Source

The Heavenly Mystery

The great and mysterious aerial vessel that has thrown north Texas and many parts of the country into a state of excitement and commotion was first seen sailing over Kansas, but the stories about it did not excite much attention. Since then, however, the mysterious stranger has been seen in many parts of the country, and Friday night last reputable citizens in scores of Texas towns had a view of the aerial vehicle. It has traveled over Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Louisiana, and other states, and everywhere has excited great curiosity and in some places provoked consternation.

On Friday night, April 0, the strange light skirted over the northern border of Chicago and could be seen, according to the numerous reports of residents in that neighborhood. A great crowd gathered at the corner of Milwaukee and Oakley avenues and gazed at the object, trying to figure out to their satisfaction what it might be. It was an "airship" for lack of a better name to designate it by, but most were skeptical about the identity of the "manifestation." It was said the object looked very much like a balloon, but the "red light" was plainly discernible. Many of the people mounted the roofs in the neighborhood, and all the field glasses in the vicinity were called into play. Among those who reported seeing the lights were Max Christianson, 1552 Milwaukee Avenue; Joseph Starvcitch, 1480 Milwaukee Avenue; George Nicholson, 1480 Milwaukee Avenue; L. Wickert, clerk in Keats' drug store, 1489 Milwaukee Avenue.

It passed over Chicago, going eastward and disappeared about 12:45. It carried a strange green light, which was seen by thousands of people.

Professor G. W. Hough of Dearborn Observatory, Northwestern University, took an interest in the "airship" rumors and advanced the opinion that the strange light was caused by the effect of the atmosphere on the star Alpha Orionus, which is of the first magnitude and is in the constellation Orion. It rises early in the evening, and its course across the heavens is about the same as that of the moon. In Chicago, it is first visible about 7 o'clock this time of the year. It reaches the zenith, he says, about the time when the mysterious phenomenon described as an "airship" was seen that night. The professor says the star is unusually bright in a clear atmosphere and appears to be close to the earth. The star gradually disappears during the evening, and as it grows dimmer, the effect of the atmosphere causes it apparently to change color.

On the same night that thousands of people in Chicago saw the "airship," red, white, and green lights high in the heavens warned the citizens of Evanston that the Kansas airship was sailing over that suburb. The lights were first observed by Robert Lowen, a jeweler's clerk, living at 102C Sherman Avenue. It was a few minutes after 8 o'clock, and hundreds of Evanston people saw the light.

On the same night at Lake Mills, Wis., at 10 o'clock, it was seen by many people. It was visible for about ten minutes and then disappeared behind some trees.

At Wausau, Wis., on the same night, what was supposed to be an airship was seen passing over that city at about 10 o'clock. Lights could be distinguished from a dark object far up in the heavens, which had the appearance of being shaped like an egg. It was viewed there by at least fifty persons.

On the same night, a large number of people at Solon, Iowa, saw the mysterious visitor, and on the same night at 2:05, it was seen at Marion, Iowa, by the night operators of the Western Union Telegraph Company and others. It appeared to be about 500 feet above the ground. The outlines were distinctly visible against the sky. The ship gave out two bright lights of an electric glow.

At Mount Carroll, Ill., hundreds of people, about 8:30 o'clock, saw the strange visitor. It came from the northeast, and when opposite Carroll changed its course and went due west at a most terrific speed. It appeared to be oblong in shape and carried a red light. In length, it appeared to be about 10 feet long and some two or three feet high. Many people saw it in various parts of the city.

In Texas

The strange craft seen at many points in North and East Texas Friday night has thrown those parts of the state into a whirl of excitement.

Col. R. N. Burt, cashier of the National Bank of Ladonia, Texas, saw the craft, or whatever it is, last Friday night. His description varies very little from that of others, only that it appeared much larger to him, as he says that it seemed to be about 300 feet long, its wings being enormous and looking like huge sails. It seemed to hover for a short time over the city and then rise and go rapidly in a southwesterly direction.

At Farmersville, Texas, Friday night, as reported in the Dallas News, about 9 o'clock a dim light was seen in the northwest, apparently moving slowly to the south or southeast. When first seen, it did not look larger than an ordinary star, but people soon discovered that the object was approaching the city. It traveled at the rate of sixty or eighty miles an hour. Some thought it to be a cloudless tornado, and those who had storm houses lost no time in getting into them, while the more unfortunate waited and watched the result of the approach of the queer object. In a very short time, fully two-thirds of the citizens of the city were out looking at what they then supposed to be a large planet or meteor approaching the earth. In a few moments, in fact, in less time than one can tell it, the queer thing was almost hanging over the city. City Marshal Brown was in the western part of the city making his rounds before going home and says the ship or balloon passed over him about 200 feet from the ground. Mr. Brown says he could see two men in the ship and something resembling a large Newfoundland dog. Mr. Brown says he was close enough to hear them talking but could not understand one word of their language.

Mr. Walter L. Norwood, an undertaker at Galveston, had a professional call about 3 o'clock Saturday morning, and he says he and his driver, Bob Tevis, saw the airship. He said to a Galveston News reporter: "The moon was shining brightly, and we could see almost as plainly as in daylight. There was not a cloud in the sky. When we were out on the beach not far from our destination, I happened to look up and saw the thing. It moved to the eastward down the beach, following the line of the beach as closely as one would do in driving a buggy. We stopped and watched it. When down about the end of the island, it turned and followed the bay front until about Tremont Street when it turned and went south out over the gulf, disappearing in the distance." It was pointed at both ends, according to Mr. Norwood's description, and the headlight was directly in front. It looked like a great big bird, with wings flapping regularly, and it traveled swiftly.

Statesman's Mystery Man

The mystery man of The Statesman heard yesterday that Mr. R. H. Cousins had caught a glimpse of the mysterious ship Friday night, and Mr. Cousins was seen about it.

"No, I saw no ship," he said. "I stepped out into my yard and my attention was attracted by a moving light, which appeared to be some distance above the earth, not far from the residence of Mr. J. W. Graham. I at first thought it was a meteor, but I soon discovered it moved too slow for a meteor. The light was not very large. I think, possibly, I could have covered it with my hand. I watched it as it moved and it passed over and down in the direction of Shoal Creek. I saw no dark object nor anything that resembled a ship; I saw nothing but the light, and at the time thought nothing about it."

The story, as reported, was that Mr. Cousins had seen a large ship-like shape with the light attached to it.

To the Statesman's gang last night, the mystery man, to the utter consternation of the boys, gave it as his unalterable opinion that there was something in this airship business.

"Where there's so much smoke, there must be some fire," he said. "So many reports, from so many different points, cannot be fabrications. People may say what they will, but there's something in it."

The gang was visibly moved.

"It is my opinion," continued the mystery man, "that the airship, so-called, is nothing more nor less than a reconnoitering aerial war car from warlike Mars, investigating the conditions of the United States to see what reinforcements we'll need when the country is invaded by the allied armies of Europe. The Mars soldiers have no confidence whatsoever in the American jingoes as real fighters."

"With these soldiers of Mars cavorting around over our heads, do you think there is any danger to us on Earth?" asked the gang in concert.

"I most emphatically do. Last Thursday night, one of their aerial boats exploded, and scraps of steel and pieces of electric wire were found on a schoolhouse, the roof of which workmen were repairing. They heard an explosion during the night, and just before it took place, the aerial vehicle was seen sailing through the air. There is great danger in venturing out these nights. What if one of those fellows from Mars should tumble out and fall on you?"

The city editor and telegraph man were profoundly impressed, and last night they slept under a table in the editorial rooms.