The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-17
THE STRANGE AIRSHlP.
an THE WEST ENCITED OYER ITS
MFSrERIOUS TIsITOR.
Shaped LIZ "a Cigar. aud Carrying Eed,
White. aud Blue LightsZNum-
beis Have Seen II.

CHICAGO. ILL. April 16.-The most
puzzQng and interesting question resi-
dents of the Western States nave had 10
deal with for many years IS that of the
so-cailed airship. Many thousands have
seen what they call an airship. or bal
loon. with various col0red lights attached,
but apart from a comparatively few per
sons no one can say he has seen the thing
closely enough to describe it..
For the purpose of asccrtaininG some
thing definite from those who really saw
the stranger IN the clouds 1 have inter
viewed several men. Among those who
talked was Walter Mccain. "a newsdealer
in Rogers Park. who took q snap shot at
the object when 10 was within i've or SIX
hundred feet Of the earth.
l had read for several days about the
airship. said he. Il laughed over it ANA
was skeptical on the subject. ON Sunday
morning. al IaI-pdst nNe o'clock, i saw "A
strange looking object In the sky coming
from the south. IL looked like a big CT
gar. IL came nearer, and ] saw at d
glance that 10 was not a balloon. quick
as a flash realized IL was the much-talk-
"a OF airship.
My boy won a camera not long ago
iu q contest for getting subscribers TO a
paper. To was IN thestOre. nifty feet from
where / stood gazing at the object. 1 ran
MNA EWN DC co" AAAN mug NlNA AN
sky was clear. Conditions favored a good
photograph. A plate was ready. 1 ran
20 Greculeaf avenue and Market street
and got a. good shot at q. with g.. \.
OVerOcker. whose attention was attracted
20 II. / ran down the Northwestern tracks
and We got "a second picture "a Few min
utes later.
"E. l.. Osborne and william HoodIcss
also saw the airship. J am no longer a
akcptic. / distinctly saw the outlines of a
man ia the rear OF the machine. lie pull
ed a revolving rudder. or some sort OF
contrivaI ce which steered the course OF
the airship.
This strange invention came within six
hundred feet OF the earth, as near as /
could estimate 10. The lower portion of
the alrship was thin. and made of some
lLht white metal. like aluminium. The
upper portion was dark. and long, like a
big cigar. pointed m front. and with some
kind OF arrangement in the rear 10 when
cables were attached. The pilot pulled
these and steercd the course from south
TO northeast. We watched the hight OF
the airship until II yer east and disap-
pearcd from view.
Il can swear that I saw the airship. So
can three other men here whose word
stands well I'm this community
That's right came a popular chorus
Of suburbanites. near the counter. Nc
BOTH GOT EXCITED.
Il saw him take the first picture said
G.. A. OvcrOckcr. "and assisted him with
the second. My attention was attracted
by his excited conduct in Greenleaf ave-
nue. al such am early hour looking al the
sky. ] looked and got excited. too
osborne and HOOdless corrobOratc the
story. They say they saw the ship. and
their description talhcs with the photo
graphs taken.
A crowd gathered az West Chicago and
Hamlin avenues. in this city, a point
where the smoke OF the town does not OBJ
ecurc the sky. as a rule. and they watched
the mysterious light for half an hour
last Sunday night. beginning az "a quarter
10 10 o'clock. In the party We're x. w.
Allen. Of No. 17SS west Chicago avenue.
and Or. George Il. Pierce. OF the same adj
dress.
Il really consider myself fortunate"
said Nh. Allen. in being permitted TO see
the mysterious ship. and am willing 10
take an the consequences Of expressing
the opinion that Professor Hough is
wrong. IL ~ not q star. and II has moth
ing 20 do with the solar system. Myself
and half a dozen other men I'm the neigh
bOrhood took special pains 10 note every
manifestation Of the object. and certainly
no star ever acted I'm the manner display.
ed by the lights We saw.
NOT LIKE a STAR.
There was a perceptibie undulation in
its motion. and the dips succeeded one
another ~ about the rhythm or the pu'se