URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

URECAT is a formal catalog of UFO related entities sightings reports with the goal of providing quality information for accurate studies of the topic. Additional information, corrections and reviews are welcome at patrick.gross@inbox.com, please state if you wish to be credited for your contribution or not. The main page of the URECAT catalog is here.

FEBRUARY 21-22, 1913, BENINGBROUGH, NORTH YORKSHIRE, U-K., JOHN RIPLEY AND T. CLARKE:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

In 1909, and until 1914, there were "waves" of stories of airships spotted over England, and lively debates between theories that these were hallucinations, pranks, or German spies in airships.

A newspaper reported that John Ripley and T. Clarke, about 09:30 p.m. on February 21, 1913, led a sand barge in Beningbrough on the River Ouse when they believed they saw lights, which circles the country for some time

At 4 am the next morning, they allegedly clearly saw the body of the airship above Linton Locks.

Ripley said: "I am certain it was an airship because we could see the outline faintly. It was almost like a cigar, except that it bulged out very much in the centre." "We could see three wheels, one at each side of the centre and one at the rear. A lamp or searchlight at the left-hand side was being used in all directions. We could just hear a faint throbbing noise."

According to one modern ufology source citing a newspaper, it disappeared about 10:30 p.m. and reappeared at 04:00 a.m. the next morning, it disappeared at 05:30 a.m. toward Easingwold, and the men also saw some box-shaped part in which was a pilot. The story thus entered ufology, including a catalog of "Entities" reports.

Basic information table:

Case number:	URECAT-001419
Date of event:	February 21-22, 1913
Earliest report of event:	February 24, 1913
Delay of report:	2 says.
Witness reported via:	Not known or newspaper.
First alleged record by:	Newspaper.
First certain record by:	Ufology catalogue Roger Peterson.
First alleged record type:	Newspaper.
First certain record type:	Ufology catalogue.
This file created on:	March 7, 2013
This file last updated on:	March 7, 2013
Country of event:	U-K.
State/Department:	North Yorkshire
Type of location:	Outside.
Lighting conditions:	Not reported. Night
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	Not reported
UFO departure observed:	Yes
UFO/Entity Relation:	Certain
Witnesses numbers:	2
Witnesses ages:	Not reported. Adults.
Witnesses types:	Not reported. Men.
Photograph(s):	No.
Witnesses drawing:	No.
Witnesses-approved drawing:	No.

Number of entities:	1 or 0
Type of entities:	Human or not visible
Entities height:	Not reported
Entities outfit type:	Not reported.
Entities outfit color:	Not reported.
Entities skin color:	Not reported.
Entities body:	Not reported. Pilot.
Entities head:	Not reported.
Entities eyes:	Not reported.
Entities mouth:	Not reported.
Entities nose:	Not reported.
Entities feet:	Not reported.
Entities arms:	Not reported.
Entities fingers:	Not reported.
Entities fingers number:	Not reported.
Entities hair:	Not reported.
Entities voice:	None reported.
Entities actions:	Was in UFO, departure.
Entities/witness interactions:	None.
Witness(es) reactions:	Observed.
Witness(es) feelings:	Not reported.
Witness(es) interpretation:	Airship.
Explanation category:	British dirigible or plane or invention.
Explanation certainty:	Medium.

Narratives:

[Ref. nd1:] NORTH YORKSHIRE DAILY HERALD:

John Ripley and T. Clarke actually saw the body of the airship. At about 9.30 on Friday night they were leading a barge with sand at Beningbrough on the River Ouse. They assert that they saw lights, which circled the country for some time.

At 4 a.m. the next morning they distinctly saw the body of the airship over Linton Locks. Ripley says, "I am certain it was an airship because we could see the outline faintly. It was almost like a cigar, except that it bulged out very much in the centre."

"We could see three wheels, one at each side of the centre and one at the rear. A lamp or searchlight at the left-hand side was being used in all directions. We could just hear a faint throbbing noise."

[Ref. jb1:] JEROME BEAU:

Jérôme Beau indique pour le 21 février 1913:

21:00 ou 21:30 Lights and craft are observed above Warnwickshire and Norfolk. An airship is observed by two men dredging the rRiver Ouse in Beningborough (Yorkshire). The men saw the airship again at 4 am the next day and observe it for 30 minutes.

[Ref. pr1:] PETER ROGERSON:

February 21 1913 - 2100

BENINGBROUGH (YORKSHIRE : ENGLAND)

John Ripley and T. Clarke were dredging in the River Ouse between Beningbrough and Linton Docks when they observed a cigar shaped aerial object with a central bulge, which hovered low and revolved. There were three wheels on one side of the object and another in the rear. There was a boxed in portion where they could see a pilot. The object carried a brilliant searchlight on its side and made a strange humming sound. It disappeared about 22.30 and reappeared at 0400 the next morning, disappearing at 05.30 toward Easingwold.

David Clarke personal communication citing Yorkshire Evening Post 24 Feb 1913)

Points to consider:

Airships flew in England from 1902 and on. In 1913, the British Army had several airships, the Nulli Secundus I, Alpha, Beta, Betta II, Gamma, Gamma II, the Navy had the Mayfly, Parseval, Willows IV, there was a French-built Clément-Bayard etc.

While the press accused people of hallucinations or confusion, or worried about intrusion quite unlikely intrusions of German Zeppelins, while official sources said nothing, these British airships were flying. People saw them, photographed them, in Reigate, Salsford, Bilton Range, Portsmouth, Farnborough, Aldershot ... Some experienced forced landing, other flew for demonstrations such as the 40 miles travel of Nulli Secundus from Farnborough to London in October 1913. Aircraft also flew in England, since 1909.

For now I have only source on this sighting report - modern - mentioning occupants, [pr1]. The newspaper source I have makes no mention of any pilot. Of course, the whole affair could be purely invented by the two men, or a true observation but with exaggerations. In any case, there is no "impossible maneuver" here and nothing extraterrestrial or paranormal.

List of issues:

Id:	Topic:	Severity:	Date noted:	Raised by:	Noted by:	Description:	Proposal:	Status:
1	Data	Severe	March 7, 2013	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Source mentioning pilot not available.	Help needed.	Opened.
2	Ufology	Severe	March 7, 2013	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Case with no real strangeness.	Help needed.	Opened.
3	Ufology	Severe	March 7, 2013	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	No investigation, short Press reports only.	Help needed.	Opened.

Evaluation:

British dirigible or plane or invention.

Sources references:

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

[---] ? Article in the newspaper Yorkshire Evening Post, U-K., February 24, 1913.
[nd1] * Article in the newspaper North Yorkshire Daily Herald, U-K., page 3, February 26, 1913.
[---] ? David Clarke.
[jb1] * "1913", web page compiled by Jérôme Beau, France, circa 2005, at rr0.org/time/1/9/1/3/index.html
[pr1] * "INTCAT 1901 - 1919 - International Catalog of Entity Reports", by Peter Rogerson, U-K., 2013, at intcat.blogspot.fr/2012/08/intcat-1901-1920.html

Document history:

Authoring

Main Author:	Patrick Gross
Contributors:	None
Reviewers:	None
Editor:	Patrick Gross

Changes history

Version:	Created/Changed By:	Date:	Change Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	March 7, 2013	Creation, [nd1], [jb11], [pr1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	March 7, 2013	First published.

This page was last updated on March 7, 2013