The San Francisco call., 1896-11-25
POSED AEkM tA7AMaRAN FOsUs. lOAsTbf bfFENSE

after dusk travelling rapidly from east to
west until she disappears below the hori-
Zon.
AS soon as the professor heard the story,
shortly after P. NJ, he got out his tele-
scope and had no difficulty in Identifying
the supposed airship as an ordinary,
everyday star.
At 6 o'clock last night or thereabouts
the cry was raised on Market street that
the headlight of the much-talked-of air.
ship was plainly visible at lofty altitude
in the neighborhood of the Chutes. Ex-
cited groups of men and women rapidly
| gathered in every direction and all eyes
began TO scam the skies. Sure enough
bright speck of light was at once distin-
guished high in the heavens and at that
time seeming to be out toward the west in
| line with Market street. After an inter-
| val 1t was noticed that the light had
changed its position somewhat, moving
apparently west and north. Specula lion
ran riot, but the consensus of opinion was
| decidedly in favor of the airship theory, to
which the gradual movement of the light
| seemed TO lend color of proba bility. A
few unimaginative ones were sufficiently
prosaic TO suggest that the light was
merely the star Venus. but the majority
! quickly secuted that suggestion AS absurd
in the highest degree.
1t is safe to assume that Venus has been
acting just as she did last night for many
years past, but never before, as far as can
be learned, has she been mistaken for an
airship.
Mob Hill and various other portions of
the City also had their crowds of heaven
1 W RI " ho hor Sal
Venus in the armament On California
street hill there were the buds and beau
ties of society in elegant wraps and gall
lants equipped with lorgnettes, while near
the water front binoculars were brought
into requisition.
Later in the evening Jupiter, scintillat-
ing brightly east of the zenith, drew the
attention OF thousands in a similar man
ner. Some claimed it was the airship,
which had reached that position by
circuitous route.
But those who had seen what they conf
IDENTIFY asserted were the lights of the air
ship declared that neither of these celes-
tial beacons resembled the lights that had
previously crossed their vision.
| BERKELEY, CAL, Nov. 24-The mys-
ferrous airship or at least big light that
was taken for it. was seen by large num-
Der OF Berkeleyans tonight. 1t appeared
to be lowering ever the bay, and large
crowd gathered at the corner of Center
street and Shattuck avenue to watch it
and speculate as to what caused the light.
The Ship or whatever it was, soon disap-
peared without allowing any of the spec
tators to see more than a moving light
| like that OF a searchlight.
! CHICO, CAL, Nov. 24.-Although dis
credited by many as being hoax and
phantom story. yet there are many people
| who firmly believe in the airship. Last
evening about Z o'clock bright and
sparkling light was seen in the sky west
OF Chico. The light seemed to be travel
ing with great rapidity In porthwesterly
direction. Many people living along Fifth
street were out with craned necks looking
at the mysterious fire. and all who saw
the aerial light will vouch for the GER
tainty of an airship
RED BLUFF. CAL, Nov. 24-Fully
| fifty people in Red Buff are now willing
to vouch for the reality of the airship.
What appeared to be it passed a few miles
west of Red Bluff about o'clock this
evening at an elevation of probably 1000
! feet. In few minutes it fell fully 1000
feet and ali the time vas travelling rapidly
westward. 1t finally disappeared over the
Coast Range Mountains. going in the
direction of Eureka. The light only was
visible and appeared to be about the size
| OF a good -sized arc light.