November 17th. Sacramento, California. 100 witnesses, among them George Scott, assistant to the Secretary of State, watched as a bright light moved slowly west among the rainy clouds, 1000 feet above. Scott persuaded some friends to join him on the Capital Dome’s observation deck where they described the three lights below a dark oblong shape. Another report comes from retired streetcar conductor R.L. Lowery who heard from above "Throw her up higher, she'll hit the steeple," only to see two men seated on a bicycle-like frame, peddling furiously. Above them was a "cigar-shaped body of some length," and it had "wheels at the side like the side wheels on Fulton's old steam boat."
November 22nd. Sacramento, California. With his small telescope Jacob Zemansky witnessed an “electric arc light of intense power” from a ‘Airship’ flying out of the northeast, bobbing up and down as it fought the winds for 30 minutes as it flew over the city. Thousands of people witnessed it, among them the city's deputy sheriff, a district attorney, and Edward Carragher, who reported seeing a dark body above the light with his field glasses.
November 22nd. San Francisco. 90 miles west of Sacramento, the ‘Airship’, at least 100 feet long with a triangular tail, its aluminum surface turned dark with exposure, was seen by hundreds, including Mayor James D. Phelan as it cruised towards over the city towards the Pacific Coast and the Cliff House Pool, where its searchlight reached 500 feet down to scare the seals off of Seal Rock.
San Francisco. California. An attorney, soon to be nicknamed "Airship" Collins, claims to be representing the ‘Airship’ inventor from Oroville, California. It ”has two canvas wings 18’ wide and a rudder shaped like a bird's tail." When the inventor never appeared, Collins backed away. Another attorney took his place, claiming that there was now two ‘Airships’ to be used to bomb Havana. William Henry Hart, a former attorney general, stated, "I have not the least doubt that it will carry four men and 1,000 pounds of dynamite." No ‘Airships’ of any make or model have bombed Havana as of this date.
1897
February
February 2nd. Hastings, Nebraska. The ‘Airship’ showed itself again, and was seen February 5th forty miles south near Invale. February 16th it was over Omaha and later a farmer claimed he'd encountered the airship on the ground, under repair. "It is cigar shaped, about 200 feet long and 50 feet across at the widest point, gradually narrowing to a point at both ends."
March
March 26th. Sioux City, Iowa. Robert Hibnight was caught by an anchor dropped from an unknown ‘Airship” 13 miles north of the town. He was dragged over 10 yards, then fell as his clothes were torn.
March 28th. Omaha, Nebraska. 10:30 p.m. The majority of the population observed an object arriving from the southeast. It looked like a huge light flying at an low altitude. A crowd gathered at a street corner to watch as it flew slowly northwest.
April
April. Nashville, Illinois. 8 p.m. An ‘Airship’ sighting, described as balloon-like with a large red light was spotted by many residents.
April 1st. Everest, Kansas. 9:00 p.m. The whole town saw an object descend slowly under the cloud ceiling, then quickly fly southeast sweeping the ground with a powerful light, then rising at a fantastic speed until barely discernible, where it dropped and flew low over the witnesses before vanishing.
April 8th. Rock Island, Illinois. A police officer was startled by the illuminated ‘Airship’ a half mile overhead, described as having "a glittering steel hull, with dim wing-like fans on either side, and it swayed gently in its flight."
April 9th. Chicago, Evanston, Niles Center and Schermerville, Illinois. ‘Airship’ sightings witnessed by hundreds of people.
April 10th, Jacksonville, Illinois. Scores of residents watched the ‘Airship’ pass over the city. "It was seen by all the police officers on duty, the firemen and hundreds of citizens."
April 10th. Rockford, Illinois. Rockford Daily Republic, April 12th. "Trainmen running through there say that the operator says that some stockmen say that some farmers say that the ship had a breakdown near there and came down for repairs."
April 11th. Springfield, Illinois. 400 Miles southwest of Rockford. ‘Airship’ sighting by Richard Schriver, foreman of the county jail, as he watched it for 30 minutes with another man. They described it as "a radiating light not unlike a locomotive."
Apr. 12th. Near Girard, Illinois. 6:00 p.m. A crowd of miners saw the ‘Airship’ land 5 miles south of town. The Chicago-and-Alton Railroad night manager Paul McCramer stated that he came close to the craft to witness a man emerge from the ‘Airship’ to start repairs. Traces were found. The object itself was elongated like a ship with a roof and a double canopy. It left toward the north.
April 12th. Girard, Illinois. 6:15 p.m. 50 or so miles South of Springfield. The domed, cigar shaped ‘Airship’ is seen by Frank Metcalf, Ed Temples and a telegraph operator as it lands near William Street ‘and a man get out and fix some part of the machinery. They started for the place where it had alighted, but within a quarter of a mile it rose and disappeared’ to the north.
April 12th. Lincoln, Illinois. 8 p.m. 100 miles north of Gerard. "More than fifty people stood on Pulaski street and whenever the lightening flashed and the clouds separated" they thought they could discern the airship's light in the distance.
April 13th, Lincoln, Illinois. 8 p.m. 200 people see the ‘Airship’s’ white and green lights as it passed overhead. It was seen over Moline, Illinois 30 minutes later by Benjamin Carr and some farmers as "a cigar-shaped body or hull, apparently about 15 feet long, with large wing-like projections on each side."
April 14th. Gas City, Indiana. 3:00 p.m. An ‘Airship’ lands on the property of John Roush, terrifying the farmers and stampeding the livestock. Six ‘Airship’ crew exited to make some repairs. Before the crowd could approach, it rose rapidly and flew east.
April 14th. Cleveland, Ohio. Joseph Singler, captain of the "Sea Wing," was fishing with S. H. Davis, of Detroit, when they saw on the lake what they thought was a ship, about 13 yards long, with a canopy. A man, about 25 years old, wearing a hunting jacket and a cap, was fishing from the deck of the object. Near him were a woman and a 10 year old child. When the "Sea Wing" came close to the craft, a large, colored balloon rose from the object, which flew up with it to an altitude of about 150 yards and circled "like a hawk" before flying away.
April 14th. Mount Vernon, Illinois. 100 citizens, including Mayor B. C. Wells, saw something that "resembled the body of a huge man swimming through the air with an electric light on his back."
April 15th. Linn Grove, Iowa. Morning. Another ‘Airship’ was seen flying northward, descending to land. F. G. Ellis, James Evans, David Evans, Joe Croaskey, Benjamin Buland rode toward it. About 4 miles north of Linn Grove, they found the craft on the ground, and its two strange, long haired crew who, spotted, made efforts to conceal themselves when they came within 765 yards. The ‘Airship’ "spread its four wings and rose towards the North.
April 15th. Springfield, Illinois. 150 Miles South-East of Lincoln. The ‘Airship’ lands three miles west of the city along Jefferson Street. Farmhand John Halley (or Hulle) and vineyard owner Adolf Wenke (or Winkle) said a bearded man emerged and inquired where they were. "Inside the car was seated another man and also the scientist's wife." He said they were making electrical repairs, rested during the daytime in remote parts of the country in order to conceal the ‘Airship’s’ wings and were told they had flown from Quincy to Springfield in 30 minutes. When asked of his name, "he smiled and pointed to the letter ‘M’ painted on the side car." He bid farewell, pressed a button, and the ship flew off.
April 15th. Kalamazoo, Michigan. The ‘Airship’ reportedly crashes and explodes. "They declare the report to have been like that of heavy ordnance and to have been immediately succeeded by a distant sound of projectiles flying through the air." Although they only heard a crash, it may just have been an explosion heard and nothing more. No debris is described, no wreckage. Just an explosion.
April 15th. Between Howard and Artesian, South Dakota. 9:00 p.m. As reported by the Quincy bound Wabash Line engineer, Joe Wright, as well as the passengers, a red and white lit ‘Airship’ descended and chased his 45 MPH train for 15 minutes between Perry Springs and Hersman, then it flew ahead, and disappeared.
April 15th. St. Louis, Missouri. 7:45 p.m. Dr. Eddie Bullard observed a cigar shaped ‘Airship’ with his telescope.
April 16th. Downs Township, Illinois. While working in his field, Haney Savidge saw an ‘Airship’ land near him. Six people emerged from it and spoke to him for a few minutes before leaving again.
April 16th. Vincennes, Indiana. 9:00 p.m. An ‘Airship’ passed over the city twice on Friday night. According to the Vincennes Morning Commercial, a sphere of gold light was first seen in the vicinity of the Union Depot it travelling along the eastern portion of the horizon. Those near the ‘Airship’ claimed they could clearly see the dark lines of its car, although no passengers were observed.
April 16th. Williamston, Michigan. At least a dozen farmers saw an ‘Airship’ drift in the sky for an hour before landing. Suffering from the heat, the strange, nearly naked, 9’ pilot, exited. "His talk, while musical, seemed to be a repetition of bellowings." A farmer went near and received a hip-breaking blow.
April 17th. Childress, Texas. 1:16 p.m. The Reverend R.W. Smith witnessed a flying glow 1000’ in the sky, heading west.
April 17th. Aurora, Texas. An ‘Airship’ crashed into a windmill, scattering oddly undecipherable debris, papers, and killing the lone, small pilot, who was buried, along with some debris. A lone stone marker decorated with a one of his symbols, a triangle of circles, served as his tombstone. Its been since stolen.
April 19th. Atlanta, Texas. Farmer Jim Nelson witnessed a ‘Airship’ descend and hover above him momentarily.
April 20th. Homan, Arkansas. 6:00 p.m. Capt. James Hooton was hunting when he heard the noise of a steam engine and found an object in a clearing. It looked like a cylinder with pointed ends, lateral wheels, three or four occupants, and horizontal blade over it. Hooton spoke with a man who wore dark glasses and walked behind the craft. The witness was told this was indeed the ‘Airship’ and that it used compressed air for propulsion. Hooton saw the wheels spin as the craft rose and flew away.
April 20th. Longview, Texas. A bright light, possibly the size of Venus, moved swiftly to the northwest, disappeared below the horizon, reappeared emitting a series of steel colored bright flashes.
April 22nd. Rockland, Texas. John M. Barclay went to investigate his barking dog and a high-pitched noise outside and saw a ‘Airship’ circling nearly 5 yards above ground, its blinding lights going dark as it landed. He was met by the pilot, who requested some common hardware items to repair the craft. Paying with a $10 bill, he ascended "like a bullet out of a gun."
April 22nd. Josserand, Texas. Midnight. Awakened by a machine noise, Frank Nichols looked outside and saw a well lit ‘Airship’ land in his wheat field. As he walked towards it, he was stopped by two crewmen asking permission to draw water from his well. Soon he was talking with a half-dozen ‘Airship’ crew and was told how it worked, but he didn’t understand.
April 23rd. McKinney Bayou, Arkansas. Judge Lawrence A. Byrne of Texarkana was surveying a tract of land when he saw a peculiar object anchored on the ground. "It was manned by three men who spoke a foreign language, but judging from their looks one would take them to be Japs."
April 25th. Merkel, Texas. Evening. Church attendants observe a heavy object being dragged along the ground by a rope attached to a high flying, lit-aircraft. The object got caught in a railroad track. After about 10 minutes a small man dressed in a light-blue uniform clambered down the rope, cut it free, and went back aboard the craft, which flew away toward the northeast. The anchor was displayed for a time at Elliot and Miller’s Blacksmith Shop.
April 26th. Hillsboro, Texas. A lawyer witnessed a brillant object fly over, scaring his horse and nearly toppling his carriage. It switched its main light off, revealing a number of smaller lights on its elongated undercarriage canopy as it descended toward a southern hill. An hour later he saw it speedily rise with periodic flashes of light, reach the cloud ceiling, and fly northeast.
May
May 6th. Hot Springs, Arkansas. A rainy night for Lawmen Sumpter and McLenore, who were riding northwest when they saw a bright light in the sky descending 9 miles away. Soon the horses refused to walk as ahead, the ‘Airship’s’ 30 yard silhouette was seen in the clearing as two light bearing Strangers approached. Rifles in hand, the Lawmen called to the Strangers, the younger of which was filling a container with water. They replied that they had crossed the country. Nearby a third umbrella bearing woman passenger waited. The bearded elder Stranger suggested that the Lawmen fly with them "to a place where it does not rain."
