Post by auntym on Jul 8, 2013 14:47:23 GMT -6
www.phantomsandmonsters.com/2013/07/the-flying-man-of-coney-island.html
Monday, July 08, 2013
The 'Flying Man' of Coney Island
This New York Times article from 1880 describes 'a man with bat’s wings and improved frog’s legs' flying over Coney Island. There are also references to similar sighting in St/ Louis and Kentucky. Could this be an early Mothman sighting?:
New York Times - 12 September 1880
AN AERIAL MYSTERY
One day last week a marvelous apparition was seen near Coney Island. At the height of at least a thousand feet in the air a strange object was in the act of flying toward the New Jersey coast. It was apparently a man with bat’s wings and improved frog’s legs. The face of the man could be distinctly seen, and it wore a cruel and determined expression. The movements made by the object closely resembled those of a frog in the act of swimming with his hind legs and flying with his front legs. Of course, no respectable frog has ever been known to conduct himself in precisely that way; but were a frog to wear bat’s wings, and to attempt to swim and fly at the same time, he would correctly imitate the conduct of the Coney Island monster. When we add that this monster waved his wings in answer to the whistle of a locomotive, and was of a deep black color, the alarming nature of the apparition can be imagined. The object was seen by many reputable persons, and they all agree that it was a man engaged in flying toward New-Jersey.
About a month ago an object of precisely the same nature was seen in the air over St. Louis by a number of citizens who happened to be sober and are believed to be trustworthy. A little later it was seen by various Kentucky persons as it flew across the State. In no instance has it been known to alight, and no one has seen it at a lower elevation than a thousand feet above the surface of the earth. It is without a doubt the most extraordinary and wonderful object that has ever been seen, and there should be no time lost in ascertaining its precise nature, habits, and probable mission.
That this aerial apparition is a man fitted with practicable wings there is no reason to doubt. Some one has solved the problem of aerial navigation by inventing wings with which a man can sustain himself in the air and direct his flight to any desired point. Who is this adventurous flyer and what is his object? are questions of immediate and enormous importance. Of course, the first impulse of the unreflecting mind will be to exclaim that the mysterious flyer is an aeronaut who has invented practicable wings, and is secretly experimenting with then before making his invention public. This is directly at variance with the known habits and customs of aeronauts.
CONTINUE READING: www.phantomsandmonsters.com/2013/07/the-flying-man-of-coney-island.html
Monday, July 08, 2013
The 'Flying Man' of Coney Island
This New York Times article from 1880 describes 'a man with bat’s wings and improved frog’s legs' flying over Coney Island. There are also references to similar sighting in St/ Louis and Kentucky. Could this be an early Mothman sighting?:
New York Times - 12 September 1880
AN AERIAL MYSTERY
One day last week a marvelous apparition was seen near Coney Island. At the height of at least a thousand feet in the air a strange object was in the act of flying toward the New Jersey coast. It was apparently a man with bat’s wings and improved frog’s legs. The face of the man could be distinctly seen, and it wore a cruel and determined expression. The movements made by the object closely resembled those of a frog in the act of swimming with his hind legs and flying with his front legs. Of course, no respectable frog has ever been known to conduct himself in precisely that way; but were a frog to wear bat’s wings, and to attempt to swim and fly at the same time, he would correctly imitate the conduct of the Coney Island monster. When we add that this monster waved his wings in answer to the whistle of a locomotive, and was of a deep black color, the alarming nature of the apparition can be imagined. The object was seen by many reputable persons, and they all agree that it was a man engaged in flying toward New-Jersey.
About a month ago an object of precisely the same nature was seen in the air over St. Louis by a number of citizens who happened to be sober and are believed to be trustworthy. A little later it was seen by various Kentucky persons as it flew across the State. In no instance has it been known to alight, and no one has seen it at a lower elevation than a thousand feet above the surface of the earth. It is without a doubt the most extraordinary and wonderful object that has ever been seen, and there should be no time lost in ascertaining its precise nature, habits, and probable mission.
That this aerial apparition is a man fitted with practicable wings there is no reason to doubt. Some one has solved the problem of aerial navigation by inventing wings with which a man can sustain himself in the air and direct his flight to any desired point. Who is this adventurous flyer and what is his object? are questions of immediate and enormous importance. Of course, the first impulse of the unreflecting mind will be to exclaim that the mysterious flyer is an aeronaut who has invented practicable wings, and is secretly experimenting with then before making his invention public. This is directly at variance with the known habits and customs of aeronauts.
CONTINUE READING: www.phantomsandmonsters.com/2013/07/the-flying-man-of-coney-island.html