Okanagan Lake Air Ship

This article from the August 26, 1897, edition of the Vernon News reports on a series of sightings of a mysterious aerial object in British Columbia. For several months, reports had circulated regarding a luminous body resembling a balloon or airship seen in various parts of the province, including the northern coast, Vancouver, and Rossland. The article focuses on a specific incident involving two men, Messrs. Tilton and Nicholls, who were employed at the Morning Glory Mine on Okanagan Lake. According to their account, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on the previous Thursday, they observed a bright light approaching the lake from the north. The object, described as an illuminated, oblong balloon of large dimensions, hovered at a low altitude and circled an area of two to three miles for several hours. The witnesses reported seeing the figure of a man on the object, who appeared to be firing up an engine or operating an electrical appliance. During this activity, a continuous stream of bright sparks was observed flowing from the machine. The object eventually departed toward the east around 3:00 a.m. The newspaper characterizes the witnesses as men of good repute and notes that their testimony, while unsupported by other observers, was considered credible by those who spoke with them. The article concludes by questioning the nature of the object and inviting an explanation.