- Joined
- Aug 3, 2001
- Messages
- 7,225
No worries, not complaining. They’re great finds.Spent so much time trying to find a compression which was still readable, I might be forgiven - eventually could hardly focus.
No worries, not complaining. They’re great finds.Spent so much time trying to find a compression which was still readable, I might be forgiven - eventually could hardly focus.
Oops ... Fort seems to have been premature in writing to the Chattanooga Times about the airship sightings. If he'd reviewed that newspaper's clippings from a few days after the dates he cited for the sightings he'd have been advised the "airships" had received a mundane explanation in a January 17th article.A letter from Charles Fort, whilst living in London, to 'The Daily Times', Chattanooga and published on June 24, 1924. ...
""Airship" is Captured", article in The Chattanooga Times newspaper, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, January 17, 1910."AIRSHIP" IS CAPTURED
It Alighted Yesterday in the Ninth Ward.
SQUIRE BASS AND OTHERS PERPETRATED THE JOKE
With Other Small Boys He Fooled People for Whole Week - Nothing But Paper Balloons Sent Skyward for Fun.
Airships, aeroplanes, dirigible balloons, biplanes and aerial craft of all kinds, must take a tumble in the minds of Chattanoogans for the time being. Those things in the sky which thousands of people in this city and vicinity have been accepting as the real, genuine all-wool and a yard wide airship were not real airships at all. They were no more than toys sent up as a practical joke. The perpetrator was Squire Ed Bass and some more of the small boys out in South Chattanooga. ...
SOURCE: https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/ce3/1910-01-13-usa-chattanooga.htmMany years later, the newspaper gets a letter from nobody else that Charles Fort, and publish it on June 19, 1924. Charles Fort, who does not seem to have read the explanation of the 1910 Chattanooga sightings, explains that he is interested in information about it from the witnesses, and speculates that the Earth is visited by extraterrestrial exploration vessels.
On June 26, 1924, in answer to Charles Fort's question, the newspaper publishes a letter from a policeman of the city who asserted that he and a fellow policeman, now dead, and a salesman, set loose three balloons shortly after Christmas, 1909, and caused the excitement.
"Policeman Explains Old Airship "Mystery"", article in The Chattanooga Times newspaper, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, June 26, 1924.POLICEMAN EXPLAINS OLD AIRSHIP "MYSTERY"
A veteran Chattanooga policeman claims that he can account for the "mysterious airship" reported to have hovered over this city for a period of three days during January, 1910, referred to in a letter received by The Times and printed in the issue of Tuesday from Charles Fort, of 39 Marchmont street, Russell square, London, England. This policeman asserts that he and a fellow policeman, now dead, and a salesman set loose three balloons shortly after Christmas, 1909, and caused the excitement.
How fascinating to see this discussed and suddenly realise we going back almost a century to Fort's letter!Curiously, the Chattanooga Times gave a different (?) explanation in 1924 when they published their response to Fort's letter.
Any thoughts on this - something which I found online and can locate no further information regarding same.How also, do these lanterns, or balloons explain the sightings in Huntsville, Alabama.
I am reminded of an old text file in my archives:A small, private airship in 1908?
Small dirigibles were widely distributed in the first decade of the 20th century. They were still novelties, didn't work at that well or for that long, and were primarily limited to exhibition shows at county fairs, carnivals, etc. Long distance cross-country flights weren't something anyone attempted often.Any thoughts on this - something which I found online and can locate no further information regarding same.
A small, private airship in 1908?
Incredible - was quite oblivious to any of this.It's even more interesting that these sightings were all occurring in the same week as the seminal Los Angeles International Air Meet (January 10 - 20) - the first major air show in the USA, and the event credited with igniting Americans' aviation mania.
Been watching you on facebook, very impressive.I can not locate the following article, published late in Charles Fort's life, having previously been highlighted:
'Morning Avalanche' (Lubbock, Texas)
5 February, 1932
16,000 Things That Can't Be Explained
Miracles are today discredited by wise men, but Charles Fort of Bronxville, N.Y., has made it his life work to study all the phenomena that scientists say couldn't, and never did happen.
BY ELEANOR EARLY
CHARLES FORT believes nothing. He doesn't believe in heaven. He doesn't believe in hell. And science is worse. Mr. Fort does not believe that the earth is round, and revolves about the sun. Nor that men descended from monkeys.
"Science." he declares, "is the accumulated
lunacy of 50 centuries".
(...)
The entire, full-page article, is available on my website:
www.jceaston.com/1932_02_05_Morning_Avalanche.pdf
Just trying, as always, toany proverbial 'wheat from the chaff'.Been watching you on facebook, very impressive.