The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-05
AIRsHIP OR PHENOMENON
Strange Light Seen in Kansas
and Nebraska.
FLOATS In THE SKIES NIGHTLY
For Three Months 1t Has Been OBJ
served by Numbers of People.
Hangs From "a Canoe-Shaped Bag.
Believed to Be the Invention of IL
German Named John Preast.

Omaha, Nebr., April 4.-The supposed
airship that has been floating around in
the heavens above Nebraska for the last
four months is causing the most ami
mated discussion just at present. There
is no disputing the fact that either there
have been some very unusual atmospheric
disturbances visible throughout Nebraska
or else a number of artificial lights con-
troTled by human agency have been ex-
hibite1 from time 70 time in the sky at
night.
The opinion is becoming quite general
that some inventor of IA real airship is
experimenting with his machine in this
vicinity at night for the purpose of AVOID
ing detection until the invention is per-
fected Too many people have Witnessed
these peculiar lights and vague outlines of
a foreign body OF gigantic proportions in
the heavens to attribute them to the
distorted imagination or the befoggcd
faneies of people who have been inbit-
ing too freely
For three months these reports came
from the interior of the State. They all
the lights, the manner in which they
We're carried swiftly through space, and
other details that indicated that the same
object was attracting the attention of
many people. Then these lights were
seen in Omaha by several people, and
now the belief is quite general that an
airship really has been invented.
The inventor OF the mysterious vessel
is by most people supposed to be John
Preast, who lives three miles north OF
the limits OF the city OF Omaha. PTeast,
however, denies that he has anything TO
do with this mysterious light, though ne
admits having experimental for years
on airshins, and his Louise is filled with
all kinds of models OF monsters of the
air which are expected To develop power
to carry them through space swiftly.
Preast is highly educated German, who
has resided alone at his present home
for twenty years Many look upon him
as a crank, beCaus2 sfle htts gwen his time
wholly to the study of mechanics as applied
to vessels that may sail through space. So
well known has he becoIae on account OF
his hobby, and SO interesting is his col
lection of airship models, that he has OF
late years charged a smah admission fee to
his place His airshifJs are OF every con
eeivabie design, but Preast declares that
he has no practical invention. But every
time the lights have bern seenintheheavens
around Omaha they have disappeared di-
rectly over the old Pfeast homestead
Only the most vague description of the
vessel carrying the lights can he secured
in Omaha, because, while, many say they
saw the lights, H~w admit that they saw
An ythfng else - may ne accounted for
on the theor .tlE = every time the lights OF
the supposed ship have been seen it has
been on a very dark night This is given
as another reason for believing in the new
invention, because the author would select
such night TO fly machine which he
wanted TO keep secret.
On the night OF March IA the lights
were seen In South Omaha. The thing
flashed into view about $3.50 o clock. 1t
appeared to lie coming from the south
east 1t had the appearance OF big
engine headlight, and floated off toward
The west and the north. and finally ais
appeared behind some buildings 1t was
in sight half an hour Among those who
saw the strange object was j j. Copen-
harve. who is cumpositor, and no lives
at Twenty-six tn and II streets, South
Omaha. MIR. Copenharve was going home
from church at the time. He, with several
others, saw the object very distinctly, and
could not be mistaken.
We thought at first that it was a
balloon,'' said Mr. Copenharve. If there
is such a thing as an airship, however,
/ believe now that il was one. There
wasa bright light about footin diameter,
and some OF us who saw it thought we
could distinguish some dark body below
the light. but we might have been mis-
taken in that
Mr. Copenharve and his friends are not
the ouly people in South Omaha who saw
the stranger. Some railroad men working
in the north end Of the railroad yard
near the Burlington switch shanty saw it,
1t had then altered its course and was
sailing toward the northeast. The men
watched it until it disappeared That was
the second time that the visitor had APP
peared in South Omaha. The thing showed
itself couple of weeks before. All that
could be seen was big light that burned
very steadily. Nothing more definite could
be distinguished On the occasion of that
visitation the object caused good deal OF
speculation.
Last Sunday night the ship again APP
peared and was seen by number of
Omaba's reputable citizens. 1t came in
sight about the time that church was over,
and in half an hour had trayersed the
heavens and had once more disappeared
1t was seen by people in all parts OF the
city. This time the airship came into
view in the southeastern portion of the
horizon.
1t was in the shape of big red light,
too big for balloon, and glowed steadily.
1t sailed over the city 10 the northwest
and then disappeared behind the bluffs.
1t moved very slowly and seemed to be
quite near the earth. Nothing but the
light was visible. A big crowd of people
watched the trip of the visitor at Twenty
fourth and Lake streets, and specialized
upon it. In this crowd was Herman Mat
thes. an employe of the Bee, who is quite
positive that the thing was not star.