This article was published in the daily newspaper The Globe, Saginaw, Michigan, Monday, April 26, 1897.
Warning: the airship stories must not be taken at face value as "UFO sightings." Evaluation of such stories is under way here.
GENESSEE COUNTY MAN STARTLED BY IT
Flew Over His Head and Dropped a Canada Paper As a Little Souvenir
Flint, April 26 -- News reached here Saturday that the much talked of airship was hovering between the earth and sky about three miles east of the city, in the township of Burton, and that farmers had caught a glimpse of the phantom ship.
Daniel Gray residing upon the King farm on the Lapeer road, in the Township of Burton, about three miles east of the city. Here a clew was struck which threw some light upon the much talked of, but rather mythical airship. Farmer Gray related that Friday [April 23, 1897] while working in the field, he heard a terrible rumbling and whizzing sound directly over his head. He looked up and saw a dark object flying through the air with lightning like rapidity. For a moment he was dazed, but when he again looked up the ghost like object had passed beyond his vision, but he saw a paper flying to earth which he immediately picked up, and upon investigation it proved to be a newspaper published as Toronto, Canada, bearing the date Oct. 5, 1896. The paper was dry and well preserved and suffered little, if any, injury in its flight from the heavens. The fine state of preservation taken in connection with other facts in the story would indicate that Mr. Gray was not dreaming when he heard the rumbling noise.
