The San Francisco call., 1896-11-19
Sacramento Men Describe
the Airship.
Claim They Saw It's Occupants and
Heard Them i'm COnver=
SatiOn.

topic OF conversation in this city to-day has
been the reported appearance of an airship
over the eastern portion of Sacramento
of people who, failing to catch glimpse
of this mysterious visitanr, are extremely
skeptical, there are hundreds of others
who are positive in their declaration that
they did see its brilliant searchlight trav-
cling over the city, and who will also
swear that they heard the voices of its
occupants and distinguished their merry
song and laughter. Then there are others
who declare that these aerial travellers
used the English tongue, and that they
plainly distinguished the words used and
commands uttered for the guidance and
care OF the air vessel.
In investigating this mysterious vista
ton the local representative of THE CALL
obtained personal interviews with scores
of reputable citizens who reside along the
route passed over by the air craft Many
OF them lived fully mile or two distant
from each other, but their accounts ali
agree.
AS far as can be learned from eye
witnesses, the body Of the craft was OBJ
long and egg-shaped, with fan-like wheels
on either side, whose rapid revolutions,
beating the air, served to propel the vessel
directly against the wind, and in so doing
caused the vessel to sway from side to
side with wavering motion, similar to
that of a boat being forced against the
rapid current of a stream.
Midway of the vessel and suspended
directly beneath it was brilliant search
light about twice the size of an arc light,
evidently so placed that the occupants
could ascertain when the vessel ap-
prosched 100 near the earth and was in
danger of collision with lofty objects.
Above the egg-shaped body lowered a tall,
indistiaguishabI mass, whose Shape it
was impossible to ascertain. owing to the
fact that the onlooker's eyes were blurred
by the brilliancy of the searchlight.
Such is the description of the vessel
given by R. L. Lowry, who also claims TO
have been able to distin guIsh four men,
who were seemingly engaged in propelling
after the fashion of bicyclist driving his
wheel over a boulevard. 1t is also claimed
that bysiander in the vicinity of Mr.
Lowry shouted to the men in the aerial
vessel and inquired their destination, and
that they replied they were bound for San
Francisco and intended arriving by II
o'clock-midnight. This, however, could
not be verified, as no one appeared to
know the name OF the reputed inter-
rogator.
j. II. Vogel, who claimed to have been
in the same ioca lity, also states that the
vessel was egg-shaped, and that he dis
tinctly heard the voices of its occupants.
but says that as the vessel was rapidly
rising he was unable to distinguish any
words. and that after q brief glimpse of
the body of the airship it faded from view
and all that was visible was the brilliant
searehlight, which moved slowly away in
southwesterlt direction, going toward
San Francisco. and being visible for up
ward of thirty minutes. growing more and
more dim, until 1t disappeared in the dis
tance.
E. Wenzel, who is employed at Scheld' S
Brewery, verihes the stories of Vogel and
Lowry as to the shape of the vessel, but
claims that when it passed over him the
occupants were trolling a merry choru
which. though distant. sounded sweet and
clear in the evening air.
The first person who. as far as can be
learned, caught glimpse of the reputed
airship was David Carl, horse-trainer at
Agricultural Park. When he first caught
sight of the craft it was within short
distance of the ground, and he states that
he heard a voice saying:
1--WE are too low down here; send her
up higher"
Then discussion followed as to the ad-
visibility of attaining too great height,
as The occupants were evidently anxious
to reach San Francisco before midnight.
He stated that the vessel then started to
rise, doing so on an incline and not
going directly up as would be the case had
ballast been cast from balloon. He had
no, idea, however, that it was ANYTHING
but a balloon and had never even thoueht
OF the possibility of an airship. He was
positive in his declaration that it con-
tanned at least two occupants, as he could
clearly distinguish two voices discussin,
the strata of air best adapted for rapid
travelling.
T. P. de Long when interviewed said
IL could not distinguish the shape of III O
vessel. All l could see was brilIian.
light moving seemingly against the wind.
but could plainly bear the voices of its
occupants, who were singing, and it
sounded to me like the noise produced by
a phonograph. At this time | should
judge the vessel was several hundred feet
high"
Frank Ross, assistant superintendent of
the electric streetcar system. when inter-
/ viewed said: 81 did not see the form of
the vessel nor did / hear the voices OF its
occupants, as l was not informed until it
had passed my residence. All that saw
was a brilliant electric searchlight, ap-
parently twice the size and power of an
ordinary arc light, which was being pro-
PEELED through the air by some mysterious