Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-08-11
What WAS IT?
Augusta Citizens See
Strangeughts Overhead.
Some Pronounced Il an Air.
ship ---0thers Were Doubtful
Lights Seen in Other Sections..'
Probably a Meteor.

Maine We're considerably stirred up
Monday evening over the prese nee of
an aerial visitor which traversed the
heavens from west to east and was
seen by many but which finally disap-
peared beyond the horizon without it's
identity being established. Just what it
was cannot be said. Some thought it
was an airship, others a meteor and
still others comet. but the majority
of those who saw it were willing to let
it rest that they had seen something
making light in the heavens, and do
not try to account for it.
The first report that was brought in
to the city regarding the strange visi-
tant was from w W. Morse Mr.. Morse
had been cut To Granite Hill on a little
business trip Monday evening and was
sitting on the platform of the station
waiting for car when his attention
was attracted to light moving across
the sky, from southwest to northeast.
1t was about the size of star and of
the same color, and was moving at the
rate Of about 10 miles an hour Mr..
Morse is not close student of astron-
omy. but he knows enough about the
science to know that no star ever act
ed in the manner of the light that he
was at that time watching.
In speaking of the phenomenon last
evening he said that it was in sight for
about five seconds. but later admitted
that the time might have been 10 sec
onds and finally said that he did not
krow how long he saw it. as a man
would lose all run of time in the face,
,ol,
he watched the light, he said. he saw
another a short distance from it, and
the thought came to him that it might
be an airship and that it had changed
its course so that both lights showed
instead of one as seen at first The
lights were both of the same color,
however. and not the red and green of
stan board and port so that if it was an
airship the navigator was violating
United States law. Mr.. Morse has not
ascertained what it was he saw, but It
is understood that he is still clinging
to the airship theory
Another Augusta citizen who saw the
lights is Col. F. w. Plaisted, who is
pasSing the summer at cottage on
Welch's point. Cobbosseecontee Col
PlalSted saw them at about 9 o'clock
in the evening. They were then a short
distance apart and crossed the lake
from the west to he,.east shore, going
at the rate of about 10 miles an hour
and appeared to be perhaps mile high
N the air. They kept the same relative
position and he watched them until
they disappeared behind the woods on
the east shore of the lake. He was at a
r., lni. ba
or or not they indicated the presence of
tn vehicle of some sky pilot he could
not say.
Another place at which they saw the
lights was down at Mere Point, Harps-
well. where they appeared at about 10
O'Clock and caused no end of excite
ment among the summer people of that
resort. Shortly after that hour two
strange lights We're noticed in the west,
apparently coming towards the Point
At first little was thought Of them, but
they continued to come nearer and
nearer. all the time becoming larger
and brighter. At times the lights would
be extinguished, but would soon reap
pear. Some thought that the lights
were due to atmospheric conditions, but
there was little upon which to base
this. The lights would be high in the
sky. then drop lower. going up and
down with irregularity Strong night
glasses were used with little result
The news that an airship was pass
ing by the Point spread very quickly,
and many who had retired for the night
dressed and came out to see it fly past.
They continued to go almost due east,
passing over Harpswell at about II
o'clock. AS long as any sign of the
llghts could be seen almost everybody
on the point remained out of doors and
watched
But Manchester and Harpswell were
not the only places where the people
became suddenly interested in star gaz-
ing Monday night for away up in
Skowhcgan people got their eyes on the
evening visitor. 1t came along at about
O'Clock and the concensus of opinion
in that town was that the thing was
comet. The description given was that
it consisted Of two parts and was lack
ing in the tail. which vas barely visi-
BILE. 1t stretched along the sky from
west 10 east, working along in hori-
zontal position and was visible for
about minute.
No airships have been reported miss
ing and none We're seen blowing the
and everything considered it is proba-
BILE that the Skowhegan theory is lit
tie nearer right than any which has
been advanced, although it is more than
proba BILE that the visitor was a meteor.