2 December 1896
(San Francisco Call, California)
Source: California Digital Newspaper
Collection (cdnc.ucr.edu)
The article reports on two 1896 Oakland,
California, UFO
sightings. The unknown objects (or the same object) (described by the
journalist as “the strange aerial navigator”) was sighted by Case Gilson,
Gilson’s friends and Percy Drew.
Quote from the article:
“ ‘The airship was moving very rapidly from the
southeast toward Lorin, and not a light was visible,’ said Gilson. ‘It was
about 1000 or 1500 feet
in the air and looked like a great black cigar with a fish-like tail. If it had
side propellers they were revolving so rapidly that I could not see them. The
body was at least a hundred feet long, and attached to it was a triangular tail,
one apex being attached to the main body. The surface of the airship looked as
if it were made of aluminum, which exposure to wind and weather had turned
dark. I saw all this distinctly, and I am willing to take any oath to the truth
of what I say.’
‘The airship went at a tremendous speed. As it neared
Lorin it turned quickly and disappeared in the direction of San Francisco. At half-past 8 we saw it
again, when it took about the same direction and disappeared. ‘It was an
airship; of that I am convinced.’
Gilson and his friends saw the airship twice during
last Thursday (26 November 1896) evening at 8 and 8:30 o’clock. The skies were
perfectly clear, and a strong northwest wind was blowing. The airship was
moving rapidly from the southeast toward the north in the teeth of the wind. No
light was visible, merely the weird, peculiar body silhoueted against the clear
skies. Case Gilson, his brother, and the Petan brothers distinctly saw the
strange sight, and Gilson describes its appearance very graphically.
Gilson is also an amateur astronomer and declares that
he could not mistake a star or a cloud for an airship.
Percy Drew was another individual favored with a
glimpse of the airship. He says it visited Oakland Saturday (28 November 1896) night. It
then carried a red light and moved with its usual quickness. Both young men
agree that the ship was of enormous size, measuring at least 100 feet in length.”
https://cdnc.ucr.edu
Satellite photo of Oakland, California
(tageo.com)
(tageo.com photo)
