Sighting

Several lights or aircrafts seen by Daniel Lahey and others.

Transcription of the newspaper clip:

November 14th, 1917

SUMMITVILLE FARMER SEES
SUSPICIOUS LIGHTS IN SKY

Convinced Aircraft Scouts Hover
on Line of Aqueduct; Makes
Discovery Monday

Whether enemy agents are doing
scout duty over the line of the Ashokan
aqueduct, now heavily patrolled
by units of the New York Guard, or
whether United States airmen were
testing their machines high over the
Shawangunk mountains, is a matter
that is causing at least one resident
of Summitville many sleepless hours
and corresponding days of anxiety.
The sight of mysterious lights, hovering
high over the mountain chain,
and circling and manoeuvring about
in a suspicious manner, with the
recollection still keen in his mind of
the mysterious aircraft which
swooped over Walden a few weeks
ago. Daniel Lahey, a farmer residing
near Summitville, has reported to the
Times-Press that he has seen the
mysterious lights over the mountains,
directly north of Bloomingburg and
east of Summitville. Lahey is convinced
the lights were carried by aircraft.

Standing in front of the window in
his farmhouse on Monday night about
9 o'clock, Lahey discerned a swiftly
moving light in the sky. He called
the attention of his wife to the object,
and soon a second light was
seen. Monday night was clear, and
the interested watchers thought at
first the lights were stars. Suddenly
they were convinced this was a wrong
theory for the light moved swiftly,
one higher than the other, and both
moved in wide circles. The higher
of the lights moved more rapidly than
the lower, but the movements of the
lower one appeared as if the craft
was being piloted with the utmost
caution. For a period which he
claims was nearly half an hour,
Lahey and his wife watched the moving
lights. Their positions remained
unchanged.

"If this aircraft is one of the U. S.
machines," asserted Lahey in the
interview, "it appears to me that
daylight would serve better. But at
night, this seems to serve the purpose
of spy work, and I believe a
rigid investigation should be conducted."

The Times-Press informant declared
that from the distance at
which he thought the machines were
operating, he believed they were
operating over the line of the big
New York water supply system, which
is now under patrol by provisional
infantry regiments.

Several weeks ago came the reports
from Walden that mysterious
craft had been seen circling over
that village, and when the military
authorities were notified, the matter
was at first treated slightly but later,
an investigation was conducted by
commanding officers at aqueduct
guard points, including the officers
at West Point. Mr. Lahey is understood
not to have notified the authorities
of the discovery.

Inquiry among other residents of
Summitville failed to add the names
of others who saw the lights on Monday
night.

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Middletown Times-Press