The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-09
WAS IT AN AIR SHIP?
A REMARKABLE OBJECT FLOATS
OVER WILMINGTON.
Hundreds of People See lit Was Bril-.
Iiant1y Lighted and Moved West-Look.
ed Like 1t Had RiggiDg-Seen in Cities
Out West.


Iiantly Lighted and Moved West-Look.
ed Like 1t Had RiggiDg-Seen in Cities
Out West.
Hundreds of people were out on the
streets and wharves last night, look
ing at a brilliant floating mass in the
heavens to the west of the city. 1t
was moving very rapidly, and many
persons saw network about the aerial
wonde Some of our very best and
most reliable citizens saw so much of
the heavenly stranger that they had
not the slightest doubt but that il was
the air ship which has been reported
from other cities. The ship moved to
the west at a rapid rate. 1t seemed
to have something like a search-light
facing earthwards, and created a SEN
sation among all classes Of people.
The ship appeared TO come from the
ocean and passed opposite Marke
street dock, going in the direction of
the Navassa guano works. Some gen.
tlemen who saw the snip through
field glasses inform us that they could
see wires and ropes and rigging about
it. To the naked eye many colored
lights were visible. Even those who
looked at it without glasses admit of
no doubt but that it was an airship.
OMAHA SEES AN AIR SHIP.
Omaha, Neb., March 31.-During the
last six months an alleged airship has
been observed floating in the heavens
in different sections of this state. For
the last three nights it has been seen
lowering over Omaha. The unusua
occurrence has led to the opinion that
an inventor of a real airship has been
testing his machine in Nebraska pre-
paratory to placing it before the public.
The indications are that john {
Preast, OF this county, is the author of
the mysterious machine, though he
vigorously denies that such is the case.
Preast occupies his time at his country
residence, near Omaha, in experiment.
ing with airships, constructing models.
etc, and has been SO engaged for the
last ten years. Some time ago he told
several persons that he would surprise
the world with q working model in
1897.
There is no doubt that the light seen
in different parts of the state is tha
same, since the descriptions Oy the
persons who nave seen it always agree.
The light is about as large as a loco
motive headlight and it seems to be
turned up or down, right or left at no
Will of some human agenc Sometimes
it is seen rushing through the air at a
very high rate of speed. and again is
observed stationary or moving slowly
through the heavens about half a milo
high. The two times in the last week
that the light has been seen at Omaha
it disappeared near breasts home.
KANSAS CITY STARTLED.
Kansas City, Mo, April 4.-The ligh1
hat appeared in the heavens oven this
city last night was watched for more
tina an hour by thousands of excited
49, III --,rJ +~oa+. ~,
sought places of vantage on bluffs and
houseOps. The light was about the size
of a locomotive headlight, but Wau
brighter and apparently electric. 1t
appeared soon after 8 o'clock on the
western horizon, and swiftly approach
ed the city until it rode in the sky lik,
a wonderfully brilliant star, at an angle
Of about forty-five degrees. Then it
moved rapidly from north to south, dip
ped down toward the earth and rose
again.
AS the light rose it became quite dim.
butWhen it was falling or stationary or
sweeping horizontally it blazed out
brilliantly again. Many persons were
convinced that it was the Search-light
of an airship. About 9:15 o'clock thu
light suddenly grew small and red and
swept off to the horizon in a north
westerly direction and disappeared
About an hour later kilograms from
Everest, a little town in Brown county
Kansas, about sixty miles northwest
OF Kansas City, announced the appear
ance of the same mysterious light that
had puzzled Topekans, including Gov
ernor Leedy and many other cOnspicu.
Gus men, a few night since. one OF
the dispatches said:
AT 9:05 tonight the light appeared
in the southwest so brilliant hat it at
traCted attention almost Immediately.
As the airship came over the city the
fun power of the wonderful lamps Wa1
turned on, and the city was flooded
with light. The entire population was
soon outdoors watching the aerial nav
igatOr as it neared the earth, or with
the velocity of an eagle darted upward
and again in an instant would sail
merely twinkled. Then reversing, it
would sail back over the heads of the
astOnished spectators. For five min
utes at one time it seemed to skirt the
lowest edge of a cloud that hung low
in the heavens. and it was then that
the powerful lights were reflected on
the clouds and the outlines Of a shir
about thirty feet long apparently We're
clearly distinguished.
For one hour and twenty minute
the airship was never out of sight, and
while passing Jack and forth over the
city. it made remaining
stationary at different points. At one
time. while the ship was mOtiOnleSS
Immediately above the throng, with
a clear sky for a background, the light
disappeared and nothing was seen but
a black mass for about ten seconds,
Then the lights flashed out and the
ship moved away to the right. In or
der to vOuch for the accuracy of the
facts set forth, The Times correspond
ent here obtained this affidavit:
This is to certify that we, the un'
dersigned. saw and watched for some
time tonight the movements Of large
and brilliant lights that travelled at va
riOuS heights over this city, and that
We believe the same was seen at va
riOus other points, n believe it to be
an airship.'"
The signers of the affidavit are j. f
Gum. proprietor of the Commercial
hOtel: f. z. Mason. of the roller mills
A.. L. Stout. a capitalist; Cleve Nc
Gregar, of Lyons Brothers, and T. Ell.
lingtCn, all men OF repute.
Kansas City people are nonplussed