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SAW THE AIRSHIP AT CLOSE RANGE

One of the Most Startling Tales Yet Told of the Mystery.

DESCRIBED IT IN DETAIL

Seen by a Son of Professor Gilson of the Normal Training School.

STANFORD BOYS IN THE SWIM

Treated to a View of What They Believe Was the Light of the Midair Cruiser.

Mystery deep and impenetrable still enshrouds the mysterious client of ex-Attorney-General Hart and his tantalizing and equally mysterious officers of the upper air.

From Oakland comes a tale told by the son of Professor Gilson of the Normal Training School that is the most startling yet contributed to the subject. He claims to have seen the aerial wonder at short range and gives what he earnestly asserts is a detailed description of the flier in full flight.

Other interior pilots also send reports of aerial moving lights which are supposed to belong to some aerial craft or crafts.

"I have heard nothing from the inventor of the airship for some days," said General Hart yesterday, "and from the reports received by The Call I have no doubt he is experimenting in the dry and high altitudes of the interior, as he told me he intended to do." This was all the attorney for the mysterious inventor of the equally mysterious aerial craft had to say on the subject yesterday, though he expects to be able to give some additional interesting information in a few days.

SAW THE AIRSHIP

Graphic Tale Told by a Son of Professor Gilson of the Normal Training School

OAKLAND, Cal., Dec. 1.—Case Gilson, a young electrician of this city, declares that he has seen the airship at close range and is able to describe it.

Case Gilson is a son of Professor Gilson, ex-Superintendent of Schools and principal of the Normal Training School. His testimony is supported by other young men who saw the strange aerial navigator at the same time.

"The airship was moving very rapidly from the southeast toward Lorin, and not a light was visible," said Gilson. "It was about 1000 or 1500 feet in the air and looked like a great black cigar with a fish-like tail. If it had side propellers, they were revolving so rapidly that I could not see them. The body was at least a hundred feet long, and attached to it was a triangular tail, one apex being attached to the main body. The surface of the airship looked as if it were made of aluminum, which exposure to wind and weather had turned dark. I saw all this distinctly, and I am willing to take any oath to the truth of what I say.

"The airship went at a tremendous speed. As it neared Lorin, it turned quickly and disappeared in the direction of San Francisco. At half-past eight, we saw it again when it took about the same direction and disappeared. I have studied the subject of airships to a certain extent, and I see no reason why one should not be successful. I know that I was not mistaken about the airship and took a kite for the real thing. It was an airship; of that, I am convinced."

Gilson and his friends saw the airship twice during last Thursday evening at 8 and 8:30 o'clock. The skies were perfectly clear, and a strong northwest wind was blowing. The airship was moving rapidly from the southeast toward the north in the teeth of the wind. No heat was visible, merely the weird, peculiar body silhouetted against the clear skies. Case Gilson, his brother, and the Petan brothers distinctly saw the strange sight, and Gilson describes its appearance very graphically.

Gilson is at present the only person in Oakland who has openly declared that the machine was visible on a clear night. Its previous appearances have been on cloudy, obscure nights when persons may have been misled by taking stars for electric lights and clouds for the shadowy form of an airship. Gilson is also an amateur astronomer and declares that he could not mistake a star or a cloud for an airship.

Percy Drew was another individual favored with a glimpse of the airship. He says it visited Oakland Saturday night. It then carried a red light and moved with its usual quickness. Both young men agree that the ship was of enormous size, measuring at least 100 feet in length.

OVER THE CAMPUS

Skeptical Students See the Alleged Cruiser of the Upper Air

STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Cal., Dec. 1. — Those mysterious lights supposed to be a part of the airship were visible to several students on the campus here last night, about 10:30 o'clock, and their excitement was intense. Most of those who saw the lights sweep across the sky have heretofore been most skeptical about the existence of any such creation as an airship, and it is amusing to note their uncertainty, now that their own eyes have witnessed the peculiar lights.

Among those who saw the inexplicable lights are R. S. Garfield, C. F. Aaron, and H. H. Hindry. Ordinarily, the announcement by some of the students that they had seen the airship would be received with a wink, or a counter remark on "wheels that needed oiling," a comment on the virtue of temperance; but Hindry, Garfield, and Aaron are reputed to be little given to practical joking and absolutely free from any other characteristics that might make their story incredible.

Hindry was rather averse to talking about what he had seen, but as it had somehow reached the ears of all the students, he thought it best to give an account of it. In substance, he stated that he was looking out of his window when someone called his attention to the peculiar antics of one of the lights in the heavens, resembling a very large star or planet. "I watched the light pointed out and thought it was a planet at first, but when the darn thing began to rise and sink and to shoot rapidly from one side to the other, I knew enough about astronomy to know that it was no star or planet. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I really saw what I thought I saw, but when I opened them, it was still there and continued its dartings about for some minutes, though constantly receding and growing dimmer.

"It was high in the air and apparently many miles off when we saw it, and was going in a northerly direction toward San Francisco. I'll swear I don't know whether it was a real airship or a 'fake.' I'm inclined to think it might have been a balloon, but it moved in such a peculiar manner."

R. S. Garfield also saw the light and fully corroborated Hindry's accounts of its appearance and motions. "The light was in a part of the heavens where there was no other large star, and it was so noticeable that I watched it, thinking it a planet and wondering which one it could be. Then it commenced to rise and sink, and a little later flew off at a tangent as though struck by a gust of wind. I called up my roommate and let several other fellows know about it, and we watched it until it faded away in the distance. I wouldn't bet that it was an airship, but if it was not, it was a most ingenious contrivance and gave a very powerful light."

C. F. Aaron is quite communicative about it and is sure he saw, if not the airship, at least the same light that has been exciting the public for two weeks past. Neither he nor any of the other spectators claim they could distinguish any form above or about the light with which it might be connected. All are hopeful that it may be visible again soon to all, for they are receiving an undue amount of guying at the hands of their more skeptical friends.

IN MERCED'S SKY

The San Joaquin Valley Treated to a Sight of the Aerial Lights.

MERCED, CAI, Dec 1. - Merced was treated to a visit last night by the airship that has been provoking so much discussion. A bright, red light appeared in the sky to the west of the town about 8:15 o'clock. Observers at first thought that it was a particularly bright star, but as they watched it the light grew larger and brighter, and other lights showed themselves on the mysterious visitor. It came in from the west, circled to the north over the town, and seemed to rest in its flight about over the center of the business portion of Merced.

Among the observers of the phenomenon were T. M. Edmunds (the Wells-Fargo agent) and J. H. Olcese (a prominent Merced merchant). Mr. Olcese noticed it as he was on his way home and called the members of a dramatic club, who were rehearsing in the opera-house, to see the lights. At that time, the flying wonder was headed for the north and was rapidly passing out of sight, the watchers keeping it in sight until it had grown to be quite a small speck in the darkness.

Some skeptics scouted the idea of it being an airship and maintained that it was a large star, but the light was too large and brilliant for that. Others stoutly declared that it was a balloon sent up by some practical joker, but the light was visible too long for such an explanation. What served to attract the greatest amount of attention was the peculiar quality of the light, which did not present the characteristics of the ordinary electric light or of the gaslights that people are accustomed to. Many who were inclined to be skeptical beforehand are now firm believers in the existence of this wonderful and mysterious visitor.

ABOVE HIGH MOUNTAINS

Two Mysterious Lights Over Robinson's Ferry, Calaveras County.

About the time the airship is said to have taken its flight to the southern part of the state, lights were seen over several localities in the course indicated. According to W. H. H. Hart, the inventor desired to test his ship in the higher altitudes. Whether he went as far east as the foothills of the Sierras is a matter of conjecture. However, P. F. Perryman of Calaveras County claims to have seen the lights of the mystery of the sky, for he sends the following letter to The Call:

Robinsons Ferry, Calaveras County, Nov. 26, 1896.

Five miners here and myself last night saw the two lights, which we believe were attached to an airship. The one light in advance in the direction in which they were traveling convinced me that it was of an electrical character. It would be steady for a while and then die out. The other light, which seemed to be of a different character, containing more orange rays, remained equidistant from the other in its career through the air. Both lights oscillated up and down in passing across our vision in a direction from left to right looking down the river. These lights were a considerable distance off and seemed to be at a considerable elevation. They remained in view but a very few minutes, passing out of sight behind the hills forming the river canyon walls on the right looking down stream. You may use this letter as you please, as it is no fake and I am willing to make affidavit to the facts contained herein.

P. F. Ferryman.