1946 10 19 The Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California)
MARTIANS VISIT SAN DIEGO
The silly season which came in with gazelle-boys of the Middle East and gave us an Oppenheim spectacle of Scotland Yard sniffing the precincts for Wally Windsor's jewels, seemingly has "teched" a few heads in San Diego.
While other folks were gazing at meterorities some nights ago, the San Diegans were seeing Martians—a whole silvery shipload of them. The Martians steered their craft through the hurtling shower of stones, paused over the city of siestas and grace, and departed without so much as a word of explanation.
Were their wave-lengths [sic] and had they been delayed? Did they think the worlds series was to be settled next door to the destroyer base, or did they seek to verify reports that beings on earth were given to standing in line and shouting at butchers? And why did they leave so abrubtly?
Maybe they saw in our manifestations of civilization something they could never dare approach - or maybe they were scared plumb stiff.
Come again, Martians, give us the answers, and next time don't overlook Hollywood.
Finder's credit: Chris Aubeck
Thursday, November 24, 2011
1864: Singular Appearance in the Heavens
New York Times, December 24, 1864
SINGULAR APPEARANCE IN THE HEAVENS. – About 11 o’clock last night, the attention of persons in the street was drawn to three brilliant globes of light that appeared almost directly in the zenith. They were supposed to be a reflection of the great fire then raging in Beekman-street; but the atmosphere was clear, and there was not a vestige of cloud in the sky. The globes slowly melted together and formed a line of light, which gradually faded away.
Finder's credit: Lucius Farish
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
1880: Remarkable Sight
Williamsport [Pennsylvania] Gazette and Bulletin
January 23, 1880
REMARKABLE SIGHT.
The People of Williamsburg Startled
by the Handwriting on the Skies.
The people of Williamsburg were wrought up to a high state of excitement on Tuesday night [January 20], says the Altoona Tribune, over the rumor that the name of U. S. Grant had appeared in the heavens about 7 o’clock. On the statement of a few reliable men who happened to notice it, it appears to be pretty generally credited. They say the name was very distinctly outlined by the clouds, and was visible thirty seconds, or the time occupied by the clouds passing between them and the moon. It is an extraordinary phenomenon, and a very hard one to credit, but the truthful character of those who saw it always has been relied on, and is by many in this case, and probably more so from the fact that it was observed from two different parts of the town at the same time. The night was very windy, and the clouds much scattered and flying faster than usual; but through some unseen power they were thrown together in such a manner as to form unmistakably “U. S. Grant.” Whether the clouds were blown together accidentally, or whether they came together by the will of an omnipotent power, is left for us to interpret the significance of it. It will hardly be explained by any astronomer, but may probably have been noted by others than those spoken of.
Finder's credit: Jerome Clark
January 23, 1880
REMARKABLE SIGHT.
The People of Williamsburg Startled
by the Handwriting on the Skies.
The people of Williamsburg were wrought up to a high state of excitement on Tuesday night [January 20], says the Altoona Tribune, over the rumor that the name of U. S. Grant had appeared in the heavens about 7 o’clock. On the statement of a few reliable men who happened to notice it, it appears to be pretty generally credited. They say the name was very distinctly outlined by the clouds, and was visible thirty seconds, or the time occupied by the clouds passing between them and the moon. It is an extraordinary phenomenon, and a very hard one to credit, but the truthful character of those who saw it always has been relied on, and is by many in this case, and probably more so from the fact that it was observed from two different parts of the town at the same time. The night was very windy, and the clouds much scattered and flying faster than usual; but through some unseen power they were thrown together in such a manner as to form unmistakably “U. S. Grant.” Whether the clouds were blown together accidentally, or whether they came together by the will of an omnipotent power, is left for us to interpret the significance of it. It will hardly be explained by any astronomer, but may probably have been noted by others than those spoken of.
Finder's credit: Jerome Clark
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
1919 (pub. February 1947): Objects in the Sky
The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Australia Tuesday 25 February 1947, page 2
Objects In The Sky
To the Editor,
Sir—When the late Sir Ross Smith was covering the last phase of his epic flight from England to Australia, and was scheduled to arrive in Adelaide during the early afternoon, the late Harry Butler left Adelaide in his small monoplane, nicknamed the Red Devil, to meet the big Vickers Vimy over the Adelaide Hills. Being a little ahead of schedule, Harry Butler filled in his time with aerobatics and stunting, most of which occurred over our nurseries situated just S.E. of Mount Lofty. While watching him very intently, two large black objects, travelling at terrific speed in a parallel course, passed very high above him, travelling from north to south. These were quite large and were very high but nevertheless their speed was such as to make Harry Butler's machine appear as if it were stationary. The day was cloudless, and for amoment I thought my eyes were playing tricks, but subsequently my foreman, who was a half a mile away at the time, asked me what the two black things were that passed Butler's machine. During the evening of the same day my father-in-law, who lived about a mile away, asked an identical question. Both these people gave the same description and direction of flight which exactly coincided with my own observations. The speed and density of the objects definitely precluded any possibility of their being a mirage.
H.N. WICKS, Balhannah Nurseries, Balhannah
Finder's credit: Kay Massingill
Monday, November 21, 2011
1849: Phenomenon
Bangor Daily Whig And Courier (Bangor, Maine) Thursday, February 1st 1849.
Phenomenon
Accounts have been published in various parts of the country of a
phenomenon in the heavens, which is accurately described in the
communication we give below from Stonington, Connecticut. The
appearance of the strange planet. Aerolite, or whatever it may be, is
not confined to any particular hour, but it has been seen as late as
12 o'clock at night, as we were yesterday informed, by persons in the
vicinity of the city. Some evenings since, while in company with
several ladies and gentlemen, we observed it about eight o'clock, on
the very edge of the South-eastern horizon, and its appearance then
was precisely what our correspondent describes it, as it seemed to
him, excepting that to our view, it disappeared twice, re-appearing at
intervals of thirty seconds or thereabouts. We supposed it was the
evening star, and that some peculiarity of the atmosphere caused the
reflection of the rays and the consequent changes. But its appearance
late at night makes it somewhat singular.
The editor of the Athens (Geo.) Banner saw it at 11 o'clock, PM, and
stopped his press to say so.
Our correspondent's use of 'feet' to measure distances of the sky, is
decidedly worthy of mention. It conveys an idea to every mind which
degrees and seconds never could. He says: --
'Last evening, about half-past 8 o'clock, as I was returning from the
depot, on passing by the head of one of the wharves, I noticed in the
Western heavens what I supposed to be a planet. It was about the size
of the planet Venus, and appeared at an angle of about 15° above the
horizon. I did not consider whether there was any planet in that part
of the heavens at that time but as I was passing down the street I
noticed that it was apparently twinkling like a known star. I stopped,
and the apparent planet was rapidly enlarging – it increased to three
or four times its original size, and then changed color, from yellow
to a bright red. It then gradually decreased like a revolving light in
the light-house. It decreased to the size of a star of the 4th or 5th
magnitude, and then again increased.
I watched it thus for about five minutes, and it was continually
changing. The changes were not all regular. Sometimes it would change
instantly from its smallest size to a brilliant light, which was
sometimes yellow and again red; it would then dart out rays of light
in all directions, dazzling my eyes by its brilliancy.
'I thought that I might be laboring under an optical delusion, but
after waiting about five minutes, Mr. ------ came along, and I asked
him to notice it. He stopped, and was equally surprised with myself.
While we both were looking at it, it moved slowly toward the South,
then returned to the North, and then like a pendulum, swung back to
the centre. The distance it moved North and South was apparently
several feet; that is, it moved over 'several feet of sky.' I watched
it for about fifteen minutes, when another gentleman came along. He
stopped and he, too, was astonished; but while we looked, it decreased
as it had before, and then suddenly disappeared.
I saw it immediately over Wamph[…]k point or rather about one-third
of the distance up the point. It could have been nothing connected
with the land for several reasons. 1st. It was bright and light, and
we could distinctly see objects on the point, and could have seen
anything that could have caused the light. 2d. The point is distant
about half a mile from where I stood, and had it been a light moved by
hand, it must have moved at least a quarter of a mile back and forth
in the space of ten seconds; for I saw it move five or six feet in the
air, and that would have been a goodly distance when brought close up.
3d. When it moved, it swung as does a pendulum, which proved that it
was moved (if attached to anything) by something above it and not
below. 4th. It was too high in the sky to have been connected with the
earth. Ergo, it was an appearance in the heavens and nothing else.
Wamphassack is rather high land, and beyond it is the beach; low and
sandy. – N. Y. J[…] Comm.
Finder's credit: Chris Aubeck
Phenomenon
Accounts have been published in various parts of the country of a
phenomenon in the heavens, which is accurately described in the
communication we give below from Stonington, Connecticut. The
appearance of the strange planet. Aerolite, or whatever it may be, is
not confined to any particular hour, but it has been seen as late as
12 o'clock at night, as we were yesterday informed, by persons in the
vicinity of the city. Some evenings since, while in company with
several ladies and gentlemen, we observed it about eight o'clock, on
the very edge of the South-eastern horizon, and its appearance then
was precisely what our correspondent describes it, as it seemed to
him, excepting that to our view, it disappeared twice, re-appearing at
intervals of thirty seconds or thereabouts. We supposed it was the
evening star, and that some peculiarity of the atmosphere caused the
reflection of the rays and the consequent changes. But its appearance
late at night makes it somewhat singular.
The editor of the Athens (Geo.) Banner saw it at 11 o'clock, PM, and
stopped his press to say so.
Our correspondent's use of 'feet' to measure distances of the sky, is
decidedly worthy of mention. It conveys an idea to every mind which
degrees and seconds never could. He says: --
'Last evening, about half-past 8 o'clock, as I was returning from the
depot, on passing by the head of one of the wharves, I noticed in the
Western heavens what I supposed to be a planet. It was about the size
of the planet Venus, and appeared at an angle of about 15° above the
horizon. I did not consider whether there was any planet in that part
of the heavens at that time but as I was passing down the street I
noticed that it was apparently twinkling like a known star. I stopped,
and the apparent planet was rapidly enlarging – it increased to three
or four times its original size, and then changed color, from yellow
to a bright red. It then gradually decreased like a revolving light in
the light-house. It decreased to the size of a star of the 4th or 5th
magnitude, and then again increased.
I watched it thus for about five minutes, and it was continually
changing. The changes were not all regular. Sometimes it would change
instantly from its smallest size to a brilliant light, which was
sometimes yellow and again red; it would then dart out rays of light
in all directions, dazzling my eyes by its brilliancy.
'I thought that I might be laboring under an optical delusion, but
after waiting about five minutes, Mr. ------ came along, and I asked
him to notice it. He stopped, and was equally surprised with myself.
While we both were looking at it, it moved slowly toward the South,
then returned to the North, and then like a pendulum, swung back to
the centre. The distance it moved North and South was apparently
several feet; that is, it moved over 'several feet of sky.' I watched
it for about fifteen minutes, when another gentleman came along. He
stopped and he, too, was astonished; but while we looked, it decreased
as it had before, and then suddenly disappeared.
I saw it immediately over Wamph[…]k point or rather about one-third
of the distance up the point. It could have been nothing connected
with the land for several reasons. 1st. It was bright and light, and
we could distinctly see objects on the point, and could have seen
anything that could have caused the light. 2d. The point is distant
about half a mile from where I stood, and had it been a light moved by
hand, it must have moved at least a quarter of a mile back and forth
in the space of ten seconds; for I saw it move five or six feet in the
air, and that would have been a goodly distance when brought close up.
3d. When it moved, it swung as does a pendulum, which proved that it
was moved (if attached to anything) by something above it and not
below. 4th. It was too high in the sky to have been connected with the
earth. Ergo, it was an appearance in the heavens and nothing else.
Wamphassack is rather high land, and beyond it is the beach; low and
sandy. – N. Y. J[…] Comm.
Finder's credit: Chris Aubeck
Sunday, November 20, 2011
1875: Strange Phenomenon
Arizona Weekly Miner (Prescott, Arizona) November 26, 1876
STRANGE PHENOMENON.-- On Sunday night between nine and ten o'clock, John Nelson discovered two very brilliant stars in the western heavens, some forty-five degrees from the earth, which seemed to be connected by a bright bar. He called us to look at his singular discovery which was plainly visible as above described. We have watched the sky every evening since and failed to again get sight of these strangely connected stellar worlds.
Finder's credit: Kay Massingill
Saturday, November 19, 2011
1902: Peculiar Phenomenon
Wanganui [New Zealand] Herald, November 22, 1902
PECULIAR PHENOMENON.
Press Association.— Telegraph. — Copyright Received November 21, 9.30 a.m.
ADELAIDE, November 21. An extraordinary phenomenon was witnessed at the Observatory. A slowly moving brilliant globular light, having a planetary disc, moved slowly northward, passing within 15 or 20 degrees of the sun. It was distinctly visible for three or four minutes, and appeared like Venus at its greatest brilliancy. It travelled in full view over the space of 90 degrees, and when near the prime vertical axis its form changed, and it became elongated, and was then lost in the glare of the sky.
Finder's credit: Jerome Clark
PECULIAR PHENOMENON.
Press Association.— Telegraph. — Copyright Received November 21, 9.30 a.m.
ADELAIDE, November 21. An extraordinary phenomenon was witnessed at the Observatory. A slowly moving brilliant globular light, having a planetary disc, moved slowly northward, passing within 15 or 20 degrees of the sun. It was distinctly visible for three or four minutes, and appeared like Venus at its greatest brilliancy. It travelled in full view over the space of 90 degrees, and when near the prime vertical axis its form changed, and it became elongated, and was then lost in the glare of the sky.
Finder's credit: Jerome Clark
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