Certainly there have been many sightings of the "mysterious" airship that were flying over New England in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I have some news clippings that occurred in the towns I grew up in the 1950s-70s.
I grew up in Newburyport and Salisbury Mass. In the 1950s and 1960s I was just coming to the age where I was curious. My great grandmother was a spirit medium and she died when I was about 4 years old. But I still remember her rocking me. But in the late 1950s to the early 1960s something was stirring in me. The massive influx of UFOS.
About 1960 or so I took on a lot of UFO books and joined a few UFO investigation work. That pushed me into the enigmatic world of this weird and strange world of being an"ufologist." But I loved an enigma.
Here is some reports I found along with some that were sent to me by another investigator. Here goes:
Newburyport News Dec 24, 1909: The strange light that has appeared in the heavens in the vicinity of Worcester and Boston for the past 2-3 nights made its appearance over Salisbury this morning at 3 AM, coming from the direction of this city and within a short distance of the Salisbury Beach life saving station it apparently "switched off" in the direction of Amesbury and Disappeared.
Surfman Osler of the bech station had not been out long when he was startled by seeing a light much larger than a star coming very rapidly from the west. He watched it until it was over Salisbury square(about a 5 min walk from my dads house)as he judged it and then it seemed to stop, then continued on to the beach. When about over the station it shot in the direction of Amesbury and in a few minutes was out of sight.
The light is described as white and about the size of an automobile head light. It was up about 1,000 feet and could be seen plainly as the sky was very clear. No framework behind it, such as an areoplane would have, could be seen but Mr. Osler is positive that the light could not be that of a balloon as it moved if under control.
To continue: When the news that the light made its appearance in Salisbury spread in this city this morning the people took it as a huge joke. In Worcester the first person who breathlessly spread the report that a flying machine was passing over the city was thought to be out of his mind, but a few hours later more then 5,000 people had the opportunity to witness the strange light in its return.
NEWBURYPORT NEWS Dec 27, 1909:
The News story of the strange light being seen over Salisbury Friday morning aroused much interest and when Friday night came many were on the watch to see if it would appear again. They were rewarded early in the evening, for by 7 o'clock it appeared from the direction of Amesbury and for nearly an hour it circled the city.
Shortly after 7 o'clock a news reporter was standing on the Newbuyport bridge when a strange light made its appearance near chain bridge and it seemed its course from west to east. When nearly opposite the Towle factory red and blue lights were visible and they were nearer the earth than the night before.
Swiftly following the river course it made for the mouth of the river and when a short distance from the point switched around and came directly over the city. Many at Plum Island witnessed the sight, state that a tail light could be seen.
Those fortunate enough to see the light say that at all times it seemed to be under control of a human being as it shifted its course many times. The last glimpses were obtained when it went in the direction of West Newbury......
Portsmouth has seen a strange cream colored light looking like a lantern. The people believed that it was a signal light attached to the airship. It was seen very plainly Friday evening and it is thought it came there to this city.
Between Portsmouth and Dover, NH. Hundreds of people have reported that they saw the light, not only on Friday night but for the past two or three nights.
