24 November 1896
(San Francisco Chronicle, California
Source: Newspapers.com
Quote from the article:
“… Sutro by his employes at the Cliff House, the
airship was seen in that vicinity about two weeks ago. Speaking about the
matter yesterday, the Mayor said: ‘It was about dark one evening, about two
weeks ago [on around 10 November 1896], when I reached the Cliff House, and, as
I alighted from the car, a number of my employes rushed up to me and began
telling me about having seen a strange object hovering over the Seal rocks.
According to their story, the object came in from the sea and passed directly
over the Cliff House, stopping its rapid speed only for a second while over the
Seal rocks. It seemed to be about 500 feet above the earth, and it was too dark
to get a view sufficient to describe it. The bright light that seemed to be
attached to the rear end of the object, apparently a searchlight, was visible
to all, and as it passed rapidly out of sight, going in the direction of the
city, it left my men full of wonderment as to what it could be.’ ”
My comment: This is one of the 1896-1897 airship
reports which clearly describes a highly advanced aircraft. It is not possible
to misunderstand the following sentence: “ ‘According to their story, the
object came in from the sea and passed directly over the Cliff House, stopping
its rapid speed only for a second while over the Seal rocks.’ ”
Wikipedia article: “Cliff House, San Francisco
Related posts:
Third Cliff House, ca. 1900 (text by Wikipedia)
(wikimedia.org)
(wikimedia.org photo)
(tageo.com photo)