The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1884-11-14
THE PHANTOM BEACON.
A Mysterious Light Over the
Wreck of the Marine City.

Detroit Post
A few years ago the steamer Ma.
rine City, pl, ing between Deiroit
aud Lake Huron ports, caught lire
oil Harlis,illr, aud was run near
Shmc, When the passengers we're
nearly all rescued, after u struggle
in the water, au,l the bull sunk.
She had been 1T one time n ine
rrdit an,i n flyoiiIep y ssrngrr boat.
In onr at my trips alOn,. that shore
| chanced to fall in company with
"a dwellrr Of that c0uniry aud the
conversation iurued upon he mys.
t,ry that followed the destruction
of that old craft.
"Haye you ever heard Of til,
phantom llghi Which can he seem ~
midnight vn the anniversary OF the
burning OF the Marine CityiT ask
pd an intelligent ol,l fislierman.
III never did n0, " hat is II y
"Cume out here on the dUck with
me tonight at twelve O'Clock aud
you will see.'
accepted the invitation, and ut
the appointed hour we strollel oul
on the pier; aud White we were ON
the way, "rherc, look" said he |;
aud sure enough, rs plain as the
stars that twinkled IN the heavens
II light, apparently u lantern, how
cred above aud around the Old
wreck.
| cuniess was somewhat star
tied, and rubbed my eyes to make
sure il was no optical illusion. Il
mo, e'l about slowly, as II carried
by some unseen hand. Was it not
some malmen mo, ing about I No,
Tor it WAS not so dark nor Tar away
but n small boat could have been
seen aud heard.
/ did not like 10 give it up, and
so We engaged II boat and rowed
up the shore toward the light. The
crisp evening air was as sill as IL
bushed in sleep, aiul as | hent 10
the OARS with u vigorous will | iu.
stinciively fruthrr.d them aud
handled them AS nois,lessl, Ms it
engaged in some midnight adven.
ture requlrlng nerve aud daring.
Somehow ihe love OF adventure
does not seem to desert Us M We
Greer, Oul of our lo, hood and enter
the se,iafr period OF nauhoO,l AMI
the ,lrsiie 10 lalIInp the unial hon.
ahlr Is part 0f most mems nature.
The old fisherman entered heartily
int, thr spirit of the occasion, and
offered to relieve me- at the oars.
"You'rr n good I'm at the oar,
but il your hani is not in yon'll
lame YOURSELF Tor it's u good mile
up there.
Easing mp " little and pulling np
cautiously, | elance,l0,er my shoul.
der coward the light. 1t seemed 10
lie irce,ling, u kind OF ignis fatuus,
AID again | doubled the oars.
Soon We were at The old sunkrn
hull, but The light had Disappeared.
We ruwed around the burnt wreck
resting in shallow water, and ln0k-
pd down inIO its coal.black depths,
but could srr 10 cause for phDs-
lights. Tdrn We rowrsl
~ the shore and examined The
l,nnks--sand and gravrl--noihing
else; no swamp or rotten wUmI,
nor stiram of water near; In fact,
nothing that | could ,liScovrr that
would cause this will .iu.ihe. isp.
We got iulo the huat and my
seemed depressed and
Inclined TO sirner, aud @w he
WAS s,ized with u sart Of snrWrsti.
tim. aud 80 1 thought to distract
his thoughts y little aud draw him
out as to his theory regarding the
~, sirry, and this was it:
''Ymu hplieve then that men have
souls that live NJ er slpaIlir
II most certainty dor
"Wpll, don't you believe that
souls have the power to talk to Us