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1897 UFO Sightings
THAT LIGHT IN THE AIR
Victoria Daily Colonist
7th August 1897
That strange aerial curiosity
the fire balloon that has been completely mystifying people of the northwest
during the past two or three months is evidently becoming bolder or more
people are keeping late hours than formerly and in consequence have had the
good fortune to catch a glimpse of it. What it is, or where it comes from or
where it goes to, and who or what manner of men are responsible for its
movements, remains just as much as a puzzle as when the bright light first
made its appearance in the sky a few months ago.
For upwards of two and a half
hours Firemen North and Swain of the city brigade had opportunity to inspect
the erratic visitor yesterday morning. However when it was finally lost to
sight in the morning air they were completely mystified as to all its
character as when they first sighted it. It was Swain whose first attention
was attracted to the light he and his companion having been left on duty at
the scene of a grass fire on the golf links that threatened if not carefully
watched to break out afresh and cause damage to adjoining property. It was
floating low then and he called to North to notice what a bright mast some
ship was carrying. Then both men looked and North observed it could not be a
mast light as no ship in these waters carried so bright a look out light.
While they speculated the light came so near as to be mirrored in the waters
of the Straits in the direction and apparently hanging over Discovery Island.
It had no discernible form, balloon shape or otherwise, it was just a great
light as large from the distance it was viewed as a drum from one of the hose
reels, and brighter far, according to the two firemen than an electric light.
As they watched it slowly rose and took off sailing in a direction of almost
eighth of the horizon circle and then returning. As soon as it dawned upon the
watchers that the object of their attention was the light of which so many had
been talking it resulted in new particulars, and hurried over to the Mount
Baker to procure a night glass. No instrument of the kind was available
however and they had to rest content with bringing the night clerk of the
hotel out to see what they had seen and be equally wonderstruck. Until four
o'clock the brilliant body remained suspended in mid air passing slowly from
east to west and back again three times and only disappearing with the coming
of the day. At one time the firemen believed they saw a dark body outlined
behind the circle of intense light but they could not identify it positively.
To look at the light according to the witnesses was like looking at the sun at
high noon. What the light was they cannot conjecture, they have listened to
many theories during the past twenty four hours but can not reconcile any with
what they have witnessed. The favourite theory is that some local inventor is
trying the product of his daring in the privacy of the night, preparatory to
giving his secret to the world. It must be a fact that the inventor is the
most successful keeper of a secret to appear on the scene for quite some time
and yet this seems the most rational explanation put forward. Too many have
seen the mid night visitor for people of common sense to doubt the presence of
a mysterious something.....
Mr. B. Serope
Shrapnel writing from Old Oak Bay says myself and other members of my family
watched the same brilliant light as described by the above mentioned firemen
for nearly two hours. The only difference was that it appeared to be above
Mary Todd Island swinging from side to side slowly and sometimes rising and
falling in a similar manner. It was decidedly no reflection being quite as
bright if not brighter than the nearest stars in view.
MYSTERIOUS VISITOR
Vancouver Daily World - 14th
August 1897
Have you seen the light in the
heavens?..if not you are not up to date. It has been hovering in the skies
above Vancouver almost every night this week, and has been viewed by many. It
was last seen on Friday evening and may be on view tonight, and again it may
not. Last night the strange object in the skies was noticed to the north of
the city across the city traveling in an easterly direction. The luminous ball
of fire or airship as some call it was closely watched. It approached with
great swiftness, paused in midair, then surrounded itself with flashes of
colour and moved towards the northeast. At times it looked like a ball of fire
at others it had a dull lustre and small particles of fire would shoot from
the great glowing mass. The sight was a great one and should be looked out for
this evening. N. C. Schon of Burnaby saw the luminous body while on the
steamer Rithet on Monday night. he states that it moved parallel to the sea
far below the star line and looked like a bright red star surrounded by a
luminous halo. It was cigar shaped and seemed to travel slowly and
occasionally there seemed to drop a shower of sparks like the sputtering of an
arc light. A World man saw the beautiful object from the office of the Chilean
consulate under a powerful glass. Mr. Morris is for once puzzled as are many
others who caught on to the wondrous spectacle. A wag suggested that it is the
Klondike star pointing the way to untold wealth.
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