Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-14
CHICAGO's MYSTERIOUS APRIL
LIGHTS EXPLAINED.
AN INVENTOR TELLS THE TALE.
SAYS HE WAS THE AUTHOR OF THE
COLORED BALLS OF FIRE.
Was Experimenting With a Newly In
vented Device and Has Keep.
Quiet Until Now for the
Protection of His Pat-
eht Rights. a,

Chicago. June 13.-A mystery of two
months standing was solved yesterday,
when Captain Joseph O'Donnell, expert in
pyrotechnics, confessed that he was the
author of the floating red and green lights
which hundreds of sober citizens were
ready to swear were the signal lights OF
an airship passing over the lake to the
north of the city in April last.
1t was the sight of Captain O'DonneIl's
lights moving like phantoms across the
darkened sky that made the learned as
tronomers. too wise to believe in flying
machines. declare that a certain star of
a peculiar color was cutting didos in the
heavens.
Nothing was further from the intention
of Captain O'Donnell, he declares. than TO
create the stir he did. He produced red
and green lights that looked for all the
world like glowing switch lanterns swung
below the clouds, at intervals of a few
minutes. for over two hours. utterly OBJ
livious of the fact that the city roofs were
covered with gaping citizens and that the
students of a great university were clam
oring for their astronomer to take off his
nightcap. mount the observatory and ex-
plain celestial phenomenon to them.
When the captain read the papers the
next morning he saw that he had set a
whole state by the ears, but for CONNER
peace. enjoying the while the various ex-
planations that were put forth for the ap-
pearance Of the floating lights.
Captain Joseph ODOnnell lives IN VIII
mette. He was Pains assistant in the fire.
works line, and while engaged in the man.
ufecture and display of combustibles he
ey Clved an idea for something new in pyro-
technics which might be put to practical
use.
1t was the final experimenting with his
perfected machine that April night in Will
mette which gave rise to the airship stor-
les
morning what had puzzled the good people
the night before" said Captain O'Donnell
yesterday, was because If had published
anything in detail about my machine It
would have jeopardiZed my patents. l am
no: ready to tell yet just to what use my
devices are to be put, but people may rest
assured that they saw nothing in the sky
that night stranger than two balls of red
and green fire, which hung out at re-
curing intervals some 500 feet above the
earth"
serds up small balls which enlarge and be-
come illuminated only when they have
mounted to a great distance in the air.
There they suddenly become a vivid green
ard red and float on slowly and horizon
tally into the darkness. glowing steadily
and appearing exactly as one would expect
signal lanterns to look. The lights die out
after some minutes of burning. and when
this would happen on the night OF the tests
machine and send up two more balls which,
when they had reached the required height.
cesSOrS.
IL was this constant appearing and dis
appe airing of the lights. their horizontal
movement, and the fact that they emitted
no spark while ascending, thus giving no
idea of an earth commotion, which made
people certain that an airship was floating
above and that intervening clouds occa-
sionally shut OF its lights.
The apparatus which discharges these
fire balls is absolutely nolseless, and this
coupled with the fact that the captain and
his assistant worked the machine from
within a tight board Enclosure, accounts
for the fact that none Of the inventor 3
reighhors discovered the secret OF the ex-
periments, nor were they enabled to laugh
the next day at the flying machine theory.
The lights, when glowing at their bright
est can be seen, the inventor says, for a
distance of nearly thirty-ive miles, which
accounts for the fact that the people Of
Kenosha on the north and of Hammond on
the south were given a chance to specu-
late on the nature of the queer fiery vis-
itor which was flashing above their hor-
iZon.