The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-12
Our Ghost Explained.
From Lippincott for July. ]

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In famous haunted house ON the road be
tween Yellow Springs and Xenia, O., supersti
tious exhibitions were specially noted. The
people throughout that region hesitated tic
speak about the place, and its peculiarities
We're mentioned in whispers. Hence my GU
riosity was aroused, and after preparing myself
to resist any danger that might occur from the
presence Of desperate characters, proceeded
to the place and provided an excellent point
for viewing the premises. 1t would have been
tedious business to wait until midnight the
time when ghosts are said to appear But |
did not have to wait long. About II o'clock a
warm stream of air blew up from the south
over creek and a quarter Of mile or more
OF rich, black, warm bottom land.
| As the vapOr struck the hillside it condensed
and little flying balloons of mist flew hither
and thither. The warm air fingered over and
| fernented an old pile of compost decaying
straw, and few old boards that were lying
about. Then there arose a vaporous lumin-
| Gus body, which, with its base on the ground
and conical or round fiery, cloud-like head in
the air, took the shape of a woman. Crimson
and livid blooa-like spots and stre,ks were
about her neck and scattered over her dress.
She waved her hands, and her hair foated
about in clouds Of light while her eyes gilt
tering like the cold moon. Rising slowly
from her hideous bed, the spectre moved
hither and thither, as if the wind toyed
with her, and she cared not whittier she was
taken. At last she started as if to
visit me i'll my retreat then turning
a corner of the stable, she nearly
disappeared, there being nothing left visible
but long, dirty white trail. In moment the
phantom turneda9ain, and crept into the broken
doorway, STOPPING as she retired Several
minutes elapsed, and concluding that she had
collapsed or worn out her yaDOrOus STRENGTH
| was in the act of leaving the place when she
came through the opening Of the doorway and
crevices between the logs Then, after walk
ing OF floating about for while, her light
went out and she became thinner, and finally
disappeared. The shape of the apparation was
such that it was easy for an imaginative per-
son to see it in the form of sad-aced orsangry-
eyed restless woman. Then how easy to create
a legend filled with details of of mysterious
murder, and the unhappy VICTIM whose
shadow must haunt the place of her
taking of, until her names are appeased in
some legal and effective manner! But my
evidence makes this baseless fabric of vision
the mere result of the vaporous exhalations of
compost pile. 1 had very fine pair OF
tield-glasses and could see clearly the effects
produced by the stream of air when it came
in contact with the compost. The vapof be-
gan at that moment to arise, and this result |
would occur in all seasons. Then the lumin-
Gus jets and variegated colors sprang up from
the warm laboratory wherein natures chemis-
try was at work, and finally the thin, vapor-
GUS cloud, which really had not any definite |
shape, was carried at the caprice Of the soft
zephyr winds which fitted about, but did not |
blow sufficiently strong to carry this heavier
body out of the regular drafts through the |
openings Of the dilapidated houses.