THE OHIO “FLYING MACHINE” MYSTERY OF 1897

In 1897, numerous individuals across Ohio reported that they had seen an airship in the sky, hovering over their city or town. This was years before the first successful flight of a motorized aircraft was supposed to have occurred – according to the history books. What is the explanation for this?

HISTORICAL REFERENCES:

Newspaper Articles: 

Akron Beacon and Republican, April 16, 20, 22; May 4, 5, 13, 1897.

Athens Messenger and Herald, April 22, 1897.

Akron Times-Democrat, April 21; May 5, 1897.

Ashland Gazette, April 20, 23, 1897.

Bellefontaine Republican, May 15

Bluffton News, April 22; May 6, 1897.

Bucyrus Evening Telegraph, May 5, 11

Cadiz Harrison County Democrat, April 21,1897.

Caldwell Journal, April 22, 29, 1897.

Canal Winchester Times, May 19, 1897.

Canton Repository, April 20; May 9, 1897.

Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, April 15, 18, 20, 25 1897.

Cincinnati Enquirer, April 16, 20, 25; May 5, 1897.

Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 16, 25, 28. 29; May 1, 7, 9, 11, 1897; August 18, 1898.

Columbus Evening Press, April 20, 22, 25, 27, 1897.

Columbus Ohio State Journal, Aril 25; May 1, 11, 1897.

Columbus Sunday Morning Press, April 18, 25, 1897.

Chicago Inter-Ocean, April 26, 29, 1897.

Dayton Daily Journal, April 28, 1897.

Fayette Republican, April 29, 1897.

Kenton News-Republican, April 16; May 5. 1897.

Lancaster Daily Eagle, April 16, 1897.

London (Ohio) Times, April 29, 1897.

Marion Daily News, April 12, 1897.

Marion Daily Star, April 17, 1897.

Mt. Gilead Union-Register, May 12, 19, 1897.

Sandusky Register, April 17, 28, 1897.

Marietta Daily Register, April 20, 22. 1897.

Toledo Blade, April 23, 29, 30; May 10, 1897.

Harrison County Democrat, April 28

Norwalk Daily Reflector, April 26; May 11, 1897.

Portsmouth Blade, April 26, 28, 1897

Washington Court House Cyclone, April 29, 1897.

Zanesville Daily Signal, April 11, 1897.

Books:

Busby, Michael, Solving the 1897 Airship Mystery (2004)

(author takes perspective that the airship sightings were genuine).

Danelek, J. Alan,The Great Airship of 1897 (2009) (author is

open-minded about whether the airship sightings were real).

Crenshaw, Dennis & Navarro, Pete, The Secrets of Dellschau: The Sonora Aero Club and the Airships of the 1890s (2009)

(author believes that the airship sightings were genuine).

Cohen, Daniel, The Great Airship Mystery: A UFO of the 1890s (1981)

(author believes that the airship sightings were hoaxes or pranks by newspaper editors, reporters and others).

Website:

Simine's U.S. Aviation Patent Database

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Judge E. H. Hinman: Sean Riley from the Second Acts podcast.

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Steven W. Beebe: Ron Hood, from Ron’s Amazing Stories podcast.

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EPISODE MUSIC:

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Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

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At Rest

The Curtain Rises

Fretless

I Knew A Guy

SOUND EFFECTS:

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Fairy Dust sound effect: sound fx

EXTRO APHORISM:

Source:  Chesterton, G.K., The Defendant, Chapter 7 (1901).

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