The record-union., 1896-11-22
One WAS seen IN new YORK.
Something Similar TO the Sacramento
What -WaS-It?
The Alleged Flying rlachine Was
Probably What is Known as
the "Ignis Fatuus.''

Incidental to the mysterious aerial
visitor that sailed so gracefully over
the city on Tuesday evening last, and
which has caused so much speculation
as to whether it was a flying machine,
a paper balloon, or stray meteor, the
following from the New York World"
of the 10th may be of interest to some
of our readers. 1t is contained in a
dispatch from Savannah. N Y, and is
headed, Angelic Vision, or Paper Bal
loon?--A Floating Phenomenon Seen
by Score of Citizens in Several Wayne
County Villages" The dispatch reads:
In this Wayne County village and
in the naighboring town of Butler a
vision, said to be that of an angel, has
been vouohsafed to fully score of cit
izens. all of whom admit the fact,
though reluctantly.
The vision was seen November 1st,
but not until this week did the phe-
nomenon become generally known.
Landlord Hutch Newton of the New
ton House, in this village, was the first
to see the alleged angel 1t was then
floating in the air at a hight of about
3UO feet and seemed about a quarter
of mile away. The figure was larger
than an ordinary man, had the tradi-
tional wings, which We're motionless.
and wore shining white robe. 1t
was inclined at an angle of about
forty-five degrees towards the north
east, In which direction it was appar-
emily drifting with the wind It's hair,
which was long and of a golden color,
stood out behind. One foot was Slight
ly' drawn up, in the familiar attitude
of artlstically conceived angels.
Mr.. Newton said nothing Of the Wis
ion for more than a week fearing ridi-
cule, but another observer mentioning
the sight in his hotel he acknowledged
having seen it, Others who saw the
thing are Ernest Everhart of South
Butler, and James Pritchard of Sly
burgh, and there are said to be fully
fifteen others who earlier admitted it,
but have since recanted.
1.-THE figure drifted a distance of
about eight miles, and was last seen
at twilight in Butler, near the Cayuga
County line. One observer who saw
it through field glasses contends that
1T was made of paper, inflated with gas,
and this theory is generally accepted
by the more intelligent, though the
superstitiously inclined shake their
heads
OF course the strange visitor seen by
the New Workers on Sunday night last
was not the same that was seen here
on Tuesday night, as the latter trav-
eled so slow that it was in sight for
more than half-hour. But as that
was about the time the shower of
meteorS was due, it is quite likely that
other places than Wayne County, N.
Y, and Sacramento County, Cal, We're
favored by wandering meteors.
Three weeks ago, or thereabouts, the
Record Union" announced a similar
visitation. On that occasion a ball Of
light mot of fire. came from the west
apparently only a few hundred feet
above the earth, and travelled in a
straight line across the sky north of
the city, finally disappearing in the
northeast. AS. it passed opposite the
CITY, leaving line of light in it's wake,
it separated into several fragments or
balls, one connected with the other by
line of light.
Undoubtedly the light seen here last
Tuesday and the one just referred to
were of the same nature, as we'll as
the one seen in New York, but whether
they were phosphorescent bodies of the
'ignis fatuus" order or shooting stars
is mere conjecture. The former is not
an uncommon thing. Webster thus de-
scribes the 'ignis fatuus":
"Fatuus, foolish; so called in allusion
to it's tendency to mislead travellers. A
phosphorescent light that appears in
the night over marshy grounds. sup
posed to be occasioned by the decom-
position of animal or vegetable sub
stances, or by some inflammable gas:
popularly called, also, 'will-o'-the-
wisp'-a misleading influence, a decoy."