The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-06-14

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the state of the case. They hear of strange
phenomenon taking place, and proceed
straightway to give correct explanations OF
the cause Of it, while perhaps some igno-
rant and unlearned person could give a
quite more probable opinion. They are
the only men from whom we receive arTs
explanations on such subjects, and for the
most common occurrence they dip deer
into the depths Of science and philosophy
to get at the true explanation, and thereby
often overstep the mark, as in the present
instance. Men of science were giving
what they considered thorough and salts
factory explanations of the phenomena,
without at all imagining they could be
wrong But so it was! Science aUas at
fault! Learned men were puzzling their
brains and pondering over musty volumes
to discover the cause, while two hair-brain-
ed and mischievous youths were enjoying
with infinite gusto, the hallucination and
perplexity of humbugged people. Had
they took it upon themselves to explain
I the cause of the appearance, they wosld
have told story similar to the following:
That hearing of the extraordinary light
that issued from the windows of the school
house, they went to the place one night,
and discovered the true cause of it, (the
light orrefection from the chimney of the
furnace:) and they Immediately imagined
| it would be productive of considerable
sport to play the ghost themselves.
Therefore, procuring sheet, they pro-
ceeded to the cemetary to await the ap-
peaFance of some victims. Pretty soon
the Investigating party arrived; the way
the visit resulted is stated above. The
next night they imagined it would not be
safe to venture SO near to so large crowd,
as bravery increases in crowd, in such a
case, SO they procured candle and a
bunch of matches, and repaired to the
farther end of the cemetary. Then light
ing the candle, one of them would run
swiftly along with it for a little distance
and then extinguish it. One of the s.ghost-
hunters said he'd d ssbe d--d If II did nj
fly from one end of the fence to the other.
IN a second of time," and another, an older
person, not being quite so sanguine in his
opinions, declared with very grave coun-
tenance, that at went a great deal faster
than a man could rum &c. The even
ing being dark and cloudy, and the atmos.
phere damp and humid, the blue flashes
of light were occasioded by the matches
''going OUT as soon as the birthstone was
consumed.
Such would have been the kind of ex-
planation given by these graceless scamps
of this extraordinary appearance, that had
! produced such an excitement in the village
causing some forty or fifty persons to trav-
el about half mile, of dark and drizzly
night to see them make lights with can
die! And great many are as firmly con.
vinced that they seen ''spook,' as the
writer of this occurrence is convinced thai
! they did not. If the true history of all the
ghost stories, (reported to be true) now ex.
tant were given, they would, with very
| few exceptions, result similar to the above
or even something yet more ridiculous
and thereby leave but a very small space
for the finger of science to trace its expla
nations upon.
December 25th lS4S.