KNOWN.

The Alleged Inventor Recently Visited In the Interior.

Dispatches were received last night from Woodland and Oroville concerning Dr. Benjamin. The list of towns claiming him while he has been supposed to be the inventor of an airship is lengthening, like the list of towns that claimed Homer. A Woodland dispatch claimed that Dr. Benjamin visited Woodland first about eight years ago, when he was traveling for Sherman & Clay.

He became acquainted with Dr. L. B. Holmes and many others, and treated patients in the office of Dr. Holmes, who considered him a proficient workman. He has not been in Woodland for about a year and a half. He told some friends that he would soon complete an invention that would revolutionize the world. The fact that he has a wealthy uncle in Oroville probably gave rise to the rumor that an Oroville millionaire had built the airship.

A dispatch from Oroville alleges that Dr. Benjamin in a native of Carmel, Me. He was in Oroville November 15 visiting his uncle.

READY TO SAIL IN AIR.

Court Judges Asking for Passes and Others Seeking: Positions.

George D. Collins, who claims to be the attorney for the inventor of the airship, has evidence that there are persons who believe that there is a real airship afloat. One of these, a boy who has been in the navy, has written to him making application for position of cabin-boy or deckhand. A large part of his time is taken up answering questions. Judges of the courts have already made application for passes, he says, and he has no end of chances to discuss the mechanism of the vessel. With all this, Mr. Collins throws a dash of cold water on some enthusiasts who base their theories upon alleged utterances of his.

"I am sorry to see," he said yesterday, "that the newspapers have been attributing to me such an extensive knowledge relative to this airship. In truth I know very little about it.

"On Thursday last there came to my office a former client of mine for whom I had prosecuted a claim against the Crocker estate about six months ago, and asked me to get gut a patent for him for an airship he said he had invented. I said I could not do anything unless he produced a model, and he said he would have one made at once. He attempted to give me a description of the invention, but I told him it would be of no use to me. I am now awaiting his return with the model. He may call any day. When he brings the model I will make application for his patent.

"I know nothing about the airship. I do not know what it is made of, what power propels it, nor where its inventor now is. I am just as skeptical and incredulous regarding it as anybody can be.

"The reason I believe this airship that people claim to have seen is his invention is that on the day he called he remarked : 'Did you see an account of my airship passing over Sacramento in the newspaper this morning?'

"I told him I had not seen it.

"He then said: 'l passed over Sacramento last night and arrived on the other side of the bay this morning at 3 o'clock. I have solved the problem of atmospheric navigation.' "

Balloon In the Sky.

OROVILLE, Cal., Nov. 23. — Several people in this vicinity saw a moving light in the heavens Sunday evening. To-day's investigations result in learning of a Portuguese, living in Cherokee, who sent up an experimental balloon last evening inflated with gas from a fire attached to it in which turpentine and resin are the principal parts. There is no doubt this is the light seen here. The Portuguese says he does not think his balloon sailed more than twelve miles. It was his intention to send up another to-night but rain prevented it.