A score of people all over the city observed ‘a long cigar-shaped object’ with a ‘brilliant headlight’ at 10pm for about 15 minutes. That it was occupied was ‘conclusively proven’ by a flashing red light. The object was moving rapidly at a height of about two or three thousand feet then slowed and disappeared to the northeast.
Manchester Guardian, 18 May 1909, p. 7, 20 May 1909, p. 7; Standard, 18 May 1909, p. 8.