The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-11-01
|" hachttng Party Narrowly Escape
bcing struck by a Flying Aeropfte.

An aerolite that was likened in size 10 n,
o'u-iashloned churn was seen 10 fall from
,he SKY INTO Jamaica bay, l.. l., on Sunda,
"st, according TO statements made bv
s'cn'ihg party, who say that they wit
nosseu the occurrence. The party con
sisted OF three men and two bows. rcsidint
III jamaica. They are Chanche Edward
proprietor OF bakery on Fulton street
Joscph Wilkinson, painter. living in liar
rlson street; John Boyd, a clerk in IN,
employ OF Mr.. Edwards and Burr ant
uouvcrneur Edwards, sons Of Mr.. Ed
Warus. The first TO discover the falling
aerollte was Mr.. Wilkinson. lie describe,
the sight as follows:
We had been fishing. After we col
through we started towards the upper end
Oh the bay for sail. On the way strong
gaze OF wind overlook us from the south
east and the yacht scudded along before il
rioSe recied. i was at the stern steering
l looked up, and suddenly saw a dark oh.
lect moving rapidly through the air. II
was travelling from the direction OF the
northeast. j only saw IL for three or fou
seconds, as nearly as i could Judge. Al
nrst II ala not seem much larger than nv
TWO hands; but the nearer il got the big
ger 1t appeared. When it was about 100
icct away from us it looked TO be as bic
rs barrel. II came with great We.
loclty, and struck the water about seventy.
iVe rect distant from the Yacht, and TO the
Reward. 1t seemed 70 be OF dull-gravish
color as FAR a | could determine. One OF
thc party supposed when he first saw il
that it was boys balloon. II struck the
water with thud, and the water spured
up rs II disappeared. | feel pretty certain
That II was an ssrolite. What else could il
have hccn?"
Mt. Edwards corrObOratcd the statement
OF Mr.. Wilkinson. He SAID that the atten.
ton OF himself, Mr. Boyd, and his two
sons was first attracted to the object by Mr..
Wikinson's cXclaiming "Look. look"
and pointing in the air.
81 looked up with the rest" continued
Mr.. Edwards, "and saw something that
took TO be Il toy-baIlOon. II was coming
with great swiftnesS right in the face Of the
strong wind, however, and knew that a
balloon could not travel that way. From
the time we saw it until it disappeared in
the bay was only few seconds. There
was dark background Of clouds, which
threw it into bold relief, 80 that We had q
good view OF it. 1t was Of sort Of dull
grayiSh color. Just a. Mfr. Wilkinson saws.
] suppose that it must have been glowing
hot, and that if it had been nighttime il
would probably have looked like a ball OF
fire.
How big was it,"
"Whcn it was close TO lis it looked a.
large a 4 1lour-barrel. | should compare
ii to an Old-faShioncd milk-churn in shape
and size. 1t spread out at the head like
wings
"Wbat time was It when you saw the
objcct?"
cit was about ~ o'clock in the day on
sunday. 1t may have been few minutes
earlier"
odd it make any noise as it passed
through the air."
owe did not hear any. II there was any
whiZZDg. the strong wind prevented our
hearing il. When the aGrolitc. or whatever
it was, hit the water ii made a thud. and
threw the water i'm the air. We were about
twenty-five feet distant from it. Ii it had
struck our yacht think it would have
knocked us to pieces. II had centrifugal
notion
Mr.. Boyd's account Of The spectacle on
Sunday is substantially the same IL that OF
his companion, on the occasion. he says
that il appeared as if the object was being
hurled through the air. Hcncyer saw any
thing like it before. 1t was OF a grayi>h
color and Is large a. barrel. He said that
Mr. Wilkinson saw it first, and directed at-
tcntion 10 il.
Mr.. Wilkinson, Mr.. Edwards. and Mr..
Boyd each agree that the object moved
through the air at an angle OF about forty
DEGREES. The sons OF Mr.. Edwards both
say that they saw the object move through
the air and drop in the bay.
Mr.. Wilkinson and the Others describe
the place where they saw the object As ncaI
North West Point or Finger Island, in Ja-
maica bay. He adds that hcnoticcd has
sock or bunch Of scdge about ten feet from
where the object went into the water.
Where il fell the water is about five feet in
depth at high tide. 1t is the intention OF
Mr.. wilkinson and Mr.. Edwards to make
a search OF the locality ana try to find the
object .-ErCh00Qe.