The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-11-26
SAILED AN AIR SHIP
CLAIM A MACHINE HAS BEEN IN
VENTED AND OPERATED.
Mysterious Client Perfected n Ship
and Nnvignted the Ether Above
Sacramento.

San Francisco, Nov. 22.-The Chronicle
prints story which would indicate that
the air ship in practicable form is an es-
tablished fact.
About / o'clock last Monday morning
the inhabitants of Sacramento wLo were
astir at that hour, claim 10 have seen
an air ship passing rapidly over the city
Some merely said they saw a bright
light while others went so far as to say
they saw cigar-shaped flying machine
and heard human voices from it. The
residents of Oakland also say they saw
| the same sight a few nights ago.
| The story of the mysterious air ship
has been told all over the state and has
created considerable amusement, as 1t
was generally believed to be hoax. The
Chronicle this morning prints an inter-
view with George d. Collins, reputable
lawyer of this city. who says that the
air ship is a reality. Attorney Collins
| says:
'It is perfectly true that there is at
least a successful air ship In existence
and that California will have the honor
known of the affair for some time and am
acting as attorney for the inventor. He
is a very wealthy man, who has been
studying the subject of flying machines
for Is years and who came here seven
years ago from the state of Maine. in
order to be able to perfect his ideas
away from the eyes of other inventors.
During the last five years he has spent
at least 100000 on his work. He has
not yet secured his patent, but his ap-
plication is now in Washington. l can
not say anything about the machine he
has perfected, because he Is my client,
and because he fears that the application
will be stolen from the patent office II
people come to know that his invention
is practicable.
Description of 1t.
IT saw the machine one night last
week at the inventors invitation 1t Is
made of metal, Is about $50 feet long and
is built to carry IS persons There was
no motive power as far as l could see
certainly no steam. 1t is built on tho
|, aeropane system and has two canva.
, wings is feet wide and a rudder SHAPED
like a birds tail. The inventor climbed
, into the machine and after he had moved
some of the mechanism for moment,
saw the thing begin to ascend from tn
EARTH very gently. The wings flappe'
e slowly as it rose and then little taste
as 1t began to move against the wind. TIL
machine was under perfect control al
the time.
when 1t got to height of about
a feet the inventor shouted to me that h
4 was going to make a series of circles
r He Immediately did So beginning b
h making a circle about 100 yards In d
n ameter and gradually narrowing 1t ii
n the machine got within 30 feet of tn
d ground. 1t then fell straight down, yer
r gracefully, and touched the earth a
lightly as a falling leaf
:. Flew Over sacramento.
i 1.-THE reports from Sacramento the otl
or night were true. 1t was my client
4, airship that the people saw. 1t starte
from Oroville, in Butte county, and fle
65 miles in a straight line directly oy
!" Sacramento. After running up and dow
- once or twice over the capitol, my friei
IL came right on a distance of another
y miles, and landed a t a spot on the GA
III land side of the bay, where the machil
~ now lies, guarded by so men. The /
ventor said during his trial trip that h
ship had a wave-like motion that ma
- him seasick. 1t is this defect that he
VI new remedying.
C. "In another six days the trouble W
y be done away with, and 1t is then his
Il tention to Immediately give the peoI
or of San Francisco a chance to see his m
IT. chine. He will fly right over the city a
ch cross Market street a dozen times. l c
IN not tell where he is housing the ship
ce what his name Is, as l am under pied
nd of secrecy, but It is a fact that the n
i'd, chine does its work perfectly, and v
IL astound the world and revolutionize trs
ed eI when 1t has been displayed before
on public.
les 1.-The inventor can go with 1t to N
M York If he wants to. He has forsaken
ideas of Maxim and Langley entirely
building the machine, and has constru
ed it on an absolutely new theory"
w. In spite of Mr. Collins statement tn
ON are many skeptics who say fatty they
not believe his story. 1t Is almost
credible that an air ship $50 feet Il
Oh could be secreted in any building n
'eu San Francisco without the fact be
1iy made public. The mysterious lights S
1sr over Sacramento, If any were seen
re- thought to have been meteors VIII
rle nassed within the range of vision Of
ere belated citizens who thought they I
'Ss an air ship.
OF OroviIIe Wise Men Silent.
rise Oroville, Cal, Nov. 22.-The rumor
ry the air ship which is alleged to h
'act passed over Sacramento was construC
ur- near this town seems to have a grair
vas truth in It, The parties who could ,
The information II they would. however,
extremely reticent. They give evasive
swers or assert they know absolu
AL nothing about 1t. Not single pei
that saw or knew Of an air ship b.
rnI constructed near here can be found.
vet there is a rumor that some man
,yn- been experimenting with different k
of gas and testing those that are lig
49,, than air. The experiments were n
- some miles east Of the town, and no
eo.o Is able to give any names OF the
,r,' ties. who are evidently strangers, see
,r,a to avoid publicity.
sns lis NOT DR.. FRANCIS HERMf