1896: An Apparition Wandering Through The Atmosphere – Article

From Frank Warren
frank-warren@pacbell.net
8-30-1

Sacramento Record Union September 18th, 1896

What Was It?

An Apparition Wandering Through the Atmosphere

Several persons last evening, between 6 and 7 o’clock, saw a big ball of fire, like an electric light, pass over the city going in a southwesterly direction. It moved slowly and was in sight for more than a half-hour, finally disappearing in the mist and darkness.

More than one person was heard to declare that he distinguished human voices engaged in song and mirth coming from above , but could discover no out line of a balloon-nothing but a large ball of light.

One man in the suburbs declares he heard a voice warning “the man at the helm” to go higher, or they would collide with the church steeples, etc.

It is possible someone sent up an illuminated balloon, or that a stray meteor was hunting for the rest of the gang, but there really were persons who insisted that it was a new fanged airship lighted by electricity and traveling for San Francisco from-somewhere.