The Airship in Norfolk

Independent Witnesses

Mr. Percival Spencer, the aeronaut of the firm of Spencer Brothers, states:?"These mysterious airships can only be accounted for in two ways. The first and most probable explanation is that they are model balloons, of which a large number are being sold, and which range in length from 25 to 10 ft. Occasionally petrol is used to supply the lifting power to these balloons, and it might give a luminous flame, which would light up the country for miles round, and would have the appareance, at all events to the unsophisticated rustic of a searchlight. Reports of the throbbing of a motor in the airship can only be explained by the assumption that these model airships have been near at hand and within hearing when their vessels were seen. The other theory might be that the aerial vessels which have been seen are two or three of the men-carrying ariships which have been supplied by this firm, and which the owners have been using. We have supplied no less than five during the past season, and of these two have found their way, one to the Easters Counties and one to Cardiff. I entirely ecost any idea that a foreign aerial vessel has crossed the North Sea, knowing as I do the conditions which have prevailed during the past few days."

Quite early on Thursday we received information from trustworthy and perfectly independent witnesses of a something, without body or parts, but with searchlights, having been seen at Wroxham, Catton, and Tasburgh, at times that would correspond, and taking a direction that could be consistent. The first story came from Tasburg, and the fullest enquiries are now being made into it. The next report came from Catton, and the third from Wroxham. The Catton observer, who gives her degree likely to know the Worxham observer, probably never been in Traverse Street or seven miles from Norwich, and Tasburgh eight miles, and the times at which the airship, or whatever it was, was soon, are fairly what one would expect them to be.

Taking them in the order of time we must begin with Wroxham. A well-known gentleman, who lives there, was on his way home on a motor cycle, and had reached the bridge over the river when the light of his lamp went out. This was at about 11.30, probably just before. While he was examining this lamp, what he describes as a flashlight was directed upon him from above and kept upon him for half a minute. He was dazzled by the light and could not see any airship nor did he detect any sound, the ship, in his opinion, being too high in the air for the whirring of the machinery to reach him. That it was an airship he has no doubt whatever, and his opinion in this direction was confirmed when on reaching home his brother told him that while at Sprowston that same night he saw a strange light in the sky, but could not see from where it came.

Mrs. Turner, of 1, Traverse Street, Waterloo Road, Catton, Norwich, called at the office of the "Eastern Daily Press" on Thursday, and said she had seen the lights of the airship on the previous evening and heard the whizzing of the wheels. Mrs. Turner made the following statement:?"I was coming home last night from the theatre. I left the theatre at 11.2, and got to my street about 11.30. As I came into my street a flash of light came on me all of a sudden and made the street look like day. I was by myself, but there were two young people in the street, a youth standing near his bicycle and next to a young lady. I heard one of them say , "What's that?" I could hear noise like the whizzing of wheels. I looked up with there. I saw a big star of light to front and a big searchlight behind. I saw no body of the airship, only saw the light and heard the noise. It was coming from N. N. E., from the direction of the Angel Road School, and flying very low, so low that it would have touched the pinacle of the school had it passed directly over it."

What a bicyclist saw at Tharston

(...)