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This article was published in the daily newspaper The Evening Telegram, Adrian, Michigan, Friday, April 16, 1897.
Warning: the airship stories must not be taken at face value as "UFO sightings." Evaluation of such stories is under way here.
Special to the TELEGRAM: Hudson, April 16 -- Hudson never does anything by halves. Our people keep right in the swim. Consequently, the air ship has struck this city. Last night about 11 o'clock a party of 25 people, responsible, and worthy of belief, were on their way from a party to supper. Suddenly some of the party noticed a strange looking object in the heavens somewhat toward the west. The knowledge of the discovery was imparted to the rest of the crowd and for nearly an hour they watched the strange navigator in the sky. It was evidently the air ship, and appeared to be a cigar shaped object, carrying yellow lights in the bow and the stern. The airship seemed to have some sort of mechanical arrangement at the side to propel it, although it did not appear to be wings. At the stern the spectators seemed to think they saw a steering apparatus. The air ship moved from the west in northerly direction and was an object of great wonder. At one time it was so close it appeared to be only about 500 feet high and looked as if it were eight to ten feet in length. But this is only conjecture, as it was impossible to judge of the height. The bright moonlight helped to make the object very plain to view. The spectators were so much impressed with the sight that they aroused Prof. George Tripp, the astronomer, who tried to get a view of the air ship, but before he got his telescope in shape, it had disappeared to the north. They did not notify him soon enough. He is quoted, as saying it was not a star. The air ship is the talk of the city today, and as the party had not indulged in anything stronger than mineral water, their story receives much credence.
