That "Airship"

The Champaign Daily Gazette de Champaign (Illinois), vendredi 16 avril 1897

It Still Makes the People Talk And Wonder and Speculate

Scores of Champaign and Urbana people were out scanning the heavens, between showers last night, in hope of getting a glimpse of the mysterious air-ship; but it must have been taking a vacation, for it was nowhere to be seen. That the object, whatever it might be, was visible here Wednesday n1[14 avril] night, there cannot be the least room for doubt, for as was stated in yesterday's Gazette, a number of people in both Champaign and Urbana saw it appear from the northeast and disappear in the southwest. "It must have been a balloon or something of that sort," said one of the persons who saw it, "for I am satisfied that it could not possibly have been a star." The same light was seen at a number of other towns, a dispatch being sent out from Arcola that it was seen passing over that city early in the evening. J.H. Percival, who lives near Savoy, saw it pass over his farm and jumped on his horse, riding to this city to tell of it, only to find that a number of people here had seen it.