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August 17, 1906, Orinoco, Indiana, USA, John Warner:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

A ufologist found an article in the Columbus Republican newspaper, Columbus, Indiana, USA, for August 18, 1906, page 5, with the headline "Saw an Airship." It told that "last night", one John Warner, who lives in Orinoco, Indiana, and "who is the most truthful man in the county, next to George Washington", said he saw an airship. Warner was sitting on the back porch "listening to the tune of the potato bug as he rubbed his wings against the fence, when an airship dropped low over his garden. He says he did not know the occupants of the ship but they knew him, and asked him the way to New York. He directed them as far as Jonesville and they left in a hurry. Mr. Warner says the ship was painted green and carried green lights."

Another article was found by another ufologist, in the Rockport Journal, Rockport, Indiana, USA, page 2, for August 31, 1906. He told that John Warner, an old soldier and resident of Orinoco, a suburb where alcohol is supposed to be forbidden on Sundays, insisted that he saw an airship "that night." The story was just a bit different: John Warner "says he was sitting on his back porch when he heard a noise in his barn made by his family driving horse. He went to see if the horse was sick and on returning to the house he heard a rushing noise overhead. On looking upward, he declares he saw a cigar-shaped airship, painted green and carrying green lights, which sailed gracefully down into his garden and stopped. There were four men in the ship, he says, and they informed him they were on their way to New York, from Chicago, and asked him which direction to take. He directed them as far as Seymour, when they turned on their power and sailed away."

Basic information table:

Narratives:

[Ref. rj1:] THE ROCKPORT JOURNAL:

[Ref. go1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

The Belgian ufologist says that on August 7, 1906, in the USA, in Orinoco (Indiana), John Warner, who lives in Orinoco, and who is the most truthful man in the county, next to George Washington, says he saw an airship last night. He was sitting on the back porch in his sock feet listening to the tune of the potato bug as he rubbed his wings against the fence, when an airship dropped low over his garden. He says he did not know the occupants of the ship but they knew him, and asked him the way to New York. He directed them as far as Jonesville and they left in a hurry. Mr. Warner says the ship was painted green and carried green lights.

She indicates that the source is the Columbus Republican (Indiana), for August 18, 1906, page 5, with the headline "Saw an Airship.".

She says that another version is that John Warner, an old soldier and resident of Orinoco, a suburb of which is supposed to be "dry" on Sunday, insists that he saw an airship that night. He says he was sitting on his back porch when he heard a noise in his barn made by his family driving horse. He went to see if the horse was sick and on returning to the house he heard a rushing noise overhead. On looking upward, he declares he saw a cigar-shaped airship, painted green and carrying green lights, which sailed gracefully down into his garden and stopped. There were four men in the ship, he says, and they informed him they were on their way to New York, from Chicago, and asked him which direction to take. He directed then as far as Seymour, when they turned on their power and sailed away.

She indicates that the sources are "Anomalistic List July 1, 2003 – Chris Aubeck, and the Rockport Journal for August 31, 1906, page 2.

[Ref. jc1:] JEROME CLARK:

Jerome Clark indicates that in 1906, John Warner, an old soldier and resident of Orinoco, a suburb of which is supposed to be "dry" on Sunday, insists that he saw an airship that night, (August 26). He says he was sitting on his back porch when he heard a noise in his barn made by his family driving horse. He went to see if the horse was sick and on returning to the house he heard a rushing noise overhead. On looking upward, he declares he saw a cigar-shaped airship, painted green and carrying green lights, which sailed gracefully down into his garden and stopped. There were four men in the ship, he says, and they informed him they were on their way to New York, from Chicago, and asked him which direction to take. He directed them as far as Seymour, when they turned on their power and sailed away.

He indicates that this text appeared in the Rochport Journal, Indiana, on August 31, 1906.

[Ref. js1:] JEAN SIDER:

The author says that on August 28, 1906, in the evening, in Orinoco, Indiana, the USA, John Warner, a former soldier in retirement, sat in front of the door of his house, when he perceived an unusual noise coming from the barn, made by the family horse. He goes to see what is happening, thinking that the animal is sick, and while returning to the house he hears a noise of powerful breath above him. Looking up he sees a airship in the shape of s cigar, painted in green and equipped with green lights, which flies while going down gracefully towards the man's garden where it lands. There are four men on board, and they inform Warner that they come from Chicago and want to go to New York, then they ask him the good direction to take to go towards this city. The witness gives them satisfaction and the air ship sets out again to disappear in the distance.

Jean Sider indicates that the source is "Rosales, Magonia Exchange Image Files, quoting The newspaper, Rochport, Indiana, of August 31, 1906.

He comments on that "Aliens who ask they direction correspond to an anusual malicious act but which occurred already" and he cites as example the case near Saint-Rémy in France, October 20, 1954.

Points to consider:

This story is one many cases illustrating nicely the purely invented nature of a number of airship stories in the newspapers of the time, a time when journalistic hoaxing was quite simply an essential ingredient to sell paper.

Indeed, when a newspaper invented such a story, other newspapermen were not ashamed at all to just copy the same story, with minor changes as of the places and the date for example.

Thus, in the first version, the "most truthful man in the county, next to George Washington" listens to the song of the potato bug (!) and in the second, he hears the horse make noise in the barn. In the first version, Warner directs the airship people to Jonesville, in the second version, he directs them towards Seymour.

Many ufologists, including ufologists who pose as knowledgeable about airship stories, too focused on their pet theory about it, do not understand the extent of the practice of the journalistic hoax, but also, want to see "UFOs" and the "aliens", or "phenomena of illusions of UFOs manufactured by a mysterious intelligence", where there is anyway, and clearly, no UFO and no aliens, just tales of earthly airships and their earthy pilots or passengers.

List of issues:

Evaluation:

Probable newspaper hoaxes. Not UFO-related.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

• [---] ? Article in the newspaper Columbus Republican, Columbus, Indiana, USA, page 5, August 18, 1906.
• [rj1] ? Article in the newspaper The Rockport Journal, Rockport, Indiana, USA, page 2, August 31, 1906.
• [---] ? Post by Chris Aubeck on the mailing list Anomalistic List, July 1, 2003.
• [---] ? Post by Albert Rosales on the mailing list Magonia Exchange.
• [go1] * "Chronologie OVNI", web page by Godelieve van Overmeire, Belgium, circa 1999, at users.skynet.be/sky84985/a1919.htm
• [jc1] * "Unnatural Phenomena: A Guide to the Bizarre Wonders of North America", book by Jerome Clark, ABC Clio publishers, USA, page 98, 2005.
• [js1] * "Les Extraterrestres avant les Soucoupes Volantes", book by Jean Sider, JMG publisher, France, pp. 168-170, 2007.

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This page was last updated on July 22, 2009.