, 1897-04-20
GOT EN- At CRIPPLE
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE AT
FLICTED WITH THE AIR
SHIP CRAZE.
One Man Discovers a Message From the
Occupants Of the Aerial Vessel,
Which Reveals u Tale Of Woe-Lost
in the Ether Blue Without Water
to Quench Their Thir-r-r-r-st.

Cripple Creek, April 19.-Cripple Creek
has no only seen the airship, hut has
had a message from it to prove that there
are three men in it, and that they, hav-
ing lost complete control of their ma
chine. are drifting helplessly about in
the ether. The airship was seen on Sun
day by no less TINA 5000 people, many
Of whom had glasses, and who are will
ing to make affidavit that the mysterious
messenger Of the heavens is really a bona
fide airship. The message from it is in
the hands OF James Graham.
On Saturday night, Mr.. Graham, who
is n ~well-known and reliable business
man. was in his barn when he heard
something fall on the roof He went
outside and asked a little girl who was
playing nelr if she had seen anybody
throwing stones at the barn. The girl
replied that she had seen an object fall
on the roo but she did not know where
it came from. Mr.. Graham climbed to
the roof and there found a small sa. line
can stuffed with paper.
He took it down and examined it. On
prying open the can a common sheet Of
writing paper attracted his attention.
He took it into the house and read as
follows:
I'm Mid-air, April Ito Whoever
Finds This Note: There are three of us
lost in an airship. Our names and ad-
dresses are:
&C. J. Pillsbury. $50 Washington
street. Boston. Mass.
pierre Humbert, city engineer, Bos-
ton.
&C. D'Novina, ~ Rue Traffant, Paris.
ION April s last we were on terra
firma. Upon that date we descended up
on a switch on the Missouri Pacific rail-
way in eastern Kansas, named Weeks,
which is about seven miles north OF EN-
poria. We have since been sailing, We
know not where. We are out Of water
and have given up all hope, and we trust
that whoever finds this note will i'm
mediately wire the addresses given"
Upon reading this Mr.. Graham i'm
mediately searched the heavens with his
eyes and thought he detected a bright
speck above Mount Pisgah. AS darkness
was coming on he could not be sure. Mr..
Graham showed his find to number of
people, and now has it ut his house to
exhibit to all interested. He is inclined
to think the message genuine, and does
lot think he has been made the victim
Of n joke. From Mr.. Graham's bust
ness standing here it is known that he
would not himself participate in a hoax
Of this nature.
Yesterday, about 10 o'clock, people on
the streets Of Cripple Creek we're attract
ed by an object about a mile above them
that glittered strangely in the sunlight.
Many got out their glasses. The object
proved to be moving very slowly. 1t
was c%onical, shaped like an immense ci-
gar, and was evidently made Of some
light, bright material, presumably alum
mum. For two hours people watched it,
and it is estimated that 5000 saw it.
Many Of these were emphatic in their
belief that it was an airship. About noon
it had worked itself well over toward the
west and had disappeared behind some
clouds.
While many scoff at the idea OF the
object being an airship many are san
guine that it is one that the note Mr..
Graham received came from it.
The addresses given by the two Bos-
ton parties were wired to. In the case
Of Pillsbury an answer has been receiv-
ed stating that he is missing from Bos-
ton.
Cripple Creek is widely excited over
the affair, and it is the general talk. 1t
is hoped to hear something more def
mite from Boston friends of the alleged
missing men and several interested per-
sons here have wired to know If the
names are genuine and if such men have
been living in Boston.