Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-04-09
SAW THE AIR SHIP.
Vision Presented to a Rock
Island Star Gazer.
MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER PASSES


Moving Body Was Discovered I'm MD
ARA Chance for vasqaished Local
Politicians.
The air ship has been seen in Rock
Island. And . member OF Andy
Etzel's force of star gazers claims to
have been the modern Christopher
Columbus. The blue coat declares
that while pAtrolling his beat in the
east end Of town last night. he heard
q rustic In the atmosphere, and gaz.
ing skyward was astounded by the
appearance of . swift moving mass
that seemed to have IN eye like .
ball of fire. It was not more than
half . mile overhead, the copper as
serts, and was travelling north of
east. 1t was in the early hours OF
morning, and its passage broke the
Silly air Of night like the distant
whiz of an electric motor car. There
seemed to be a glittering steel
hull, with dim wing-like fans on
either side, and it swayed gently in
its fight. The policeman did not
speak the strange traveller. H
was too amazed to give utterance to
sound. and before he fully realized
what had happened he awoke to q
realization Of what had happened, or
had not happened about him.
The Chicago papers of this morn
ing contain dispatches from various
cities in Iowa stating that the mys-
FERROUS heavenly visitor was seen at
different places in the eastern part OF
the state. Between o'clock and
midnight it seems to have followed
the tracks of the main line of the
Burlington, Cedar Rapids & North.
ern railroad from Burlington to
West Liberty. At Cedar Rapids
there appears to be apparently indis.
putable evidence of the ship having
been observed. Reports from train dis.
patchers along the Northwestern road
indicate that the celestial traveller
had been visible at intervals along
the company's line in northern and
eastern Iowa, and these brought il
back as far as West Liberty. wher
trace of it was lost about midnig ht
Still later. or rather at an early houl
this morning, the ship is claimed t:
have been seen at Rockford-that wal
probably after the vision of the Rocl
Island policeman.
The flight of the air ship has bser
q subject Of newspaper comment il
the west for several weeks. First Il
was heard of in Nebraska, then Al
Sioux City and then further east il
Iowa. At Grinnell q mum Der of PEG
pie were badly scar-d. and q mar
sitting In the railway waiting room
will make oath that he saw it. Their
the next Information came last night
Whether or not the ship will hover
over Rock Island az ain with q view
to catching the same policeman OF
the lookout remains to be seen-but
the temptation is great.
Chance For vanquished Politician.
The appearance of the air shil
offers chance for the vapquishe(
republican politicians in Rock Island
They may induce the mysteriou,
ethereal visitor to make landin,
here on its next passage, and thus TAX
them on such . voyage as would Civ,
their troubles ample opportunity T.
air. Ed Wilcox might vary the mo
notony Of aerial travel by relatiu,
stirring war "reminiscences; Bill,
Baker could sing up in q Bal
LOOM" John Scott, 1.-The Lette
that Came too Late;" Dr.
Hollowbush might be induced t.
MARBLE to the twinkling star abou
there being other pebbles on the sky
etc. while all might join in on
yelling chorus. "Say Au Revoir
but not Good Bye" "We'll Stick t
the Shin. Boys" "Again Well Gath
sr Round the Corner" etc.
At oil events we may expect NOR
steadfast lookout in Rock Islam
hereafter for "Ships that Pass Il
tho Might"