Saw The Air Ship.

Journal de Fort Wayne (Indiana), 15 avril 1897 s1Clark, J.: "airship, Indiana and Michigan, 1897", Magonia Exchange, 24 septembre 2007.

The Mysterious Traveler Hovers Over Indiana.

Seen at Avilla, Rome City, Kendallville and Sturgis  Crowds Turned Out to Watch It.

The mysterious aerial traveler, whose nocturnal peregrinations through the realm of space have been the source of much wonder during the past week, is still going eastward, taking a leisurely survey of the country en route. It was seen a few miles north of the city last night, and country people in Northern Indiana counties and Southern Michigan did not sleep much, but found a topic interesting enough to keep them out of bed for the night. In the towns along the Grand Rapids & Indiana railway the entire population turned out to view the strange visitor, and the scoffers who talked about bad western whiskey a week ago now are wondering whether their home dealers have not been deceiving them in regard to the quantity of their goods. Certain it is they saw the airship last night. Telegraph operators along the line of the Grand Rapids & Indiana began to wire in reports of the airship's appearance, and from 3 o'clock until after 5 the wires were kept hot with messages concerning the mysterious lights. The airship was seen first over Avilla, by Night Operator Whitney. Almost simultaneously Operator Martin, as Kendallville, reported having seen it, and shortly afterwards Operator McMullen, at Rome City, wired in that the ship was over the summer resort, headed northward. Conductor Tom Malone, in charge of the northbound freight train No. 11, wired in that he and his crew had seen the airship's lights, but did not understand her signals. The headlight was all right, but the tail lights were red. Then came a report from Operator Dabberteen, at Sturgis, Mich., saying that he had seen the airship, and that the town was going wild over it. The streets were crowded with promenaders when it first appeared and before long everybody in town was gazing at the lights that seemed to be sailing slowly over the town, apparently about a half a [sic] mile away. There were two lights, a white light in front and a red one behind. It pursued almost a straight course, but now and then swayed slowly from side to side. The descriptions from all these places were alike, and in all the towns where it was seen[,] it aroused the people to an unwonted pitch of interest.