The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 29, 1896, Page 1

LIS Haper not ' to be taken from | | the Library. +++4 VOLUME LXXX.—NO SAN I:RANCISCO, SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 29, 1S96—TWENTY-EIGHT PAGE THREE AIRSHIPS, SAYS HART. Over His Signature the - Attorney Tells of His & ~ C(lient. THE WHY AND HOW OF - THE MYSTIC LIGHTS. ‘ And Again the Brilliant Shafts - Are Sighted Speeding Above the Bay INTELLIGENT TESTIMONY Counties. OF STAID CITIZENS. Spéctators in Haywards Insist on the Aeronautic Theory—Professor Cross, the Linguist, Adds His Evidence. No one hss as vet identified the aerial voyager that is supposed to be displaving ship is constantly growing larger. ysterious lights that have shone down upon startled gazers in various parts of e, bat the number of those who have seen what they are ready to swear was 2 While even many of those who have seen the flitting and gleaming lights are not " prepared to decfare they are carried by a full-fledged aerial craft they admit they can - account in no ordinary way for the phenomenon. H There is, therefore, yet ample room for the mystery to be proved a fake, a nation or a verity. Meanwhile, and until the mystery is completely solved, Cavr will continue to chronicle the news relating to it, taking nothing from nor E adding anything to the reports it receives. Whenever definite and conclusive proof, “ however, is received, it will be given freely, fully and fairly, whatever it chances to establish. 4l Hart received a visit yesterday from one of the men whio, ba «fatea, has ! . been making trips with the mysterious inventor in his aerial vessel. Tha general de- -clined to give any irformation of these trips. He stated, bowever, that this man and another mechanic in ‘the services of the inventor had gone to the workshop of the “inventor to assist in the work of completing & third and much improved craft. This . Terhodeled vessel would be completed, he expected, in about a week. It was to be a great improvement on the two airships already built, and when . it has been properly tested was to be at once dispatched for the scene of its deadly purpose (Havana), which was to be overwhelmed with a shower of dynamite. Co the vessel. iderable time will be consumed, according to the statement of General Hart, in ng the crew who are to go on the novel expedition familiar with the working of General Hart has contributed a full statement regarding his connection with the reputed warship of the air and tells some new and interesting things therein in regard to it. ° martial spirit. He also takes up the defense of the Cuban patriots in a most patriotic and Professor M. 8. Cross, dean of the University of the Pacific, now aads his testimony to that of the believers, and Huywards people of prominence tell some additional startling stories. SEEN BY PROFESSOR CR@SS. The Dean of the Unlversity of the Pacific Testifies to the Passage of the Conqueror of the Air. Professor M. 8. Cross, dean of the University of the Pacific and professor of aucient languages, is one of the best-known scholars and linguists in the United States. He is a brother of Senstor Cross of this City. He stends very high in the estimation of all students and professors, 50 that his testimony on the aerial wonder will be received with profound attention. The following telegram, giving his opinion on the subject, was received yesterday: SAN JOSE, Car., Nov. 28,—Professor M. 5. Cross, dean of the University of the Pacific, confirms the story of the airship’s passage over East S8an Jose Thursday night. Professor Cross is known in this vicinity as a careful and conservative man of unim- . peachable veracity, and his testimony has won scores of doubting Thomases over to a firm belief in the existence of an aerial craft in this vicinity. The fact that the head of a Methodist representative educational institution on this coast has been fortunate enough to view this nocturnal visitor has well nigh silenced the scoffers. It was just about 7 ¢’clock on Thursday evening when my attention was called to the strange light in the air,” said Professor Cross. “I was visiting . at the residence of r.- Professor Worcester and was called into the yard by him to view the airship. Whether or not it was an airship of course I am not prepared to say, but certain it is there was a rapidly moving Iight in the heavens far too large and bright to be an electric street light. To my eye it appeared to be about six inches in diameter. southwesterly direction and apparently at a high rate of speed. It was movingin a “*fhe motion was not steady. It wavered and swerved, rising and falling slightly. " The motion, however, was not that of a balloon. in the air, and the motion of this light was in no way " which 1 have always seen them behave. Moreover, it was a quiet night. breeze there was I think was from the south. Yet tnislight traveled southerly direction. Asitleft us the light seemed to broaden. 1 bave frequently watched balloons suggestive of the manner in What slight rapidly in a This suggested to us . that there might be two lights which as the craft swung broadside to us joined rays ‘and gave the appearance of a wide streak of light.” 3 Professor Cross is confident that it could not be either a bailoon or anatural heav- “enlj: body that he saw. *“Iwill be very much surprised,” he declared, “if something more than a balloon is not found to have been floating about. I see nothing very wonderful in the construction of an airship. From experiments already made there seems to be every reason to hope for success 1n aerial navigation,” The point where Professor Cross viewed the ship is about two blocks distant from where John Bawl, whose account appeared in yesterday’s CaLz, saw it, and the two accounts tally precisely in point of time, direction and general movements. The ‘was nearer the earth when Bawl viewed it. ship 5 I;ASSED OVER HAYWARDS. A Mysterious Light Traced From a ° Capyon of the Palomares Valley. OAKLAND,. CAL, Nov. 28,—The resi- dents of Haywards are convinced that the veculiar thing, airship or something else, ihat they ave been watching pass over their town on numercus occasions, bas its home somewhere *among the canyons of Palomares Valley. . x To-night the marvelous light was ok- ‘ferved in such a manner as to forever set aside the idea thatitisa star. Two par- ties, teveral miles apart, obseryved jt. To one it was to she eastward and to the other it passed westward. When notes ‘were compared it was agreed that it had passed over between the two observers. Ed 0. Webb, who is known all over the county as 8 man not prone to make asser- tions unless he can back them up, in- formed George Oakes, editor ot the Hay- wards Journal, that he saw the airship traveling through the heavens in the direction of Castro Valley Wednesday evening about 9:30 o’clock. The brilliant lightly was plainly seen av his home and also by other members of the family. Fred Hoyt also saw the iight as it was floating leisurely along in the direction of the Liedel place, near San Lorenzo. He was so interested in watching the moving object and would no doubt have solvea the mystery had he not lost bis balance and fallen into a ditch that he did not see’ was in his path. 3 Carl Monr furnishes the most startling information. He told Mr. Oakes that be| e Viewing the Mysterious Aerial Lights From the Dome of the State Capitol. _ |SLAUGHTER PRICE FIVE CE saw the airship rise from su’nyon'nqfl' his place Thursday evening about7 o'c:ock and proceed in the direction of S8an Fran- cisco, and also saw it return. Mr. Mohr is very positive in his statement, and firmly believes that the machine is being housed near Lone Tree Cemetery. About the clearest statement yot made regarding the mysterious airship comes from C. S. Long, C. W. Everett snd H. Liedel, three of the best-known citizens of Haywards, who were crossing the railroad track at the depot in a buggy Tuesday evening, about 6:30 o'clock, when their attention was attracted to an exceedingly bright light in the direction of the bay and they watched it for some time. It was moving very rapidly, and while they could not swear that it was an airship they do not hesitate to say that it com- plctely puzzled them. “Iwas going home about 7 o’clock,” said Mr. Hooson, “when I met my brother, who called my attention to a re- markable light in the heavens. At the first glance I could see it was a powerful electric light. It was shghtly south of east and was moving steadily across the country toward the bay. I have not been a belisver in the published accounts of air- ships, but must now say that I have seen something that was not natural to the skies, *The light was not a steady light like a star, but flickered like our arc lights here on the streets, and it looked like ome of them some distance away., One peculiar feature of the light was the way it changed from time to time. “It appears as if the operator of a search- light was placing red and blue glass before the light occasionally 50 as to make the light more noticeable to any one who happens to be looking into the heavens, No star has ever done that in the past and I am not ready to believe that one is doing ary such capers a} present. "1t this was the first time the lights had been seen here I might not think so much of it, but residents have been seeing a light come {from the hilis on a number of cccasions and make its way across the heavens toward the south. It was only corrobora- tive of these to-night when I saw jt.” Editor George A. Oakes was another who saw the visitor to-night from his residence in the northern part of Haywards. “Lsaw the light to-night for the first time,”” said he, ‘‘and am sure it was no star or firz balloon. It passed eastof town and appeared to go across the bay, as if headed for lower San Francisco. The white light was not steady, and changed’ to a red occasionally. It is more than I can solve, and must be some one who has finally soived the problem of aerial nayi- gation.”’ Jesse Hooson, a student at 8t. Mary's College, hac a good view of the visitor at Haywards to-night. I was startled,” said he, “on coming along the street to-night to see a very bright light in the heavens. It was like an arc electric light, and, naturally, I stood watching it. The thing was moving toward the southwest with the wind at first, but changed its course several ti; and finally came up into the wind for some distance. It tinally disappeared over toward Redwood City, The thing seemed to be operated by some one to see how it would answer a helm or guiding appa- ratus of some kind.” £ These parties already referred to saw —_— = HART'S INVENTOR HAS 1HREE AERIAL FLIERS, A Full Statement Made Over the Signature of the Attorney for the Alleged Cuban Filibuster. In reference to the airship which has been puzzling and astonishing many of the people of Cal« ifornia I will say this : koo I have not seen it personally, but have talked with the man who claims to be the inventor. 1 have spent several hours with him. He has shown me drawings and diagrams of his invention and Iam convinced that they are more adapted for the purpose for which he claims them than any other invention making such claims that I have ever seen. It seems to me that the evidence that THE CALL has been enterprising enough to collect in ref- erence to this airship, the character of the people who have seen the same, the fact that it moves against the currents of air as well as with them, the fact that it has the power to dart from side to side or forward, ought to convince the people that there is something in the invention I asked the gentleman who claims to be the inventor what his desires were in regard to carry- ing on the business, and he stated that he did not desire any money; that he didn’t ask or want any one to invest in it; that he was nota citizen of California, and that he had come here to perfect and test his airship as the climate and cusrents of air were most suitable to his purpose. He further stated that he had progressed so far since coming to California that California certainly was en- titled to the honor of its invention, as it was in quite a crude state when he first came here; that he had two airships already constructed. One, he said, was of large size, capable of carrying three persons, the machinery, the fixtures and 1000 pounds of additional weight, and another that was ‘much smaller, capable of carrying one man, the machinery, fixtures and 500 or 600 pounds of other matter., He' also stated that he was a cousin of Mr. Linn, who was Antonio Maceo’s electrician, and that he is expected to take it. to Cuba for the purpose of aiding in the capture of Havana as soon as he could perfect it and ‘acquaint his associates with the handling of it. - He was a man of dark complexion, dark eyed and about 5 feet 7 inches in height and weighed about 140 pounds. He looks considerably like the gentleman playing the part of Arion, the aerial acrobat, but is a little taller. He claims to have three assistants with him, all of whom are mechanics; that he uses two kinds of powéj:,’,_‘gas and electricity; that his lights are sometimes produced by electricity and some- times by gas, with the aid of reflectors. ’ He claims to have moved 120 miles at one flight and in a little less than six and a h alf hours, and at that time was not going wholly with the currents ; that he uses electricity for propelling his vessel against the wind, and uses gas largely in going with the air currents, He does this in order to save power. He proposes to build another airship, and in fact one of the parties interested with him has told me that they are now at work on the third airship, which is to be more commodious and more perfect than the other two, and that it would be so constructed that in the event the machinery got out of order and it should fall into the water it could be used as a boat by detaching a portion of the airship. When this is completed and ready for use the inventor intends to leave California for Cuba. ; A ” So far as the electrical power is concerned, the Fargo electric storage battery is of sufficient capacity, as to power and lightness, to furnish the requisite power for aerial navigation, and the in- ventor proposes to use this power in connection with the other for his operations. The battery can be stored to its full capacity, which is 20 horsepower, in 17 minutes. I am of the opinion that this airship will be a success, and that its success is far more probable at this time than the Morse telegraphy was at the time he first offered the same to the public. So far,as the public is concerned this inventor does not ask.any one'to invest in the enterprise, Perhaps this may be evidence;of-ins'anity I'will admit that this is the first time to my knowledge that anybody had anything in California in which he did not want anybody to invest money. SPAVINRDS Cuban Insurgents Claim to Have Killed 2000 in One Battle. THRILLING STORY TOLD BY RIOS. News of an Important Victorz Brought by a Lieutenant in Gomez's Army, DYNAMITE CONCLUDES THR WORK OF THE BULLETS. This Fearful Carnage Occurs in the Rubi Hills Before Weyler Arrives. NEW YORK, N. Y., Nov. 28.—Lien- tenant Jose Felix Rios, a special mes- senger from the Cuban Government to the junta in this city, arrived nere last night on the Clyde line steamer Algonquin from Jacksonville. This afternoon he told a startling story in the headquarters of the Cubans in this city. which would g0 to show almost beyond doubt that a battle which took place in the Rubi Hills n October last, and in which 2000 Spanish soldiers are said to have been killed, had been construed into an engagement with Weyler’s troops in the same territory about a week ago. The details of the October battle are strikingly similar to th» details of the story of Weyler’s allegzed engazement which was attributed to Lieutenant Rios, although he now denies that he ever gave out such an interview. He declares in- stead that what he said about the alleged engagement with Weyler was simply com- mon talk in Jacksonville while he was lfiere.i:xflis story is as follows: “T anl a'Galician and went to Cuba when 11 years old. For a long time I have been in the commission business in Havana. Having worked hard for the Cuban cause T Was ‘some time ago appointed a lieuten- ent in the Gomez army and took part in the battle of Sararoga, On October 23 last 1 was given documents by General Gomes and by the Cuban Goverament, repra- sented by General Cisneros at a town called Araucana, an encampment near Canaquay. “‘With eight men I left a certain part of the island in & small boat and set a course for Nassau. We arrived there in 5 days. A Spanish gunboat which had been hunt- ing for us got into port two hours later, but she was quarantined and we were sale. From Nassau, afier some delay, we went to Jacksonville, thence to this vity.” Some shrewd questioning at this point led Lieutenant Rios off the subject of his story and into the details of a fight that he said oceurred 1n the Rubi Hills, just where Maceo’s engagement with Weyler's troops is said to have taken place. He declared that he knew it to be an absolute fact that the Spanish General Melquizo, with 15,000 men, the exact number that Maceo is said to have engagzed a few weeks ago, came suddenly upon General Maceo, with 5000 Cuban patriots behind him. As usual tbe Cubans got to work first, and before Melquizo could get his ————————————————————————— XEW TO-DAY. e TuzATMENT.—For red, rough. fcolored. hands. s0ak them ina strong. of CUTICURA SOAP. dry thoroughly. and apply (U TI0URA (ointment), wearing gloves during theniht i PorTEE DRUG & Ciizat. CORP., Scle Props, Boston. WHY Be bothered with inferior goods when you can get a first-class article if only you will call for it. LEVI STRAUSS & CO’'S CELEBRATED COPPER RIVETED OVERALLS AND SPRING BOTTOM PANTS Are made of the best materials. Sewed with the best threads. TFinished in the best style. EYERY GARMENT GUARANTEED. FOR SALE EVERYWHERE. SEND for a picture of ourf iI"uctory, we will mail one to you freef of charge. E WE EMPLOY OVER 500 GIRLS. 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