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This article was published in the daily newspaper The Evening Telegram, Adrian, Michigan, Saturday, April 17, 1897.
Warning: the airship stories must not be taken at face value as "UFO sightings." Evaluation of such stories is under way here.
Various Phases of its Appearance in Hudson
To Some of the Citizens of that Interesting City
A special from Hudson to this paper, conveyed the intelligence that the famous airship had been seen there Thursday night [April 15, 1897] by sundry reputable citizens of that burg. We clip from the Hudson, GAZETTE of this week some private opinions of the matter:
"It's no hoax about that airship," said Gene Knapp, porter at the Comstock House. "We had just drove down to the depot when some of the boys called my attention to the bright red light which seemed to be sailing into town from the west. It looked like a shooting star at first, but when it got down opposite us, on West Main St., we saw a green light about 25 feet from it, and sure, right there before our eyes. We saw the outline of a dark object against the sky, and some of ‘em thought they could see men aboard. It looked as if one of ‘em was trying to wave his hat at us."
Charlie Lane, proprietor of the Hudson House, was one of the party at the depot and corroborates the story. "This is no mariner's yarn," said Mr. Lane to the GAZETTE. "As sure as I live I saw the airship last night. How high was it? About 400 feet from the ground I should say. Shape? Cigar shaped and covered with a canvas canopy. It sailed right along rapidly and easily against the wind, which did not seem to have any effect on it."
"I was near the lake shore," said Mr. Roy Bean, "and can say that the airship, or whatever it was, is an actuality."
Mr. Harvey Loyster was upon West Main St. and while he does not furnish particulars to the GAZETTE, says that the aerial visitor is, O.K.
Ed Southworth and Al Beach had just started for home when the exciting object came into view. Mr. Southworth pointed it out to his companion. When asked how large it was, they thought it was about the size of "Doc" Clement's busted boom. "It was quite a bit larger than the Republican majority in Hudson." Said Plim Gilman, who had just started down Main St.
"Yes sir," said Sid Lawrence, who had just left the lodge for home, "It was certainly 25 feet long, had a rudder, was quite a curiosity. We ought to have it for our next street fair." Chas. Kefuss was leaving his milling office while the air vessel was disappearing over the Main St. Bridge. "It is no fisherman's yarn," quoth he, "I saw it, and I know it from the published accounts in all the papers."
"Purdy" Deems was just rising the hill on the walk opposite the Baptist Church. "What does it mean?" says Purdy. "Perhaps it was that long lost and overdue advance agent of prosperity, an individual who started on the road a long time ago and hasn't got here yet." "I've been in most every State in the Union," says Jim Peck, "but I never saw an airship before. Ours was the original and the only."
Prof. Geo. J. Tripp, scientist and superintendent of the East Side Schools, was questioned concerning the alleged nocturnal visitor. "How do I account for it?" Queried he, "I don't try to. I think it was a star the people saw. I would like to have trained my telescope on it, anyway. That would have settled it. Of course, I didn't see it at all, but how do I account for its moving so fast? Hallucination, some men's minds move faster than others."
Lee Wolcott, Bert Chandler, W. N. Derbyshire and Will Sweezy, a party of duck hunters returning from Mallory Lake, saw the visitor. They say it resembled a whole flock of ducks, but they had no field glasses, and were unable to make it out clearly.
Pittsford. -- The operator here says that the airship sailed over this place at 9:56 last night.
Clayton. -- J. B. Kessler and Arthur Hawkins both say they are positive they saw the airship pass over Clayton last evening.
Cadmus. -- This town is excited over the appearance of the airship last night [April 16, 1897]. It was going due east. One excited individual fired a shot at it, thinking it was a flying dragon.
John Griewahn thinks he has seen the "airship". In the bow of the boat was a man trying to beat John's record of three seconds on the Abbott voting machine, and in the stern was a queer looking individual giving lesson on "how to break freight cars." He could see nothing else on the vessel except Page fence.
