The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-08-01
Il Phantom Train.

.
SUPERNATURAL TRAIN FILLED WITH AG-
oNIzED PASSENGERS wHIRLING BY WITH
THE SPEED OF THOUGHT IN THE LONE
HOURS OF THE ETGHT-DEsCRIPTIoN BY
AN EYEWITNESS OF THE DREAD SCENE.
Especial Correspondence Pittsburgh Leaderl
FACToRYvILIE, PA, July p; HS13:-Io-
day I said to Mr.. Irwin AicHenry, of this .
place:
.Have you ever heard the phantom train /
which is said to run down the railroad /
track in this vicinity i'll the nighttime ?' /
MIR. McHenry, who is an humble coal /
miner. and who lives up the road about
mile above Factoryville took his pipe out
of his mouth as he said solemnly:
Il ave, sorr. -
ga real phantom train ?''
'sYou can call it wot you like, sorr-
ave seen train wot was not 'uman pass
over 'ere many night, sorr
Il am much interested. VIII you please
tell me about it ?'
The honest miner assented, and seated
myself by his side and in front OF his house.
Mr. McHenry's house was very humble
one. situated upon an elevated bit of
ground halfway between the tunnel above
/ Factoryville and the curve beyond the
depot of the Delaware, Lackawanna and
| Western railroad.
/ During the day 1 had beed lounging
about the little hamlet of Factoryvllle,
I
, therein about
THE PHANTOM TRAIN.
/ It seems the bit of track between Fac
toryville and the tunnel has been the scene
of many incidents. Upon several Occa-
/ sions, trains, or portions thereof, have
been pitched down the embankment around
the curve. and in more than one case lives
have been lost. About a year ago the
phantom train appeared the night before
one of the most serious of the accidents
that ever occurred upon the road. Then
the phantom train was thought to be a
fOrerunner of disaster, but since that 1t
has been heard very often. Hardly an
evening passes but what the train Is heard
So natural is the sound of this visionary
train that guests of the Factoryville hotel
waiting for night trains, have been de
ceived to the extent of rushing out, in
great haste, so near would it seem.
In my walks about Factoryville | heard
so much of the phantom train, that my
/ credulity was taxed to the utteTmost, but
it was rather staggering to find every in
habitant Of FactOryville an implicit believer
in the fact of the train passing through
during the hncanny hours of night. In
deed, | have yet to find any one here who
has not heard it at least more than once.
They speak of it with solemn pride,
slightly tinged with awe when nightfall
comes on. But in the daytime, they speak
of it more lightly, but never in an incred-
ulOus way.
THE CONVERsATION
alluded to in the opening of the letter, Oc-
CURED about six O. clock in the evening
yesterday. l had left Factoryville in the
afternoon to take n walk up the haunted
stretch of track and had stopped on my
way at an humble habitation by the road
side for a glass of water. I was very kind
, ly received, and as Mr.. McHenry was in
from his work in the mines, and resting
out on the green sward in front of the
house, L begged permission to join the
group:
THE SCENE
was well worth a painters sketch. The
humble, dingy-lOoking cottage, overrun
with moss and tangled vines, whose inte-
rior, revealed by an open doorway, showed
the thrift and tidiness of the hOusekceper;
nestled at the foot of a huge oak tree, whose
huge branches spread out as if to protect
the little home. Back of it; against the
horizon, stretched glOomy-browed bills,
covered with a dense veTdure. Between
! them and the house were other residences
of miners, but scattered far apart.
But the main interest of the picture lay
in the foreground. \ sturdy miner with
sinews of iron lay upon the green grass
smoking his evening pipe with an air of
placid content pleasant to see. Little chill
GTen divided their attention between their
parent and large shaggy dog, which was
very patient with the little ones. The
mother sat back engaged in mending her
good mans smock, as a COntented smile
lighted up her good English face when she
looked at her family grouped in front of
her.
The miner was eloquent upon the sub
ject of the phantom train, and when he
talked the round eyes of the children grew
rOunder and larger as they ceased their
play and crept under the protecting wing
| ipf tlnIr. nn3G I ~
in conversation with the miner until the
sun set behind the hills and a little moan
ing breeze began to tell of the approaching
: night.
AN IRREsIsTIBLE FASCINATION
kept me to the spot. The miner, perceiving
my interest i'll the subject of the phantom
train invited me to remain during the night
as he had spare cot; where L could catcl
a nap, if l should miss the sight of the
train. | eagerly accepted his invitation
and with the company of a cigar I begar
my lonely watch, as the miner retired early
, for he needed the rest for his next days
work.
1t was a quiet, moonlesS summer night
The stars lazily blinked down through
the haZy night, while the saddest of mel
ancholy breezes kept up dreary sobbina
IN the direction of the tunnel. Crickets
IN the grass maintained monotonous
CHIpiHS. nature COnsplred TO produce IN
me feeling Of depression. The blazing
star of my cigar and its refreshing comfort
consoled me in a measures so that became
after time quite dreamy.
In the neighbOrhood of ten O'Clock [ felt
y chill wind, which wallened me instantly.
That cold wind seemed a presage of the
phantom train. l was alert enough now
and listened intently while staring in the
direction of the gloomy tunnel
, At nrSt | heard nothing but the mOaniDo
of the winds. The leaves above nv head
rustled loudly upon my now doubly keen
perceptions the cricket's chirp seemed
like shrek.
Listen. Yes there is a faint sound. 4
subdued roar, far away whistle. The