Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-27

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Several years since we were read
ing, in the presence of an elderly
lady friend, the tradition recited bv
Mr.. Robert Dale Owen, in his work
on spiritual manifestations, of a fe-
male school teacher in Switzerland.
who had appeared in the capacity of
what is termed double to her pu-
pills, and who " as, from this Pecu-
position, as she had upon several
occasions been seen in two places at
the same tins and when questioned
upon the subject the teacher de
elared that at such times, in her ma
tural body, she experienced a listless
ness that she could not account for.
The lady friend referred to then re-
cited an occurrence that transpired
In a town on the Ohio, now large
and hourishing city, some forty
years ago. A young lady friend had
recently married and gone down the
river on bridal trip; the newly
married man holding the position Of
engineer on the boat After an abb
sence of several weeks our inform
ant and her husband, after tea, one
evening, concluded to call at the
residence of the brides mother, who
lived some for or five squares dis
tant, and ascertain when the daugh-
ter and her husband were expected
home. 1t was in the month of
August, If our memory serves us,
and the moon was shining brightly,
so that objects could be distinctly
seen for distance of half square
very readily. They had entered
the street at point within one
hundred yards of their destina-
ton, and the house they were about
visiting was plainly visible. 1t |
was large single tenement frame |
house, setting about three or four |
feet above the level of the street,
with steps leading from the pave
ment to the front door When our
informant and her husband had |
reached within fifty feet of the door |
they were surprised to see moving |
up the steps the newly married
couple, and to see them noiselessly
enter the door. They congratulated
themselves that they would be the
first among their acquaintance to |
welcome them back from their trip, |
and went Immediately to the door, |
and, knocking, were admitted by the
mother of the young lady After
being ushered into the parlor, and
taking seats, the lady inquired for
her friend, expecting to greet her in
4 few moments. The mother an
swered that she had not arrived,
nor was she expected for two or
three days. This astonished our
friend, as she felt sure that she had
seen her enter the house, but for
fear Of subjecting herself to ridicule,
forbore to mention what she had
witnessed. Her intimacy with the
family preeluded the possibility of
the answer being an excuse for the
non appearance of the bride and
groom, and after spending an hour
or two with the lady of the house
in social intercourse, she, with her
husband, started for home, on the
way discussing the double wrath
that made the appearance on the
door step, and endeavored to rea-
son with one another that it was a
hallucinatiOn
This was years before the tele-
graph had annihilated time, and
railroads had rendered communica-
ton between distant points a matter
of small moment. The second day |
after this moonlight walk and visit,
the steamer Ben Franklin arrived
from below, bringing the announce
ment that the steamboat Car of
Commerce 1--WE believe this was the
name of the boat had exploded her
boilers at or near the Louisville
wharf. The second engineer was
badly scalded; the burns being very
severe, be jumped overheard in or
der to obtain relief from the water
of the river, and was rescued only
to die on the landing before he
could be removed to any building
or receive medical attendance. This
engineer was the newly married has
band, and the lady was blown over
board and her body never recovered. |
The explosion had taken place on
the day that our informant and her
husband had seen the double appa-
ton on the door steps on Walnut
street in Cincinnati.
When the old lady concluded the
of these circumstances to
us, we asked her if she believed they
were the spirits of her departed
friends. She answered that all the
facts related had transpired, and that
we could call them by what name
we chose. We give the story as
related to us, and it certainly, to our
mind, is as well authenticated as
many spirit manifestations that we
have heard narrated by living wit
nesses, and that they are firmly be-
lieyed We can point to men and
women in our community who to-
day have had as marvellous expert
ences as the one above related, and
who cannot believe that they
have been deceived.-Nel0 Albany |