The San Francisco call. [volume], November 28, 1896, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME LXXX.-NO. 181.
IT FLITTED OVER SAN JOSE,
Aerial Lights Cross the
Vision of Prominent
■'. Residents.
THEIR APPEARANCE MOST
VIVIDLY DESCRIBED.
Hart fakes Some of His
.: Professional Friends Into
: : . His Confidence.
ATTACHES A BALLOON TO THE
WARSHIP OF THE AIR.
The Public May Be Given an Aerial View of the
Great Mystery of the Day at a Pre
arranged Time and Place.
' Interest in the great aerial mystery continues without sign of abatement. It still
. furnishes the main theme of discourse in all circles. Many are ready to make oath
■and stake all their earthly possessions that a veritable flying-ship has been hovering
;abore the earth in this vicinity, while the scoffers are also in evidence, equally vocif
erous and insistent.
As yet, however, nothing has transpired that can be accepted as either positive
proof or disproof of the existence of an aerial voyager, operated and controlled by
hnruan Inventive genius.
San Jos« has furnished one of the most interesting reports of the mysterious aerial
lights that have yet been published. The strange moving illumination was seen there
by a number of men of the highest standing in the community, and the description
of the phenomenon given by them is both vivid and clear.
General Hart now states that the inventor is a cousin of the electrician of General
Antonio Maceo, commander of the patriot forces in Cuba. He also contributes much
additional information relative to the reputed warship of the air and has promised
to intercede with the inventor to have the invention appear at a prearranged time
and place for the purpose of gratifying the deep and widespread curiosity of the
public
PROFESSOR WORCESTER'S EVIDENCE.
The Well-Known San Jose Educator Scrutinizes the Mysterious Filer
and Gives the Result of a Calm Examination.
SAN JOSE, Cal., Not. 27.— An interesting account of the mysterious moving light
which passed over this city Thursday evening, and which is supposed to be attached
to an airship, is given by Professor H. B. Worcester, president of the Garden City
Business College. Professor Worcester resides with his family in East San Jose. To
a Mercury reporter who asked him regarding the strange light, he said:
.. * "There was a small party at my honse in East San Jose on Thanksgiving day and
"• dinner was prolonged until about 7 o'clock in the evening. The company then re
paired to the front of the house to enjoy some music and I went into the rear yard to
• get a lantern. I happened to lookup and saw several miles away, apparently about
• over College Park or Santa Clara, a large light moving rapidly toward San Jose. In
' .a second I surmised it was the mysterious light which people had seen and which was
. supposed to be attached to an airship. In order to call the attention of those in the
houa« to the same I ran round the house to aave time and called out that the airship
. was passing. Everybody rushed out into the front yard.
"Within the time it had taken me to run around the house the light had changed
its course from east to southwest and had traveled several miles and was in a line
over the southern portion of San Jose. The entire party saw the moving light and
saw it go west, then turn south and then change to southeast Wo watched the light
until it disappeared behind the horizon.
"When the ship turned to the southeast I could distinguish two lights, one behind
■ the other. The single light first seen was about the size of an engine headlight and
■ bad more the appearance of a large incandescent lieht than anything else. It was
moving at tne rate of from 60 to 100 miles an hour and it was only a few moments
before it had disappeared behind the horizon.
"There were three thing. regardi.: e the light which impressed me, viz.: Its
Telocity, its regular movement and its apparent intelligent control. The motion of
. the light would suggest the alternate flapping of wines.
. • .* "I have seen many fire-balloons, but the light I saw had none of the charac
teristic* of such a toy. Its velocity was too great fora balloon on such a still night
and its movements too regular. The light was about 1500 feet high when first seen
and may have continued at that elevation, but it appeared to lower as it disap
peared on the horizon."
. Professor Wore, ster stated that his party consisted of Professor M. 8. Cross of the
University of the Pacific, Mrs. Dr. Allen, Mrs. Colonel Moore, Miss Annie Chase
Harry Worcester and himself. All of these, he said, saw the mysterious light and
. expressed their belief that it was under intelligent control. Among others who saw
the sight wat a party at Bell* Vista, near Alum Rock, composed of Mr. and Mrs. F.
W. Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rengstorff of Mountain View, Mr. and Mrs. Bert M.
Babcock and Mr. and Mrs. Elton.
SAN JOSE, Cal., Nov. 27. -John Bawl, a farmer who bears the reputation of be
ing practical and unimaginative, declares that he saw the airship in flight over his
• residence in East San Jose, on Monroe street, near Franklin, Thursday evening
and tbongh it was moving rapidly and was at a considerable alt tude. he was able
to plainly distinguish its general outline and most striking features. He describes
the great winged ship with vividness and realism. Hie wife and family corrobo
rate his story.
"I was standing in the rear of my residence about 7 o'clock, or shortly before
" that," be said, "when my attention \7as attracted by some bright object in the sky
about 150 yards distant, and bearing rapidly toward me from the northwest. I
looked ai it closely and observed it was lunging about from side to side, sometimes
swerving sharply to one side, but always maintaining a general southwesterly direc
tion. It occurred to me that this was the famous airship, and I shouted lustily to my
family and they all witnessed It as it came over our residence. It was so high up I
could form no very definite idea of its size.
"It had a pair of wings which were constantly flapping not from side to side like a
I bird's, but with more of a forward and downward motion. Beneath it several feet
■ hung a ball of red light which lit up the bottom of the ship and sent its rays far
down below it. At the front was a cone-shaped projection which I surmised was a
windbreak. The vessel lunged badly and once made a beeline to the west, but re
gained its course again. It varied in height considerably during the time I watched
it. Its speed I judged to be about that of an electric-car doing its best."
Mrs. Bawl tells a similar story of the strange voyager of the air.
The San Francisco Call
SAy FRANCISCO, SATURDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 28. 1896.
General Hart M*y Give the Public
an Aerial Exhibition of the
Mystery.
Ex-Attorney-Generai W. H. H. Hart
came » step nearer to disclosing the name
of the inventor of the reputed successful
airship yesterday He also gave many
new details regarding the marvel, and
promised to confer with the inventor with
the object of bringing the wonder of the
air within the observation of the public at
a prearranged time and place.
"Interest in ibe airship, genera]," re
marked the reporter to the legal captain
of the aerial warship, "continues un
abated, and the public are anxiously
awaiting more definite news in reference
to it. They are demanding; something
more tangible than aerial lights at night."
"I am sorry that 1 am still unable to
tell you all you want to know. I can tell
you this, however: Tue inventor is a
cousiu of John Linn, the electrician of the
Cuban patriot general, Antonio Maceo.
Linn is now, of course, in Cuba, but was
formerly a resident of Chicago, and is an
American citizen. The inventor is not a
Caiifornian, but came here, owing to our
favorabie climate, to make tests of and
perfect his machine."
"It is admitted that the power problem
is the great one in aerial navigation, and
in view of this a detailed description of
the Fargo storage battery which you state
is to be used on the improved and re
modeled craft would be interesting," sug
gested the reporter.
4t l would be glad to comply with your
sug e-tion, but we have only made appli
cation for a patent for this storage battt- ry
in this country, and to expose its com
position and construction would interfere
with the procuration of foreign patents
on it. I reiterate, however, that of my
own knowledge I know that the Fargo
storage battery has sufficient capacity to
furnish power for a flying-ship, it the lat
ter can be constructed to fly at all. This
arrangement is different from all other
methods that have Deen heretofore tried.
No acids are used at all, and it will store
electricity in any amperage and voltage.
A 20-horsepower battery to run ten hours
can be made to weigli 150 pounds, and to
run six hours the battery would need to
weigh not more than 100 pounds. Tests
have been made which prove this. The
man who invented the battery is not the
man who invented the airship."
"Why not have the inventor, in order
so satisfy public curiosity, bring his
winged craft over a certain place at a cer
tain time, giving him suflßcient latitude
for de, ays and baffling air currents? His
programme could be announced through
you to the public. He would thus run no
risk of identification, nor would his inven
tion be in danger of being exposed. Such
an arrangement would be most gratifying
WE SHOULD HAVE A SECRETARY OF MINING.
Senator Mitchell of Oregon Is Heartily in Favor of the Creation of the New
Department.
To the Editor of THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL:
I have long believed there should be in our Government a Department
of Mining, and am of the opinion that the day has arrived when the sub
ject should be brought to the attention of Congress and urged. The
mining industry is a very important one in this country, and the
various subjects pertaining to this important industry, now con
sidered and treated of in but a perfunctory way in the main in
different bureaus of the Government, should be concentrated in one
grand department, with a general head, similar to the Department of
Agriculture. I stand ready to co-operate with any Senator or mem
ber of the House at the coming session who may be disposed to take
the lead in the matter.
Portland, Ore., November 33, 1896.
"Now, then, Collis, I'm ready for another wrestle/
NEARING SOLUTION.
r to the public, and would, at the same time,
I most conclusively substantiate all the
claims made on his behalf."
"He don't care to submit his invention
to the public, and is perfectly indiffer nt
Ito what the public thinks. 1 have an ar
| rangement to see him on Monday, how
| ever, and will then endeavor to have him
carry out the plan. When I last saw nim
j he said be was coing south to test his nia
' chine in the higher altitudes. He is ex
perimenting on the difference between
the heavy atmosphere near the ocean and
the lighter air on elevated pleins. You
see he is preparing to carry out precisely
! what I have said in reference to Havana.
. I know he can and will do It, and be is
I net going to glvt out & description of his
I invention until he makes the attempt on
| Havana. lam quite convinced ho will ba
at Havana within sixty days with one of
those ships equipped to do what he says it
can do."
"This plan, then, of destroying Havana
is a preconceived idea of his?"
'Certainly; and he came out here to
work it oat. I did not know him before
he came to me on this matter, though I
know his friends."
"Have you had my applications to sell
stock in connection with this invention?"
'No, and there is none to selL I asked
my client if he wanted to sell any stock
and he said no. He added that be had all
the money he wanted, ana did not care to
take in any person or organize any com
pany for the present. This was the only
thing that gave me the impression that ne
might be off his pins. He is the first man
I have struck of that kind in California.
But I am quite convinced that he is not
crazy nor a crank. He is thoroughly cool
and logical in all be says, and his entire
conduct is such as to inspire perfect confi
dence in his iuvention and faith in what
he says."
In response to an inquiry as to how he
looked, General Hart said he has a dark
complexion and bears considerable resem
j biance to Arion, now performing at the
Chutes.
HART GETS CONFIDENTIAL.
Discloses New and Important Fea-
tures of the Aerial Mystery to
Professional Friends.
General Hart told a cluster of friends,
principally professional men, gathered in
the Supreme Court rooms yesterday some
thing more about the airship which bis
client has in view. "My client says that
be has built one airship and has success
fully navigated it," said General Hart.
"The first ship cost him $15,000. He says
that he will now construct a second air
ship in the locality of Bolinas and that the
expense will be $30,000.
"So far as I know, the second ship will
resemble the first. I am now willing to
make public tome more facts concerning
the general structure of the ship which
has been operated iv this locality recently.
The sustaining power is supplied from gas
tanks, which are iv the hull of the vessel
and which are connected with the balloon
which flies over the airship by a pipe.
When the inventor wants to go up higher
be lets more gas into the balloon out of the
tanks, which are filled with condensed gas.
"When the inventor wants to fly lower
he simply opens a valve in the balloon
and the contrivance naturally descends,
just as an ordinary balloon does. It appears
to me that the unsafe part of the wnole
contrivance is this reliance upon the bal
loon, which is all that keeps the ship up.
If the balloon would fail down would go
the ship. For this reason lam frank to
say I would not care to take a ride m the
airship. Do I beiieve that the airship actu
ally exists? Why, certainly !
"The inventor says that he has traveled
120 miies in the air in about six and a haJ f
hours, which is a little over twenty miles
per hour. H s storage battery he uses for
power only to propel his airship when he
is sailing against the wind. When he is
running with the wind or a few points off
he needs no power, but naturally drifts,
just as a balloon would.
"I beiieve mat four pouudsof dynamite
thrown vertically downward from the
deck of the airship would make terrific
havoc among an enemy gathered below
the ship. The dynamite throwing could
be done most easily by band. All that
would be necessary would be simply to
drop it.
"The condensed gas serves no purpose
except to raise the airship. It has noth
ing to do with propelling it in any other
direction. '
"It may or may not be possible for my
client's airsnip to sail the air from Key
West to Havana. He thinks that it is
possible. Whenever be arrives in Cuba
his power would be nearly exhausted.
Therefore it would be necessary for him
to have a Cuban base of power supply.
The location may be something like thirty
miles from Havana. That would seem to
me to be about the proper distance."
WAS NOT A PLANET.
Observations by a Clever Watcher
of the Mysterious Light.
The following communication has been
received:
Editor (~dU— Dear Sib: As public attention
it at present very much taken up with the re
cent appearances of a strange light in the
heavens here and in neighboring places, I ven
ture to offer one or two observations made by
myself personally on the occasion of the ap
pearance of the strange light iv the western
sky some few nights ago, which attracted so
much attention among our citizens. These
observations you may take for what you may
think tnem worth, merely prefacing my re
marks by saying that in years gone by I made
somewn&t of a study of astronomy, and took
quite an interest in the heavenly bodies and
their movements.
On the night in question I was one of a
group of persons stationed near the edge of
the sidewalk in front of the Flood bnlldiug,
southwest corner Fourth and Market streets,
watching a strnnge bright light in the western
heavens. At first it seemed to me as though I
had sometimes seen the evening star look
nearly as iar<»e and bright, and so I remarked
to a gentleman in my Immediate vicinity.
But n closer observation seemed to show that
it had n'»t the steady and serene rays that
mark the light of a planet. It was observed
for brief intervals from time to time, and its
altitude when I first observed it seemed to
negative the idea of any terrestrial obstruc
tion.
I then decided to make a practical test and
take the bearings from arnat fixed object,
taking the small building with its turret-like
cone that forms a gore at the sonth side uf
Eddy street, at its junction with Market, and
maintaining my position by a telegraph-pole
at tne edge of the bidewalk.
The light appeared to be in a straight line
from where I stood with a point directly over
the aforesaid lurret-llke roof that crowns the
gore at the southwest corner of Eddy and Mar
ket streets. I soon observed that the light
moved from over the point of the roof in an
easterly Bnd northerly direction, until at last
it had crossed the patb In the sky correspond
ing to the width of Eddy street, when it disap
peared around the corner of the fia.dwin
Hotel.
The gentleman above referred to observed
the same thing, and remarked that Dy stepping
backward he could see it a^aln.
This test proved conclusively to my mind
that the light observed was not that of a planet,
for If any one ever saw Venus or any other
planet travel from the westward in a north
easterly direction he must have observed a
phenomenon not recorded in ancient or
modern times.
You may insert the above, if you deem it of
sufficient interest, in your valuable paper.
Yours respectfully, Austin R. Keid,
219 Geary street, City.
MODESTO HAS IT.
Prominent Citizens See What They
Believe to Be Lights of the
Aerial Destroyer.
MODESTO, Cal., Nov. 27.— Residents
in the northern part of this city were
treated to a sigii v t of what was undoubtedly
the flying machine at 10:30 o'clock last
night.
J. E. Ward, cashier of the First National
Bank, discovering what he believed to be
the lights of the flying machine, aroused
his neighbors, ali reputable men, among
whom were County Treasurer W. A.
Downer, Depnty Treasurer W. B. Bell,
C. P. Schafer, the bookkeeper of the First
National Banff, Armory L. J. Maddux and
oibers. The lights were seen at a consider
able height, going in a northwesterly di
rection toward Stockton. The lights
moved steadily and at an even height
from the ground.
SEEN AT TACOMA.
Sighted Near Mount Tacoma—Vari
colored Flashes.
TACOMA, Wash., Nov. 27— The airship
phenomenon which has startled San Fran
cisco has appeared here. Several reputa
ble people have observed it. They believe
it is an airship and that the inventor has
either made two models and set one up iv
this neighborhood or was taking an even
ing spin from California to Pu et Sound.
The airship seen here resembles that de
scribed by California witnesses in every
particular. It possesses the same birtlike
shape and moves swiftly with an up and
down wavelike motion, varied occasionally
by a dart forward and some times in slant
ing directions.
Last Tuesday nieht the operator of the
airship i 3 believed to have visited and ex
plored the top of Mount Tacoma. Tuesday
niuht Druggist George St. John closed his
drugstore on Pacific avenue at 11:30 and
went home. He reached his residence on
Tacoma avenue fifteen minutes later and
soon retired. It was a beautiful moon
light night and the window curtains a few
feet away from the bed were left up.
Just about 12 o'clock Mra. Bi. John saw
the strange light and called her husband's
attention to it. It appeared to be high up
in the heavens east of Mount Tacoma and
moving in a southeasterly direction. The
Continued on Second Page.
The New i hampagne Viatage.
A truly remarkable vintage for quality as
well as ftr natural dryness, without being
heavy, now being shipped to this market, is
Cr. 11. Mumm'a Extra Ury. *
PRICE FIVE . CENTS.
CUBANS ARE
REJOICING
Defeat of Weyler Brings
Fresh Hope to the
Patriots*
FURTHER DETAILS OF
CARNAGE.
When the Captain-General Re»
treated He Left a Thousand
Dead on the Field.
AGAIN THE BTJTOHEK- LEADER
GOES TO PINAE DEL EIO.
If Uncle Sam Recognizes the Insur*
gents the War Will End in
Three Months.
NEW YORK, N. V., Nov. 27. -The Jack
sonville dispatch giving the details of the
two bloody battles recently fought be
tween Maceo's forces and those of General
Weyler in Pinar del Rio caused great re
joicing among Cubans here to-day. Offi
cial details of the righting have not been
received by tha Junta, but it is expected
that Colonel Jose Reyes, with Maceo's dis
patches to tne delegation, will be here to
morrow.
Horatio Rubens, who is counsel for the
Junta and very close to Delegate Palma,
talked to-day. Senor Palma himself was
too busy.
"We do not care to boast of the victory,"
he said, "as we have only the newspaper
accounts of it as yet to enable us to judge
of its importance. There is no reason to
doubt, however, that the report is sub
stantially correct."
A Times special from Key West says: It
is now positively known in Havana that
General Weyler and his army have been
defeated by Maceo atid his forces in the
province of Pinar del Rio. Full details of
the battle are lacking, but it is known to
have been the most disastrous of the
revolution.
The battle was desperate, and General
Weyler, seeing his men were fighting at a
disadvantage and were being slaughtered,
ordered, a retreat, leaving over 1000 dead
*nd taking his wounded with him. More
than 1000 wounded men reached Havana
Wednesday night, and several trainload,s
are en route. Weyler's troops are said to
be demoralized.
HAVANA, Cuba, Not. 27.— Captain-
General Weyler left Havana at 12:30
o'clock this morning for Mariel on board
the Legaspi. He is accompanied by his
chief of staff and adjutant. Other mem
bers of the general's staff left Havana by
traih this morning for Arlemi-.i.
General Weyler returns to the province
of Pinar del Rio for the purpose of renew
ing the campaign against the insurgent
forces of Maceo in that province, which
was begun under his personal command.
MADRID, Spain, Nov. 27. — General
Weyier has made an urgent request for a
regiment of cavalry, and it will start for
Cuba iv December.
WASHINGTON, D. C, Nov. 27—The
Spanish legation has no intelligence con
firming the report that the Spanish gun
boat Baracua has captured three boats
laden with insurgents and arms off the
the province of Santiago de Cuba. It is
thought at the legation that if there ba
any foundation for the report the boats
contained American refugees who were
trying to effect a landing. The legation
officials give an emphatic denial to the
Key West dispatches which state that
General Weyler and his army were am
bushed while marching through the Rubi
Mountains and that the Spanish loss was
fully 1000.
FIGHTERS FOR CUBA.
They Will Go to th* Inland and Soon nettle
the War.
CHICAGO, 111., Nov. 27.— An afternoon
paper publishes a interview which pur
ports to come from the local Cuban agent.
The agent states: "As soon as the Cuban's
claim to independence is recognized, 10.
-000 fighting men will :.o .rom this coun
try to aid them. These recruits will be
obtained here. There are plenty of Amer
icans who will enlist. No others are
wanted. If any Americans are caught by
the Spanish aster recognition by the
United States they will have to give them,
the privileges of prisoners of war, which
Americans cannot get now. Within three
months at the longest after the United
States takes such action Cuba will be free.
No attempt will be made to reac ; Presi
dent Cleveland, but Major McKinley is
pledged to our cause, and the Govern
ment will be influenced to take the neces
sary steps."
The Cuban ngent here is said to be di
recting changes which will be made in the
mechanism of a new rapid firing gun of
extra penetrative power, invented by an
lowan named McLean, and negotiations
are pending for Cuba to receive a large
supply of the new firearm if it is success
ful. A local company is said to stand
ready to turn them out as soon as the gun
is accepted. Chairman Cragin of th" local
Cuban relief committee said the newly re
vived league would piove a powerful ally
to the Cubans, and he intended to inquire
of Senor Palma in New York if the pres
ent lino of agitation should be continued.
FOR THE PUR CHASE OF CUBA.
Palma Say* Patriots Are Wilting to
Purchase Freedom.
■ NEvV YORK. N. V., Nov. Thomas
Estrada Palma, the Cuban delegate to the
'United States, when seen" yesterday prac
tically confirmed the story published by
the Senor Jose de Arma-Carriena"> to ; the '
effect that he had, on behalf of the Cuban
patriots, made : a proposition to Prime
Minister Canovas for the -purchase of
Cuba from Spain. Senor Palma says be
had ' two i interviews ■ with ' Canovas and
, that the proposition was considered, but