Strange to Say, It Passed Port Townsend Unobserved.
VICTORIA, Aug. 2. The illuminated aerial visitor that has been mystifying the people of the Northwest for several months past made two recent appearances near Victoria. Three ladies camping at Sidney, a few nights ago, saw it, and watched it for half an hour. It appeared to be moving slowly to the north. One lady described it as a red column of fire apparently 50 feet long.
Sunday morning [August 1] about 2 o'clock it was seen by Messrs. Tatum, Young and Wolfendeen, who camped near Goldstream. It worked in a northwesterly direction. The three men watched it until daylight, when it disappeared. It was shaped like a balloon, but its light was more brilliant than it would be possible to light a balloon. The light was the color of electric light, and the object was steadily throwing out rays. It was not very high. From descriptions, the object would appear to be a visitor from the skies. It was not affected by the wind.