"Mystery Airship" Sightings, 1896 - 1897

For 8 months in 1896 and 1897, people in the US and Canada saw mysterious lights in the sky, and sometimes, spectacular, winged airships and dirigibles. The airships are early examples of UFOs, after the "wonders" of ancient times, and before the modern mythology of extraterrestrial spacecraft dominated UFO discourse.
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Website: ThinkAnomalous.com
Full transcript and mp3: ThinkAnomalous.com/mystery-ai...
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Think Anomalous is created by Jason Charbonneau.
Illustration by Colin Campbell.
Music by Josh Chamberland.
Animation by Brendan Barr.
Sound design by Will Mountain and Josh Chamberland.
#ThinkAnomalous #UAPhistory #UnexplainedHistory
Selected Sources:
Jacobs, David. The UFO Controversy In America. Indiana University Press, 1975.
Reece, Gregory L (August 21, 2007). UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Culture. New York: I. B. Tauris, 2007.
Daniel Cohen. The Great Airship Mystery: A UFO of the 1890s. New York: Dodd Mead, 1981.
Wallace Chariton. The Great Texas Airship Mystery. 1991
Rudolph Umland. “Phantom Airships of the Nineties.” Prairie Schooner 12 (winter 1938): 247-260.
Loren E. Gross. Charles Fort, the Fortean Society, & Unidentified Flying Objects. 2st ed. Fremont, CA: Loren E. Gross, 1976.
UFO Case Review contains sound design with elements downloaded from Freesound.org. Typewriter_2rows.wav, Uploaded by Fatson under the Attribution License.

[@TreybertThomas]

I had a friend in school who swears that late one night, her and a group of friends looked up to see a huge blimp/airship in the sky. She said it was all tattered and worn like it had been floating around for a long time in the air. This was in rural Alabama about 10 years ago.

[@jamessnee7171]

The Flying Dutchman and it was really flying!!! Of course the gas will leak out fairly quickly but still a cool story.

[@nealsausen4651]

Treybert1993 Thomas : Did this “Blimp/Airship” happen to have “GOODYEAR” painted on its side ( Sorry, I can be such an “smart ass” sometimes)!

[@fallnew-vv9fq]

I belive the US Navy have airships that fly there there usally whtie and have black numbers on the side of it

[@fallnew-vv9fq]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5PccpufpqeprdU

[@fallnew-vv9fq]

during the BP oil spill clean up. July 26, 2010 I might be wrong because then it would have to be 7 or 8 years ago

[@chrisnewport7826]

As Vallee says: the form varies but not the substance.

[@stephenwright8824]

@Miles Doyle Oh, turn off that damn script.

[@stephenwright8824]

@Miles Doyle Come on, Counterfeit Christian, spew some more of your nonsense. Nobody here is listening, but you have no choice, do you? Your _Savior_ commanded you to do it, didn't he?

[@joeywall4657]

I love the structure and tone of this video. It's thorough, but it doesn't claim to be authoritative. It's interesting and detailed, but not sensationalist. I like that it gives historical background too -- and gives you a picture of what the common social consciousness of a time was. Well done guys. I hope to see more work by you like this :-)

[@samhain183]

It helps you make up your own mind. It’s excellent. Appeals to all sorts of viewers.

[@ActivateMission2ThisTimeline]

Walter Bosley wrote about the secret group of Prussians NYMZA based in Sonora CA. They may be responsible for these ships. They were financed by Rich folk in the NE, US. Look up Bosley and a break away civilization.

[@billblaski9523]

You're welcome

[@38dragoon38]

I recall hearing about a similar phenomena occuring in the medieval period when people would report seeing flying galleons from which would decend angels or saints.

[@jackstraw4222]

oddly enough iv just been watching them videos about that...its very odd and was the first time iv heard of them stories,even after yrs and yrs of following the topic...

[@drichmo]

Many “ufologists” claim that these things are beyond our comprehension, and as such we see what we see as an advanced flying object. In the 40s/50s they were silver disks, by 80s/90s they were sleek black ships, and now we see cubes, triangles, and other more complex shapes. At the very least it’s a cool theory.

[@Brandon-nr8fn]

Perhaps they appear trying to use tech of the day as a type of dis info / disguise

[@keirfarnum6811]

The craft I saw in the 70s was a classic silver disc flying around off the coast of SF. A better possible explanation for the change would be to avoid radars as they supposedly affected early craft. I could see triangular craft being less susceptible to radars.

[@gaye_alisir]

I bet the beings are ugly. But not as ugly as my ex wife.

[@user-ez3zm7kl6l]

A lot of iventions have been suppressed and kept away from the public. Like the car that operates off of water... it isnt extra terrestrial. It is man made even the "UFOs " we see now

[@stinkyanthony7435]

quality > quantity keep it up vro

[@ThinkAnomalous]

Agreed. I hate keeping people waiting on new videos, but I would hate it even more to disappoint them. Thanks!

[@AbIllinois]

Let me ask you; are you satisfied with the number of views you get and subscribers?

[@ThinkAnomalous]

I think I've gotten an encouraging number of views and subscribers in the short time that I've been around, but I wish I had more.

[@yuoogami4885]

+Think Anomalous you just got one more.

[@fuckgoogle7090]

vro?

[@cmasseylynch]

That's interesting to think that some ufos appear as the humans would imagine them to be,at the time in history,1896-jules verne 1946/50s fifties sci fi like 2018 weird and bizarre...

[@stuartd9741]

Yes and to appear in a way as not to frighten or alarm the people.

[@theworldisareview8181]

Yeah i thought that was interesting. Maybe it was there way of making sense of something they didnt understand. I think maybe there minds filled in blanks they knew things needed wings and propellers. Maybe seen things and associated it with propellers.

[@stevolution898]

What about the George Orwell book 1984 ? I was released in 1949 and man didn't he get it right.

[@stevolution898]

@Brocialist Party of America I didnt read the book until about 2yrs ago and im in my 50s. I do not think its about socialism but more to the point of our loss of freedom and how we heading towards total loss of freedom and the way its going its not far away.

[@stevolution898]

@@SISTER76 ?

[@VincentNajger1]

There was also a wave in Australia, at around 1909.

[@stevefranks6541]

Great work on an often overlooked bit of UFO history. Great visuals and research. When it comes to quality presentations, you are truly a nickel-plated wonder. Cheers.

[@Shipwright1918]

I've often wondered about these, had no idea there were more beyond the 1896-1897 flap. Great work!

[@jackstraw4222]

same her even after years of following the topic there still seems to be reports iv never heard of..

[@Shipwright1918]

Probably way more that were never reported at all.

[@darkblack7317]

@@Shipwright1918 That's the fascinating part. If I were to be transported back to 1896 and saw the same thing everyone else was witnessing, I would probably see something completely different than an airship. I'd probably see a ufo design that is common with the time period of 2024.

[@willymakeit5172]

I personally favor the secret society idea of a group of people that separated themselves from the rest of us and developed their own technology. But that’s just me.

[@cerebral3591]

Pretty insane to think there might have been an 1800's equivalent of black project aerospace programs. If that's the case, it would make sense that even exotic UFOs today are simply an extension of that practice. Either that or they saw ET craft that they couldn't wrap their head around. Interesting stuff!

[@orange70383]

An early sighting was given by a stout man who approached a landed airship. Three tall thin beings were said to have emerged from the craft and then proceeded to try and kidnap him, the stout man said because they were frail he broke free from them and then gave them a good ass-kicking and sent them scurrying back to their craft.

[@StrangeScaryNewEngland]

Bastards

[@LongDongJohnson0705]

I think I agree with Jacques Valles theory of it being extra dimensional beings/intelligence and they adjust their appearance based on mythology of the specific time and area

[@darkblack7317]

What I have noticed in my experience is that if you don't pay attention to them, the sightings will occur much more frequently. It seems that they want your attention. I have ran into quite a few of them, metallic shaped and moving at incredible speeds, but I pay them no mind. This seems to anger them as to why I am not interested enough to be in awe at their presence. That is because I already know what they are. I am not gullible nor naive.

[@LongDongJohnson0705]

@@darkblack7317 Weird right wtf are they exactly? Some interdimensional something, but why the need for our attention?

[@LongDongJohnson0705]

Sorry bud and no offense, but no one is going to read that long ass comment regardless of anything it may be about. Perhaps try a TLDR type of comment...

[@Simonize41]

Thanks for yet another enjoyable video/story. They are always interesting and thought provoking. I think fans of Steam Punk would enjoy this one. I look forward to the next chapter, so to speak. All the best.

[@ThinkAnomalous]

Thanks! There is definitely a cool steam punk dimension to this case that I think a lot of people would enjoy.

[@ActivateMission2ThisTimeline]

@@ThinkAnomalous Walter Bosley wrote about the secret group of Prussians NYMZA based in Sonora CA. They may be responsible for these ships. They were financed by Rich folk in the NE, US. Look up Bosley and a break away civilization.

[@michaelbruns449]

The most intriguing and perplexing aspect of the entire alien ufo phenomena. Something strange and elusive, disguised and projecting itself throughout human history. Perhaps three dimensional holograms with animated mass. Naybe shape shifting demons. Or living gaia earth like the planet solaris creating phantasms of reality. Thanx very much for making this.

[@josephburkes8734]

The statement attributed to Dr. Vallee is of great importance.It is stated that UFOs evolve their appearance over time and reflect the technologies that people are familiar with in each historic period.

[@jackstraw4222]

more like they mimic things ...

[@cherryfroggo]

​@@jackstraw4222 I wonder about that. If they really are people from the ground who are watching us, it only makes sense they'd surpass our technologies

[@cherryfroggo]

@@BanterMaestro2-vh5vn This would be a good theory for why people reported airships, if it weren't for the fact that everyone clearly saw airships. Not only were the witnesses in agreement on what they saw, but these airships supposedly landed in a few people's yards. I strongly suspect this was the work of The Sonora Aero Club. I don't think they were a myth and I think these sightings are evidence of that

[@user-em4kb3gm8g]

When we preceive something about which we haven't a clue, we always relate it to what we know is true. When see someone levitating, for instance, we always agree it's a magician's trick. We needn't investigate the event any further

[@toonmama6]

Wow that first ship looks like a ancient drone. One of my favorite channels. Quality material!

[@isabellaangeline2175]

I love when I stumble upon a channel full of my favorite type of content! And thank goodness the narrator has a great voice to boot. It makes listening so much more enjoyable.

[@polydos67]

By the way ; First steam engine powered flight, with an Airship, was 1858, by Henri Gifford.....

[@is8465]

You looked this up didn’t you?

[@blackdot3538]

I was saying that to my neighbor this very morning.

[@carloscardenas9288]

In 1995 I was stationed at Travis AFB Ca, south of Sacramento . That year started with a football shaped flying object flying by the base. My family and I saw it from our yard. My friends and I talked about at work, however when the local news asked the base for a comment. The answer was they did t track anything on radar yet from our vantage point it flew low and maybe 3-4 miles from perimeter fence. It was huge and bright moving slowing but steady. At first I thought it was a blimp but it was too big and made no noise whatsoever. I wish I would have kept ed the article from local newspaper.

[@raksh9]

Thank you for highlighting these old aerial object sightings. You have a fascinating channel which deals with many obscure cases, which is refreshing in the light of the scores that cover the same topics over and over.

[@sarah369.]

Thankyou for your time 🕊🇬🇧 love from Archaix family 💚

[@chloebell333]

Sent here by Jason of Archaix. Excellent video xx

[@Busterdrag]

Honestly, the tech doesn't seem that farfetched...I mean the first Zeppelins were patented around that time in germany, and around 1899 in the US. And experimental airships had been tested as far back as the 1860s. There's always people who are ahead of their time, if not with physical tech and applicatrion then at least with concepts and ideas, so something like this is out of the ordinary, but not too anachronistic.

[@PRH123]

Hydrogen filled tethered observation balloons were widely used in the us civil war in the 1860’s for reconnaissance and artillery spotting. So there were a lot of experienced knowledgeable people around.

[@pauloroberto1459]

Man, i love your channel, thanks for your great work.

[@kevindouglas8768]

In the spring of 2010 in Wisconsin, me and two friends noticed a huge black triangle shaped ship hovering over my house. It made no sound but had a light in each of the three corners. It came at us and lowered. It was huge and directly over us for what seemed like seconds. Then it turned and left in a different direction. It was actually several hours.

[@user-kf7kp6ev4t]

@GaunletofDestruction The story of the TR-3B Black Manta which is a top secret American anti-gravity triangle aircraft was made up by some silly random guys on internet like you, just because you read some websites and watch some videos about those crafts and find it interesting on the internet doesn't mean they are real.

[@PRH123]

They were going to take you to Proxima Centauri, but had second thoughts :)

[@kevindouglas8768]

@@user-kf7kp6ev4t Always amazes me that these people have so much knowledge about a "top secret" craft. . Especially considering they've never seen it. In my case, the damn thing changed my entire take on what most people know. It wasn't fun. I needed surgery shortly after that experience.

[@mountainsaunter2061]

Thanks for this one...much appreciated.

[@ElveeKaye]

Edison denied involvement? I'm surprised he didn't steal the idea and take full credit for everything. :o/ Interesting video. If you cut out the more fanciful aspects, it seems that someone was experimenting with different types of airships, and flew them at night to hide his activities.

[@Vejur9000]

So glad you wrapped up this mystery for everyone.... why didn’t they just ask you directly?

[@Dennis-nc3vw]

Do you have proof Edison made a habit of stealing people's ideas or is it just something you heard from Tesla fanboys and ran with because it was one of those badass stick-it-to-the-man sounding ideas?

[@ramirosauce8764]

@@Dennis-nc3vw - It is widely known that Edison was an s.o.b. eager to take all the credit he could get by whatever means, and he did steal some of Tesla's inventions.

[@ricardohurtado5646]

According to Michael Busby’s book mentioned in this video, Mr Edison vehemently denied aerial navigation as a possibility, and dismissed it as fantasy. This clearly illustrates him as a man that lacks any real vision or imagination, and as only a opportunistic capitalist. I strongly suspect a character like Nikola Tesla or John Keel would have more of an involvement in this “steampunk” technology.

[@waynechien-vovietchongmy9724]

@@Dennis-nc3vw everything they tell us is a lie.... Globe 🌎 tard We live on a flat realm

[@truescape1360]

your research is of unprecedented quality... bravo xx

[@chrisbelvedere6653]

Look into the Sonora Aero Club and the Breakaway civilization of the 1850s to 1870s. It was also found that JP Morgan and a few other very wealthy men were involved in these airships.

[@FaderFlosser]

I watch this video over and over. Such a great feel to your videos...

[@GenericJohnDoe]

YAAAAAAY! New Video @ Think Anomalous!

[@fumomofumosarum5893]

they look kinda like final fantasy airships... ^^; heh

[@AvoozlPlays]

Where else do you think FF got their inspiration from? ;)

[@fuckgoogle7090]

World of Warcraft stuff

[@malajemm]

Makes you wonder what the game developers know 🧐

[@jacksonvile12345678]

All of these videos are amazing and I love the stories, really gets the imagination going

[@kelvinh8327]

Thank-you, this was very interesting and something I have never of. Good presentation style, too.

[@wareforcoin5780]

I love the different things you find. would have never known about this weird early ufo citing rash otherwise. Love this channel.

[@Jsaiis]

i love these videos :)

[@Nas-uu1xx]

Love this channel.

[@kosh2001]

W. A. Harbinson wrote a pretty good fictional store about "Wilson"

[@osvaldofranco9036]

Some of the best KZbin videos on the subject ever👏👏👏

[@ThinkAnomalous]

Thanks for saying so! I really try to love Tom, but the guy is not doing a lot to move ufology forward. I haven't heard his comments on the airship wave thought.

[@laeldestan1536]

Excellent video. You just got a new subscriber.

[@uapcenter5366]

Great channel, very well done videos. I'll be watching all of them, keep it up.

[@ThinkAnomalous]

Thanks for saying so! I hope you continue to enjoy them.

[@dirtywhiteboy4963]

great vid thank you!

[@MarvelX42]

Thank you. I find this fascinating.

[@OathfLouve]

I Love these stories and in particular the style in which the stories are given.

[@williamsandell3260]

Nicely done!

[@ATLTraveler]

I love this channel!!!

[@antwonguz]

nice one I'm glad to hear the old music, but I like this new one now but keep up the good work. you deserve more credit. I always look forward to your video, and been following since your old channel. also any chance for the Holloman air force base ufo case

[@benjalucian1515]

Almost makes me believe in time slips. Like, dirigibles from 20-30 years in the future, passed through a time warp and floated unknowingly into the past, startling rural America who had never seen them. Even their descriptions match, down to the enormous length, propellers (engines with propellers) and lights.

[@VirideSoryuLangley]

Your videos are very well made

[@maxbrandt6]

Someone was ahead of the curve back then, I think they called it the Sonoma Flying Club.

[@dabking9454]

"Sonora Areo Club"

[@china_is_asshole]

Thanks for that bit of information.

[@naturesquad9174]

That whole story sounds just like 20th century ET contactee accounts. Only difference is it's about a secret society of airmen instead of a secret society of space brothers

[@Mwuhahaha]

Yay new stuff! Keep it up!

[@unrealone1]

Great Video!

[@SusySEGA]

This is so good. Keep it up.

[@ThinkAnomalous]

Thanks Susana! I have no plans of stopping :)

[@blondie1169]

My favourite channel.

[@aguila9982]

Very interesting thank you

[@williamsandell3260]

Nicely done

[@Insectoid_]

Superb video

[@1ivannthegreat]

As a Resident from Texas I haved always heard so much from back in the history of small towns to even cities where they haved encountered UFO crashes to sightings to other worldly being visitations. When the most recent place nor region of Texas as a Hot Spot for all them sightings is in the South West of a Small town called Marfa , that on which is also near the Mexican border .

[@aleksander8497]

Very fascinating.

[@davidmiller767]

Love this show ... it is very written.

[@goldiz1978]

This would make a very interesting movie.

[@warmonger8799]

FRIGGIN AWESOME

[@youyoo3408]

thanks

[@tonybarde2572]

You should talk about the Battle of Los Angeles

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

now that is a mystery,,,

[@FuzzyLittleBastard]

@shlibber what about the picture? SOMETHING was there, clearly

[@worlds3061]

You guys should check the channel "Lemmino" he uncovered The Battle Of Los Angeles on his last video

[@tonybarde2572]

Nazi-sympathizing aliens

[@tonybarde2572]

Ok

[@joannemayo2960]

Thankyou

[@tedtate57]

Classic Dracula, not sure if I've seen this one before. Enjoyed. Thanks for the video.

[@etienneranc]

I wonder if there's a visual transition in time from these airships to the classical saucer. Or if it's a clean cut from one type to the other. Or maybe the saucer shape was already seen in times of the airships...

[@ufonut1593]

Military technology has always been around 50 years ahead of public domain technology so this was probably the first ever black project. That's one theory

[@arailway8809]

This covers the airship sightings very well, though the Hot Springs sighting was not mentioned. Known inventors were pushing their work on airships in America a decade later, though they seemed far behind the earlier sightings. Of course, the Wright brothers flew their heavier than air craft in 1903, but the Germans went on to perfect airships beginning in this time period. The US Navy operated the Akron in the 1930s.

[@Pro1er]

There were actually airship sightings going back to the 1850s. Good video.

[@youtubefanatic6597]

this is very interesting

[@jf8461]

Wow!!

[@RavenMadd9]

One of my fave

[@UpstateNick]

Excellent video and love the references to jacques vallee. Anyone interested in the phenomenon should read jacques vallee’s dimension book trilogy.

[@paulheywood2116]

I use to have the craziest dreams as a child about this exact thing weird

[@yurakhunt5862]

Helium-filled airships with electric propellers have been around since the 1880.

[@waynechien-vovietchongmy9724]

1600s

[@jackstraw4222]

this is why i am suggesting that they may have made it to the moon in the late 1800s...its a long shot but im just suspect they may have pulled it off...

[@sEngineer-il8im]

@@jackstraw4222there is quite a huge technological gap between airships and spacecraft capable of landing on a different celestial body…

[@j-man6001]

My grandpa told us a of a zeppelin/cigar shaped craft he saw in the sky where he worked. Many of his co workers also claimed seeing it too. He said it was no balloon, maneuvered too fast for a zeppelin, and it also made no noise! I dont know what these things are, or could be, but I always got creeped out at the way he described it!

[@Vixxing21]

You sir, are nothing short of awesome, u take other peoples work but you present it in a form that is much more interesting, and the reason they did that research is because they want people to read it, however you could quote sources more... (that is called respect sir)

[@Vixxing21]

My bad i just read text under! I got pie in my face but wont alter my statement so other can see how easy it is to be hasty, judgemental and stupid... However my praise of your excellent presentations still stand!

[@Buledde]

Very interesting to see them send here maybe to inspire us how future air or spacecraft could look like.

[@amye1642]

1896 is the year humans first discovered radioactivity, along with polonium and radium. Maybe that got another civilizations attention?

[@mrjolieguy8673]

756 Like Awesome and interesting aF Thanks for sharing this ✌

[@Something-Waffle]

Your accent gives you away as Canadian. As soon as you said house, and about, I knew immediately.

[@yubasunproductions2494]

great video mate. #tartaria

[@jack1701e]

I swear there was an episode of Murdoch mysteries with things like this. The timing is pretty alright and the area seems to be alright too, it was a US/Canadian/Russian project in the episode. This is interesting stuff!

[@shawnpinkney5420]

Do you also run stormcloud. You guys sound exactly both have great content

[@govoperations8327]

Uvalde sheriff's caught slippin even way back then

[@willjennings7191]

I like it.

[@DoctorCreepy]

There were so many small town inventors I don't doubt someone got an airship up. People were most likely getting the sizes wrong not used to gauging things in the sky with nothing to compare with

[@mmickle6191]

Winger airships sounds kinda badass!

[@dannyburnam347]

They came from beyond Antarctica wall.

[@cmasseylynch]

If you have read Harbinson's(Projekt Saucer) books,the name of WILSON popping up here is...interesting.You would have to read the 5 books to know what i mean.

[@FrancisMaxino]

There were several airship sightings around the same time in New Zealand also...probably steampunk inventor time machines...

[@tollundman7524]

Was P.T. Barnum in those towns around that time,maybe?

[@jimhamman2335]

Very good presentation of the mysterious airship of 1896/97. It was a real airship, capable of sustained, controlled flight of around 200 mph. It could carry around 12 passengers and crew. The description given by C.G. Williams in April 1897 (4:53) is accurate but very limited. The craft was very sophisticated for its time, including the extensive use of an aluminum alloy in the construction of the gondola (passenger/crew area).. While initially powered by men pedalling to spin two small propellers, it was soon powered by a small steam engine and dynamo that powered a large arc light (like that found on locomotives) and rotated a large single propeller mounted at the front of the gondola. The craft had large, foldable canvas wings that did not function as originally intended (think flapping), but were later used to stabilize flight during turbulence. This project was the nation's first black airship project, and involved the War Department and other powerful entities. The designer, builder, and pilot intended to use the ship to fight against the Spanish occupiers of Cuba during the Spanish American War, and as a vehicle for rapid transit across the US and beyond. To this date, the project remains secret.

[@ErtaiCZ]

How do you do this?! I literally thought about your videos 30 minutes ago...

[@ThinkAnomalous]

You and I have a psychic connection, I think ;)

[@ErtaiCZ]

This was like 3rd time... so either this, or I have some weird inner calendar...

[@archersterling4044]

@@ErtaiCZ presentiment

[@alexasmachine]

Sonora Aero Club / Empire of the Wheel, the Wilson family the break away society.

[@FakeMoonRocks]

I think sometimes there is a delay in technology, in terms of what's actually possible, and what's widely known to be possible, by the general public. An airship showing up somewhere in rural America, around 1896-1897, would have been a strange sight to common folk of that time, even though they were a technological reality. Then, stories and artist renderings become exaggerated. Likewise, the technology we see today, in drone aircraft hobbyists are using, would also have been a reality when Bob Lazar was telling people about "other worldly" flying craft performing impossible maneuvers, out at Groom Lake. For further consideration... watch?v=GyijGK6uyro see part 2, as well.

[@jessegallego7936]

I swear to God I've seen those in Gold Hill Oregon before I thought it was a search light on a helicopter but you could hear no helicopter noises