Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-23
SAY THEY SAW AN AIR SHIP
California People Greatly Bxo',ed Over a
Supposed Invention,
GREAT SECRECY IS BEING MAINTAINED
Attorney Collins of san Francisco,
However, Says the Inventor Is
Ills client ana Partly De-
sCribcS the Machine.

SAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 22.-The Chronicle
prints a story which would indicate that the
air ship in practicable form is an ostab-
ished fact, About 1 o'clock last Monday
morning the inhabitants Of Sacramento, who
were astir at that hour, claim to 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
a cigar-shapcd flying machine, and heard
human voices from 1t. The residents Of
Oakland also say they saw the same sight a
few nights ago. The story OF the mys-
terious air ship has been told all over the
state. and has created considerable amuse-
ment, as it was generally believed to be
hoax. The Chronicle this morning prints an
interview with George d, Collins, reputa-
bic lawyer of this city who says that the
air shin Is n reality.
Attorney Collins says: at Is perfectly
true that there is at least a successful air
ship in existence, and that California will
have the honor of bringing II before the
world | have known of the affair for some
time, and am acting as attorney for the in
ventor. He is very wealthy man. who
has been studying the subject OF flying ma
chimes for fifteen years, anl 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 Sc
cured hia patent but his application Is now
In Washington. | cannot say much about
the machine he has perfected. because he Is
my client, and besides he fears that the ap-
plication will be stolen from the patent of
flee If people come to know that his inven-
tiOn is practicable.
81 saw the machine one night last week
at the inventors invitation. 1t is made OF
metal, is about 150 feet long, and is built
to carry fifteen persons. There was no mo-
tive power, as far as could see; certainly
no steam.
at is built on the aeropane system. and
has two canvas wings, eighteen feet wide
and a rudder, shaped like Il birds tail The
inventor climbed into the machine, and
after he had been moving some of the me-
chansm for a moment. ] cav the thing be-
gin to ascend from the earth very gently.
The wings tapped slowly as it rose, and
then a little faster. as ii began to move
against the wind The machine was under
perfect control all the time
when 1t got to a height of about ninety
feet the inventor shouted to me that he
was going to make series of circles and
then descend. He Immediately did so, be
ginning by making circle about 100 yards
in diameter, and then gradually narrowing
II until the machine got within thirty feet
of the ground. 1t then fell straight down
very gracefully. and touched the earth as |
lightly as a falling leaf
THE reports from Sacramento the other |
night were true 1t was my clients air
ship that the people saw. 1t started from |
Orovile, in Butte county, and flew sixty |
miles in a straight line directly over Sac |
After running up and down once !
or twice over the capital my friend came |
right on a distance of another seventy |
miles and landed at spot at the Oak |
land side of the bay, where the machine |
now lies, guarded by three men. The in
ventor found during his trial trip that his !
ship had wave-like motion that made him
seasick. 1t is this defect that he is now
remedyng ,...
I'm another six days the trouble will be
done away with, and it is then his intention
to Immediately give the people of Sar
Francisco a chance to see his machine.
He will fly right over the city and cross
Market street a dozen times. ] cannot tell
you where he is housing the ship or what
his name Is, as | am under a pledge OF
secrecy, but 1t Is fact that the machine
docs IFS work perfectly, and will astOund the
world and revolutionize travel when 1t has
been displayed before the public The in
ventor can fly with 1t to New York tomor-
row If he wants to.
"He has forsaken the ideas of Maxim +
and Langley entirely in building the ma
chine and has constructed it on an abso-
lutely new theory"
In spite of Mr. Collins statement there
are many skeptics who say fatty they do
not believe his story. II is almost incred-
ble that an airship $50 feet long could be
'ecreted in any building near San Fran
cisco without the fact being made pub
ic The mysterious lights seen over Sacra.
mento, If any were seen. are thought to
have been meteors which passed within
'ange of the vision Of belated citizens, who
thought they saw an airship.
OROVILLE. Cal, Nov. 22.-The rumor
hat the airship which is alleged to have
passed over Sacramento was constructed
lear this town seems to have a grain OF
ruth in It, The parties who could give
Information il they would, however. are ex-
remely reticent. They give evasive an.
'wers or assert they know absolutely moth
ng about 1t. Not a single person that
Jaw or knew of an airship being constructed
lear here can be found, and yet there is
rumor that some man has been expert
nenting with different kinds of gases and
esting those that are lighter than air. The
experiments were made some miles east of
he town, and no one is able to give any ,
lanes of the parties who are evidently
trangerS seeking to avoid publicity.
Florence Man BADLY Hurt.
Ed Clarke, an employe of the American
Water Works company at Florence while
Irving in the vicinity of Sixteenth ana Web ,