The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-10-01
THE PHANTOM BEACON.
A DETROIT NEWSPAPERS APOLOGIZE.
The Light Which Continually Hovers Over
the Wreck OF tho Steamer Marine
City-An Unfathomable
Mystery.
detroit Free Press.l


A few years ago the steamer, Marine
City, plying between Detroit and Lake
Huron ports, caught fire just off Harris.
vile and was run near shore, when the
passengers were nearly all rescued, after
q struggle in the water, and the hull sank.
She had been at one time fine craft and
favorite passenger boat. In one Of my
trips along that shore chanced to fall in
company with a dweller of that country,
and the conversation turned upon the
mystery that followed the destruction OF
that old craft.
"Have you ever heard Of the phantom
light which can be seen at midnight on the
anniversary Of the burning of the Marine
CityW asked an intelligent old fisherman.
~ never did; no, what is itp'
"Come out here on the dock with me to.
night at twelve o'clock and you will see."
Iaccepted the invitation, and at the ap.
pointed hour we strolled out on the pier,
and while we were on the way, "There,
look" said he, and sure enough, as plain
as the stars that twinkled in the heavens,
q light, apparently lantern, hovered
above and around the old wreck.
confess was somewhat startled, and
rubbed my eyes TO make sure It wal
no optical illusion. 1t moved aboul
slowly as II carried by some unseen
hand. Was it not some boatman NOV
ing abonti No, for 1t was not so dark mol
50 far away but small boat could
have been seen and heard.
did not like to give it up, and SO W.
engaged boat and rowed up the shore
towards the light. The crisp, evening
air was as still as II hushed in sleep, and
as bent to the oars with a vigorous will
! instinctively feathered them and han
died them as noiselessly as IL engaged in
some midnight adventure requiring nerve
and daring. Somehow the love of adven.
ture does not seem to desert us as we
creep out Of our boyhood and enter the SO.
date period of manhood; and the desire tc
fathom the unfathomable is part of mosl
mems nature. The old fisherman entered
heartily into the spirit Of the occasion and
offered TO relieve me at the oars.
"You're a good 'un at the oar, but
II your hand is not in you'll lame your.
bNllg AOl lbb u BOOu lhlO uP bhbiCs
Easing up bit and pulling more eau.
tiously glanced over my shoulder toward
the light. 1t seemed to be receding, a
kind Of ignis fatuus; and again doubled
over the oars.
Soon we were at the old sunIen hull, but
the light had disappeared. We rowed
around the burnt wreck resting in shallow
water and looked down into its coal black
depths, but could see no cause for phos-
phorescent light. Then we rowed to the
shore and examined the banks-sand and
gravel-nothing else; no swamp or rotten
wood, nor stream OF water near; in fact
nothing, that l could discover, that would
caslse this will-'o.the.wisp.
We got into the boat and my companion
seemed depressed and inclined to silence,
and ! saw that he was seized with a sort Of
superstition, and SO l thought to distract
his thoughts little and drew him out as
to his theory regarding the mystery, and
this was IL:
"You believe that men have souls that
live after deathW
81 most certainly do"
swell, don't you believe that souls have
the power to talk to us In one way or an
otherp
81 am not so sure about that"
"You've heard of folks dreaming about
some Of their friends being in danger and
soon after get word that the danger was
real, and possibly their friends died in the
very hour they were dreamed about.
Now, what would you call itf"
swell, should call II a communication
with the spirit world that l don't care to
have anything TO do with until 1 have done
with this world"
"Then you are not a spirtualist l seep'
"Not II know myself; unless in the
sense that all professedly Christian peo.
pie (whether really or professedly do
not say) are spiritualists, TO a certain ex.
tent But what about that lighti You are
getting onto theology; the light, what is
itf"
swell, sir, pll tell you what / think II
is. 1t was said that the Marine City was
set on fire by one Of the deck hands or fire.
men out Of revenge for some real or i'm
aginary wrong, and that he was one Of the
few that was lost, and my OPT nion is, II
that is true, that he is doomed as pun.
ishment TO bring that light here every
night during the month in which the boat
was lost, to light the others that were lost
safely over the dark river,' and possibly
as warning to others that may be like
tempted TO murder or other wlckedness.
We can't tell what Gods ways are, but
we can see the warnings all around us,
and believe this is one of Gods beacon
lights"
swell, my friend, there is certainly no
harm in the thought. am at least ready
TO give II up as a mystery that l can't