The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-02-05
A TOUGH STORY.
WHAT "snH.a 6 HsE" SAW
i Strange Graft that an Iowa Farmer saw
Floating through the iir-A Balloon With
Paddles and whesls-ApochryphsI, but lii.
teresting Reading.

Strange Craft that an Iowa Farmer Saw
Floating through the iir-A Balloon With
Paddles and whesls-Apochryphsi, but lii.
teresting Reading.
From the Marshallton Qowa) Times.l
It is we'll known that a number Of the
best aeronauts in France have been at
work for some time endeavoring 10 per.
feet an air snip by which aerial naviga-
tion would be made as safe, and much
more speedy, than water navigation. 1t
may be that their labors have been at
last crowned with success, and that the
almost incredible story related below is
fact, and The air ship reported to have
been seen yesterday morning IN Taylor
Township, possibly, the successful in.
yentiop on a trial trip around the world.
As Mr.. Randolph Seegeese, went, out
about daylight yesterday morning to at.
tend to his stock, he was terribly fright.
ened and .astonished to, hear a voice
issue from the gray twilight of the early
dawn above him and inquiring, in
broken English, s'Zay, my frient, val
Stale is dis?v Mr.. Seegeese, is a good
Catholic, and, first taking time to de.
yOutly cross himself, he looked up
and saw what almost struck. him dumb
with wonder and surprise. For, poised
in the, air, not more than one
hundred feet over his head, was an in-
mense balloon, or number of balloons,
supporting aregular ship or boat that
must have been at least seventy Or
eighty feet in length. He could also dis
tinguish the heads Of several people
bending over the sides of the remarka-
BILE craft. and presently the voice again
tell us, sir, vat State dis is.2n BY this
time MIR. Seegeese had recovered enough
self-possession to answer, s.Iowa."
"Vat city 10 dat over dere?" again
asked his interrogator, nodding his head
towards the South. -.
s'Marshalltown,'' responded Mr.. See-
geese.
T"vere is de Missoory rigare~ was the
next question.
"You are about half way between the
Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers
now," answered Mr.. 5. ~
soul, dank youw said the voice.
A moment after some order was given
in q language which Mr.. Seegeese did
not understand, and the huge canvas
paddle-wheels, like the arms of an old
fashioned wipd-mill, slowly reyolyed,
and the monster silently yet rapidly
assembled and bore of in a westerly d.
rection. t~
MIR. Seegeese said it was hardly light
enough for him TO see this wonderful ma
chine sufficiently plain to attempt thor
ough description Of it. There were three
immense balloons, the largest above the
other two, which were rugged quite close
to the boat--apparently a wooden struc-
ture built afterla ships model, and sew
enty or eighty feet in length by siyseen
or twenty feet wide amidships. The
vessel was also ten or fifteen feet
deep, and, from what he supposed
to be the cabin windows In the
stern, lights were shining brightly.
There were huge paddle-wheels, or
arms, attached to each side OF the ship,
that appeared to propeI il In any direc-
! tion by those navigating this most sin.
gpiar OF ali tremarkables craft. From be-
hind, an enormous rudder, also Of cam
vas, fastened to a light frame, extended
fully forty feet, he is quite certain.
This, also, as the strange ship.
b0re away to the westward, ? re.
volved rapidly. That she was op-
Grated by steam power, he knows. for
| be plainly heard the hiss OF escaping
iyapor AZ the machine. ship, balloon, of
whatever it may be called. stood nearly
Nt.I-t =