The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-11-03
Conductor Wilson Says Re
port From Capital Was
Contrary to Facts.
EXPLOSION" A FAKE;
ONLY ENGINE TROUBLE
Believes, Machine Descended
to FH Motor; Conc When
Searchcrs Arrive.

son. conductor. and F. H. Riley. brake
man, OH the Northern Pacific, saw the
elusive airplane near Fort Harrison
Friday morning. beat them into Mis-
soula by almost "a hours, and has since
been denied by the press of Montana,
the two Missoula men stand by the
news carried into Helena Yesterday
morning, but not the garbled report
carried over the wires that the descent
Of the mysterious air traveller was ac-
companied by loud explosion.
The absence Of the explosion part Of
the story makes their report of the af-
fair the more credible and accounts
for the fact that 1900 members of the
garrison at Fort Harrison and a posse
of police could not locate the disabled
craft.
Mr.. Wilson ended his run into Mis-
Soula at midnight last night and gave
this Interpretation of the occurrence:
Riley Saw Il First.
we We're travelling on No. 1916 ex-
tra." said Mr.. Wilson, "soing east into
Helena. We stopped at the foot of
the grade near the fort, as all trains
do. We were there probably II min-
ntes altogether. While ! was in the
caboose making out reports. Mr.. Riley
was tending to his duties on top of the
train. He started for the front end.
and when about four or five car
lengths from the caooose he said he
heard n whirring noise. He had
never seen an airship in his life and
was scared when he saw something
looking like box car flying over his
head. 1t was coming from where the
train stood.
Engine Was Missing.
He hurried back to the caboose and
asked me whether I had ever seen an
airship and told him had, dozens
Of them. Then he told me to come
out quick. l did So and there was the
object going north. We could hear
plainly the chug Of the motor. which
evidently was missing badly. We
stood there for probably four min
utes. watching its outline against Il
bank of white clouds. Finally the
,nachine came down to earth from 40
to so rods from where we were. Riley
wanted to go over to where II was,
but told him that II was probably an
army craft sent up from the fort and
they did not care to have any civilians
know of their maneuvers.
Made Their Eacapc.
This Is the story we carried into
Helena when we arrived there at a:10.
of course the garrison at the fort and
the Helena police could find no trace
Of the airship. The operator or oper-
ators had plenty Of time to remedy
their engine trouble and get away In
the space that elapsed between the de-
scent and the Nme the officers at the
fort were notified. Had the machine
fallen and the motor exploded, as was
reported by the Helena Associated
Press correspondent, there would have
been something there when the garri-
son and police were turned loose on
the scene.
''some people have averred that we
were fooled by an automobile. but this
could not have been. as there was NO
public highway any where near the
point where our train was located.
have seen many an alrship and this
one. for size and general appearance
differed little from any Of them. One
thing we commented upon particularly
was the fact that the machine carried
no lights.
.As far as the psychological part OF
the thing Is concerned, Mr.. Riley had
not bee, on the Helena run for at leas,
six months and knew nothing Of the
reports that airships had been seen
supposedly, over the capital city for
several nights before. We saw tn.
machine and we heard the motor
Consequently our minds are easy
Who Mr.. Wilson 10.
Mr.. Wilson Is well known In Mis-.
soula. He Is an unusually well edu
Gated man. having taught school fol
years. He will be remembered for tn,
clever articles on railroad life which
he has contributed to Missoula news
papers. During the fight Of the rail-
way brotherEoods for the eight hou
day he represented the trainmen q,
publicity director.