The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-08-25
Hurled Out Of the Air.


An serolite that was likened in size
to an old fashioned churn was seen tc
fall from the sky into Jamaica Ba,
on Sunday, August 18th, according tt
statements made by yachting party,
who say that they witnessed the oc
currence. The party consisted ot
three men and two boys residing in
Jamaica. They are Chanche Edwards
proprietor of bakery on Fulton
street; Joseph Wilkinson, painter
living in Harrison street John Boyd
u clerk in the employ of Mr.. Edwards,
and Burr and Gouverneur Edwards
sons of Mr. Edwards. The first to
discover the falling aesolite was Mr..
Wilkinson. He describes the sight as
follows:
1--WE had been fishing. After We
got through we started toward the
upper end Of the bay for sail. On
the way strong gale of wind over
took us from the southeast, and the
yacht scudded along before it close
reefed. | was at the stern steering
l looked up and suddenly saw dark
object moving rapidly through the air
1t was travelling from the direction of
the northeast. | only saw it for three
or four seconds. as nearly as could
judge. AT first it did not seem much
larger than my two hands, but the
nearer it got the bigger it appeared.
When it WAS about 100 feet away
from us it looked to be as big as a
barrel. 1t came with great velocity, and
struck the water about seventy-five feet
distant from the yacht, and to the lee
ward. 1t seemed to be of dull gray.
ish color, as far as l could determine.
One of the party supposed, when he
first saw it, that it was boys balloon.
1t struck the water with a thud, aud
the water spurted up as it disappeared.
l feel pretty certain that it was an
aerolite. What else could it have
been 2
Mr.. Edwards corroborated the state.
ment of Mr. Wilkinson. He said that
the attention of himself, Mr.. Boyd,
ond his two sons was first attracted to
the object by Mr.. Wilkinson's exclaim-
ing. 'Look, look" and pointing in the
air.
II looked up with the rest" con-
tinued Mr.. Edwards, land saw some
thing that took to be a toy balloon.
1t was coming with great swiftness
right in the face of the strong wind,
however, and l knew that balloon
could not travel that way. From the
time we saw it until it disappeared in
the bay was only a few seconds.
There was a dark background of
clouds, which threw it into bold relief
80 that We had good view of it. 1t
was of a sort of dull grayish color,
just as Mr.. Wilkinson says. | suppose
that it must have been glowing hot,
and that if it had been night time j,
would probably have looked like a
ball of fire
"How big was it?"
"When it was close to us it looked
as large as a flour barrel. should
compare it to an old fashioned milk
churn in shape and size. 1t spread
out at the head like wings"
"What time was it when you saw
the object!'
at was about ~ o'clock in the day
on Sunday. 1t may have been few
minutes earlier"
''Did it make any noise as it passed
through the air 2"
ave did not hear any. If there
was any whizzing, the strong wind
prevented our hearing it. When the
aerolite, or whatever it was, hit the
water it made thud, and threw the
water in the air. We were about
twenty-five feet distant from it. Il
it had struck our yacht / think i,
would have knocked us to pieces II
had a centrifugal motion"
Mr.. Boyd's account of the spectacle
on Sunday is substantially the same as
that of his companions on the occa
sion. He says that it appeared as i
the object was being hurled through
the air. He never saw anything like
it before 1t was of a grayish colo
diiu uS ltlSt as u phtlci' iit Suii
that Mr.. Wilkinson saw it first, anC
directed attention to it.
Mr.. Wilkinson, Mr.. Edwards, anC
Mr.. Boyd each agree that the objec
moved through the air at an angle o
about forty degrees, The sons of Mr.
Edwards both say that they saw th'
object move through the air and drol
in the bay
Mr.. Wilkinson and the Others de
scribe the place where they saw tn
object a. near North West Point o
Finger Island, in Jamaica Bay. Ii,
adds that he noticed a hassock o
bunch of sedge about ten feet from
where the object went into the water
Where it fell the water is about fv,
feet in depth at high tide, 1t is tn
intention of Mr.. Wilkinson aud MI
Edwards to make a search of the Local
ity and try to find the object.