The phantom airships of 1909

1. 1909
2. Los Angeles Herald. Los Angeles · June 4, 1909 · Page 8

   The airship over the Salton Sea was a mirage

   Salton Sea, Imperial Valley, California · June 3, 1909

   At twilight, people in Imperial and Brawley watched for an aeroplane seen the night before cruising over the Salton Sea, and some guessed at a secret aircraft factory in the San Jacinto wilds. Within days, papers reported it had been a mirage.

   Probably a hoax or tall tale Explained at the time as a mirage.

   Also printed in 2 other papers

   • Imperial Valley Press, June 5, 1909, p. 1
   • Deseret Evening News., Great Salt Lake City, June 7, 1909, p. 8
3. Daily Capital Journal Salem, Oregon · Aug. 13, 1909 · Page 5

   San Francisco Bay's airship was Venus and Jupiter

   San Francisco Bay area, California · Aug. 12, 1909

   For two days, Bay Area residents reported an airship's lights swinging across the sky a few hundred feet up. Astronomer R. Tracy Crawford of the University of California said the two lights were Venus and Jupiter.

   Probably a hoax or tall tale Explained by an astronomer: the planets Venus and Jupiter.

4. The Bridgeport Evening Farmer Dec. 13, 1909 · Page 8

   A Worcester man says he flew to New York by night

   Worcester, Massachusetts · Dec. 12, 1909

   Wallace E. Tillinghast, a Worcester manufacturing executive, told reporters he had secretly built a three-seat monoplane, flown it at night to New York, circled the Statue of Liberty at 4,000 feet and returned via Boston. He refused to show the machine. His claim set off a wave of night-light sightings across New England.

   Probably a hoax or tall tale No such aircraft was ever produced; historians treat the claim as a hoax.

   Also printed in 2 other papers

   • Orleans County Monitor., Barton, Vt., Dec. 15, 1909, p. 6
   • Lower Coast Gazette, Dec. 18, 1909, p. 1
5. The Washington Times. Washington · Dec. 21, 1909 · Page 6

   An immigration officer sees lights over Boston Harbor

   Boston Harbor, Massachusetts · Dec. 20, 1909

   Arthur W. Hoe of the US immigration station, woken by whistles in Boston Harbor, said he saw the dark frame of an aircraft with lights fly against the wind past him, heard the whir of an engine and watched the lights recede.

6. The San Francisco Call Dec. 23, 1909 · Page 1

   Thousands watch an airship circle Worcester

   Worcester, Massachusetts · Dec. 22, 1909

   Shortly before 6 p.m., a light appeared over Worcester, hovered, left and came back to circle the city four times, sweeping a powerful searchlight over the crowds. Thousands filled the streets. Tillinghast was out of town, and the story ran in more than forty papers.

   “sweeping the heavens with a searchlight of tremendous power”

   Also printed in 35 other papers

   • The Evening Statesman., Walla Walla, Wash., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 8
   • Rock Island Argus, Rock Island, Ill., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • New-York Tribune, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • The Daily Missoulian., Missoula, Mont., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • Norwich Bulletin, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • The Birmingham Age-herald, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • Albuquerque Morning Journal., Albuquerque, N.M., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • The Barre Daily Times, Barre, Vt., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • Burlington Weekly Free Press., Burlington, Vt., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • Los Angeles Herald, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • The Montgomery Advertiser., Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 9
   • Alexandria Gazette., Alexandria, D.C., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • Bismarck Daily Tribune., Bismarck, Dakota, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 12
   • The Salt Lake Tribune., Salt Lake City, Utah, Dec. 23, 1909, p. None
   • Newark Evening Star and Newark Advertiser., Newark, N.J., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 3
   • Santa Fe New Mexican., Santa Fe, N.M., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • Daily Kennebec Journal., Augusta, Me., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 2
   • The Richmond Palladium and Sun-telegram., Richmond, Ind., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 5
   • Evening Star., Washington, D.C., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 11
   • East Oregonian : E.O, Pendleton, OR, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • The Washington Times., Washington, Dec. 23, 1909, p. 14
   • The Tacoma Times., Tacoma, Wash., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • The Seattle Star., Seattle, Wash., Dec. 23, 1909, p. 1
   • The Norfolk Weekly News-journal, Dec. 24, 1909, p. 2
   • The Detroit Times, Dec. 24, 1909, p. 8
   • Ottumwa Tri-weekly Courier., Ottumwa, Iowa, Dec. 25, 1909, p. 1
   • The Citizen, Honesdale, Pa., Dec. 29, 1909, p. 4
   • The News=record., Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon, Dec. 29, 1909, p. 3
   • Carolina Watchman., Salisbury, N.C., Dec. 29, 1909, p. 1
   • Wallowa County Chieftain., Enterprise, Or., Dec. 30, 1909, p. 7
   • The Parma Herald, Parma, Idaho, Dec. 30, 1909, p. 2
   • Heppner Gazette., Heppner, Morrow County, Or., Dec. 30, 1909, p. 7
   • The San Juan Islander., Friday Harbor, Wash., Dec. 31, 1909, p. 3
   • The White Pine News., Ely, Nev., Dec. 31, 1909, p. 1
   • Dakota Farmers' Leader, Canton, S.D., Dec. 31, 1909, p. 2
7. Norwich Bulletin Dec. 15, 1909 · Page 2

   Lights over the villages east of Worcester

   Central Massachusetts and northeast Connecticut approx. · Dec. 23, 1909

   After the Tillinghast story, people along the route from Webster to Danielson, Connecticut, and as far as Boston Common said they too had seen mysterious lights crossing the night sky.

   Also printed in 2 other papers

   • Putnam Patriot, Dec. 17, 1909, p. 1
   • Daily Kennebec Journal., Augusta, Me., Dec. 24, 1909, p. 1

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