AIRSHIPCAT:

Date: December 20, 1893
Time: Morning
Place: Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina
Narratives:

Upon the morning of December 20, 1893, an appearance in the sky was seen by many persons in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. A luminous body passed overhead, from west to east, until at about 15 degrees in the eastern horizon, it appeared to stand still for fifteen or twenty minutes. According to some descriptions it was the size of a table. To some observers it looked like an enormous wheel. The light was a brilliant white. Acceptably it was not an optical illusion, the noise of its passage through the air was heard. Having been stationary, or having seemed to stand still fifteen or twenty minutes, it disappeared, or exploded. Not a sound of explosion was heard. [1]

Paul Mauclair indicates that on December 20, 1893, "a mysterious machine which has the appearance of a luminous circle" flies over the south of the United States, in particular Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina, making a deafening noise which alerts hundreds and hundreds of witnesses." [2]

December 20 1893. A luminous body is observed in the sky above Virginia, North Carolina, which appears to hover for 15-20 minutes. Described variously as the "size of a table" and "an enormous wheel", it emitted a brilliant white light. [2]

Sources:

[1] "Astronomie", chapter 21 of "The book of the damned", book by Charles Fort, 1919.

[2] "Le mystère des OVNIS", book by Paul Mauclair, Vernoy publisher, 1979.

[3] "Three weeks' worth of immortal anniversaries", Tenerife News website.

Notes: See discussion.
Explanation: Unexplained.

Brief discussion:

I checked on cometary appearances for the related period but found none. Such an explanation is normally excluded due to the reported noise.

From Mauclair's brief description, the first I found, I would have thought it could have been a meteor. However this is not possible if the more complete narrative bu Charles Fort is considered, a meteor does not stand still for 15 or 20 minutes.

Counts:

Type of report:
Second hand from unspecified, probably Press, sources.
Number of witnesses:
Many.
Number of named witnesses:
0.
Witnesses occupations:
Not indicated.
Type of location:
Not indicated.
Coordinates:
Too wide area.
Coordinates precision:

Description of "UFO":
Luminous body, white, round, noisy.
Description of "manoeuvers":
Motionless 15 to 20 minutes, moving.
Reactions:
Not indicated.
Occupants:
None.
Occupants keywords:
N/A
Communication:
N/A
Language:
N/A
Content:
N/A

Daylight/nocturnal:
Not indicated.
Weather:
Not indicated.
Observation devices:
None.

Strangeness:
High.
Reliability:
Medium.

Explanation(s) at the time:
Not found.

Type of report:	Second hand from unspecified, probably Press, sources.
Number of witnesses:	Many.
Number of named witnesses:	0.
Witnesses occupations:	Not indicated.
Type of location:	Not indicated.
Coordinates:	Too wide area.
Coordinates precision:

Description of "UFO":	Luminous body, white, round, noisy.
Description of "manoeuvers":	Motionless 15 to 20 minutes, moving.
Reactions:	Not indicated.
Occupants:	None.
Occupants keywords:	N/A
Communication:	N/A
Language:	N/A
Content:	N/A

Daylight/nocturnal:	Not indicated.
Weather:	Not indicated.
Observation devices:	None.

Strangeness:	High.
Reliability:	Medium.

Explanation(s) at the time:	Not found.

This page was last updated on January 24, 2006