-   **January 25th, 9:30 PM:** Last Monday, at 9:30 PM, we saw the light make circles for a few minutes, then descend to about 60 m from the ground while continuing its rotations at an incredible speed... We await its eventual reappearance [\[*Omaha Daily Bee* of February 2nd, 1897\]]{.source}.


-   **February 1st:** Several inhabitants of Hastings (Nebraska) said
    they had seen an aircraft or something similar, sailing in the air
    to the West of the city. It first stayed still for half an hour,
    floating in the air about 150 m from the ground, before making
    circles; it headed North for about 3 km, then returned to its
    starting point before finally disappearing. (...) At first glance,
    it looked like a big star, but on closer inspection, the light
    emanating from it seemed artificial. It must have been lit by very
    powerful electric dynamos; the light emanating from it was
    extraordinary [\[*Omaha Daily Bee* of February 2nd, 1897\]]{.source}.

- Drawing of a "phantom airship" observed during the 1897 wave. See image at images/1897.jpg.


-   **Late February:** Aircraft sighting reports begin to resurface, but this time focusing on the center of the United States, between Texas and Michigan.

-   **March 26, Night:** Robert Hibbard, a farmer living 22 km north of Sioux City (Iowa), observed an "aircraft" but also an anchor at the end of a rope attached to the craft that grabbed him by his clothes and dragged him for a distance of 6 or 8 m before dropping him to the ground when his clothes tore [\[FSR 66, 4\]]{.source}.


-   **March 28th, 10:30 PM:** In Omaha (Nebraska), most of the population sees an object coming from the South-East. It looks like a huge light source, flying slowly towards the North-West, at a low altitude. The crowd gathers at the corner of a street to observe it (185).

- **April**

-   **April 1st:** The mysterious aircraft that has been seen in Kansas in recent weeks was observed again last night in Everest, Brown County, in the Northwest of the state... The aircraft had an unpredictable trajectory. Instead of moving in a straight line, it went up, down, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, but apparently always in an extremely controlled way... The ship arrived from the North in the early evening, then left again in the early morning. Many inhabitants of Everest will spend the night outside in the hope that it will return and they can see the mysterious visitor again. [*Evening Times* of Patucket, Rhode Island]{.source}.

-   Alexander Hamilton, a wealthy farmer from Kansas, rises in the middle of the night, having heard his animals making a commotion. He then sees an engine about 100 m long flying above the farm. A cable drops and wraps around the head of a heifer that bellows and desperately tries to free itself. Engine and heifer quickly disappear into the sky. Many people, forced to believe his story, vouch for his mental stability.

-   **April 10:** Observation of a "ship" hovering and throwing
    "probes" over Newton (Iowa). In several places, this wonderful
    thing was observed by several people equipped with small
    telescopes or binoculars (\...). According to these people, the
    main body of the nocturnal flying object must have been 20 m
    long, it is of pleasant proportions and seems to be built very
    fragilely. Attached to this body is a projector and other
    lights. Some observers claim to have seen, at a short distance
    above this main body, structures resembling wings or sails.
    These latter must have been 6 m wide [\[*Chicago Chronicle*\]]{.source}.


- Drawing of an observation [*Chicago Times Herald*, April 12th 1897]{.source}. See image at images/1897-04-12.jpg.
    

-   **April 13:** Laughter and music sometimes come from his side --- as if there had been an orchestra in the sky [\[*Chicago Chronicle*\]]{.source}.


-   **April 15:** A "aerial vehicle" is spotted at the same time in multiple states.


"-   **April 17**"


- An aircraft has stirred up the region... The stranger occupying it claims he had to land to make some repairs and that he will resume his aerial journey today... The man is armed with a rifle to prevent people from examining the machine too closely. He claims he is going around the world, but was forced to land for repairs. If people don't believe he can fly, let them wait: they will get a free demonstration! [[*Evening Times* of Paxtucket, Rhode Island]{.source}.


- An mysterious object crashes in the town of Aurora ([Texas](lieux.html#Texas)) where it explodes into many small fragments. The occupant is a martian the size of a child, greenish, and hieroglyphs are found on the site/in the device. The pilot's body is supposed to have been buried in the town cemetery. Although the case is considered a hoax, a new investigation has allowed the recovery of a sample of a curious alloy which was analyzed by the McDonnell Aircraft Company.


-   **April 19:** A. and W. Hamilton and their farmer Gid alerted by a
    noise of beasts see a dirigible descending slowly above my herd at
    about 40 perches (200 m) from the house. The object thus has a
    cigar shape, emits red and green lights, and descends to 10 m,
    carrying 6 of the strangest creatures I have ever seen. A heifer
    hooked to a red cable rises slowly with the engine.


"-   **April 20**"


- The skin, legs and head of the heifer taken away the day before were found several miles away. [[[GEPAN](GEPAN.html), Information Note No. 2, 1981]]{.source}


-   One of the mysterious aircrafts that flew over the United States that year. The witness who drew the strange vessel even claimed to have been able to talk to the occupants. See image at images/1897-2.jpg.


-   **April 21:** Rockland. [\[*Houston Daily Post* of April 22, 1897\]]{.source}.

-   **April 22:** To explain this aircraft, there are as many explanations as there are individuals. Those who have not seen it think it is a hoax, but it must be said that the personality of the witnesses does not confirm this point of view. A number of people think that this machine belongs to a gang of criminals who have secured the collaboration of scientists for their misdeeds. With the projector and X-rays, they inspect the inside of houses and can even see what the bank vaults contain (\...). Another solution proposed is that it would be an exploration mission from another planet. But the most plausible theory is that it is a brilliant inventor who has solved the problem of air navigation and who is carrying out tests with friends. [\[Houston Post\]]{.source}

-   **April 26:** Merkel, Texas. Groups returning from church last night noticed a heavy object being pulled by a rope attached to it. They followed it until, crossing the railroad tracks, the rope got caught in a rail. Looking up, they saw what they supposed to be the airship. They were not close enough to give an idea of its dimensions. Light could be seen from some portholes; there was a very bright one in the front, resembling the headlight of a locomotive. After about 10 minutes, a man was seen sliding down the rope. He got close enough for them to see him clearly; he was wearing a blue sailor suit and was of small stature. He stopped when he saw the groups near the anchor, cut the rope beneath him and went back in a north-east direction. The anchor is now on display at the Elliot and Miller blacksmith shop and is attracting the curiosity of hundreds of people. [\[*Houston Daily Post* of April 28, 1897\]]{.source}


-   **May 6:** Meeting with Deputy Sheriff [McLemore](temoins.html#McLemore), from Hot Springs (Arkansas).


-   **May 15:** End of this wave of testimonies concerning aircraft.


- **August 14**

- Have you seen the light in the sky? If not, you're not in style. Many witnesses have seen it hovering above Vancouver almost every night this week. It was last seen on Friday night, maybe we'll see it again tonight, or maybe not. Last night, the mysterious object was spotted north of the city; it was heading east. The fireball, or aircraft as some call it, was observed closely. It approached very quickly, paused in the air, colored glows came out of it, and then it headed northeast. Sometimes it looked like a fireball, as its brightness faded and small sparks came out of its glowing mass. [*Daily World* of Vancouver, Canada]{.source}.


- The crew of a ship near Norway sees an air balloon [\[Bullard: _Mysteries in the Eye of the Beholder_, 1982, 226\]]{.source}.


-   Publication of *The War of the Worlds* by Herbert G. Wells.


- Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin begins construction of his first airship, which he will fly for the first time in [1900](1900.html).