Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-11-30
A PHANTOM TRAIN.


The DEAD LINcoIx's YEARLY Tar
OVER THE NEw YORK CENTRAL RAIL
IoAp.-A correspondent in the Albany
On. w. Evening Times relates con
versation with superstitious night
watchman on the New York Central
Railroad IL believe in spirits and
ghosts. know such things exist. II
YOU will come up in April | will con
vince YOU" He then told of the phan-
tom train that every year comes up the
road with the body of Abraham Lin
coin. Regularly in the month of April,
about midnight, the air on the track be
comes very keen and cutting. On ei-
ther side il is warm and still Every
watchman when he feels this mir steps
off the track and sits down TO watch.
Soon after the pilot engine, with long
! black streamers. and band with black
instruments, playing dirgcs. grinning
skeletons sitting all about will pass up
noiselessly, ,and the very air grows black.
If it is moonlight clouds always como
over the moon, and the music seems to
lingei. rs if frozen with horror. A few
moments after and the phantom train
glides by. Flags and strcamcrs hang
about. The track ahead seems covered
with black carpet. and the wheels arc
draped with the same. The coffin of
the murdered Lincoln is seen lling on
the centre of car, and all about il IN
the air and the train behind are vast
numbers of bluc.coated men, some with
cofins on their backs. Others leaning OIL
them. Ii seems then that all the vast
armies that died during the war are es'
cortinr the phantom train OF the Prcsi
dent. The wind if blowing. dies away
at once, and over all the earth 'lemn
hush, almost sitting, prevails. II
train were passing, lis noise would be
drowned in the silence. and the phan'
tom train would ride over il. Clocks
and watches always stop, and when
looked AT are found 10 bc from five 10
eight minutes behind. Everywhere on
the road, about the 21th OF April, tho
time of watches and trains is found sud.
denly behind. This, said the leading
watchman, was from the passage OF tho
! phantom train.
A Man FALLS THREE HCNDRrp Fgrr
FROM \ BrRNING BAIiooN.-An extra
Of the De kalb Qll) News, OF Friday
evening last, gives the following ac-
count OF the death of a man 10y FILLING
frnm a balloon on the afternoon Of that
day:
"Mr. Denniston, the Tronant. who MI
vertis,d that Mr.. l.. Durham would
make an ascension ut this place this att
ernoon, was Initiating his monster balloon
CITY of New York, and had nearly
completed the initiating process when
people on the north part of the grounds
discovered smoke escaping from the top
of the balloon Ii was scarcely visible
at first, but faster and faster emitted tho
smoke. and the alarm was given, but
hardly had the detection in the alr-ship
become apparent before the flames were
issuing from the very top Of the balloon.
Quickly the shout went up. The bal
loon is OH fire and as those near b, be-
gan TO retreat the horses were also driy.
en- here and there TO escape all danger.
The dry cambric and It's covering began
burning, first slowly, then the flames
spread, and upward and onward went
the fire, q premoniiion by this time oy-
ertaking the spectators---cvery one pre-
sent feeling that some fearful If not n.
tai calamity would result Scarcely hal
the flames burst out, however before an
aperture of two or three feet was made
where the guy rope holdingthe unwicld.
" thing crossed il, and the rope burned
off and away to the southwark shot tho
balloon, carrying with it, in its course.
Mr.. Michael McMann, l1borer assist
ing in the inflammation. Being near tho
basket as il start9d off he become en.
tangled and hanging with one foot in
side the basket, his hands holding to
the rope, he thus assembled for perhaps
one hundred feet, and regaincd posi-
ton in the basket, which again hung
sideways, and in another minute he was
hanging to the ropes alone at height
of probably not less three hundred feet.
Now BIS strength gave way, his pres
ence of mind deserted him, and in an
other moment the poor man is seen fall
ing TO the earth, filling with horror and
consternuiion the four or fiv. hundred
spectators on tile grounds. He descen-
ded to the earth nearly in standing
position from three hundred feet in mid
air. until when near terra firma he fefi
backwards, striking the ground with his
| back with such force NJ TO produce .
! conclusion heard some distance away.
He was utterly crushed, the blood stream
ing from his mouth and nostrils. Nc
/ Mann left a wife and several children,
who depended npon his labox for .
living. The balloon alighted but few
rods outside Of the Fair Grounds, and
was soon consumed"
TRUE-A few friends will 60 and
bury us; affection will rear stone and
plant q few flowers over our grave, in
brief period a little hillock will DO
smoothed down aud the stone will fall,
and neither friend or stranger will 10
concerned TO ask which one Of the for.
gotten millions of the earth were buried
there. Every vestige that we ever