The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-10-09
HPHAHroM BEACON.
4 Mysterious Light Over the Wreck Of
:" the Marine City.

4 Nystsr1ous Light Over the Wreck Of
- the 1laxins.City
A few yesrs ago the steamer Marine
City, plying! between Detroit and Lake
Huron ports, caught fire just off Har-
risxille and WAS run near shore when
the passengers were nearly all ;rescued'
after struggle in the water, sand the
hull sanka -,
She had been at one time fin craft
and a favorit>~ passenger boat. En- one
of my trips alo- ug that shore I Oh anced
to fall in compan with 8 dwell er =
that country AID the convers alton
turned upon the mys terry thai foile wed
the destruction of that old craft
"Have you ever heard OF the phA n
tom light which can be SEEN at mln
night on the anniversary of thu burning
of the Marine City" asked an :mtef5;'
gent old fisherman.
II never did; no, what is it,"
sCome out here on the dock with me-
tonight at II o'clock and you will see. :"
accepted the Invitation, and at the:
appointed 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 twinkeled in
in the heavens, light, apparently
lantern, lowered above.and around the
old wreck.
I confess I was somewhat starteled,
and rubbed my eyes to make sure it was
no optical illusion. It moved about
slowly as if carried by some unseen
hand. Was it not some boatman NOV
inc about? No. for it was not SO dark
nor go far away but a small boat could
have been seen AID heard.
I did not Ike to h'lve 1t up, and SO we
engaged bost and rived up the shore
toward the light. The crlsp' evening
air was as still as # hustled IN sleep,
and as I bent to the oar With
vigorous will I instinctiriy .feathered
them and handled then as
noiselessly as if engaged IN
some midnight adventure requirinsr
nerve and daring. Somehow the love
of adventure does not seem to desert us
as we creep out Of our boyhood and
enter the sedate period of manhood;;
and the desire to fathom the unfathon--
able is q part of most mems nature.
The old fisherman entered heartily into
the spirit of the occasion and offered
to relieve me at the oars.
you're good 'un at the oar, but if
your hand is not in you'll lame your
self, for it's good mile up there"
Easing up bit and pulling more
cautiously glanced over my shoulder
toward the Light. It seemed to be re-
ceding, kind of ignis tatuus; and
again doubled over the oars.
Soon we were at the old slnken 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 phosphorescentl lights. 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,
this will'o-the-wisp.
We got into the boat and my conn
panion seemed depressed and inclined:
to silence, and saw that he was seized
with a sort of superstition, and so |
thought to distract his thoughts a Ut
tie and drew him out as to his theory
regarding the mystery, and this was it:
"You believe that men have souls
that live after death?"
II most certainly do"
"Well, don't you believe that souls
have the power to talk to us in one way
or another?"
u 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 dan
ger was real, and possibly their friends
died in the very hour they were
dreamed about. Now, what would you
call it?"
"Well, I should call it communica-
ton with the spirit world that don't
care to have anything to do with until I
have done with this world"
"Then you are not a spiritualist
see?"
"Not if I know myself; unless in the
sense that all professedly Christian peo-
pie whether really or professedIy ] do
not say are spiritualists, to a certain eS-
tent. But what about that light? You ara
getting onto theology; the light, WHAT is
it"
"Well, sir, I'll tell you what I think,
it is. It was said that the Marine City
was set on fire by one at the deck
hands or fremen out of revenge for
some real or imaginary wrong, anf that
he was one of the few that was lost,
and my opinion is if that is true, that
he is doomed as a punishment 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 a
warning to others that may be. like
tempted to murder or other wickedness.
We can't tell what Gods ways are, but
we can see the warnings all around us
and believe this is one of Gods bea-
con Lights"
"Well, my friend, there is certainly
no harm in the thought. I am at least
ready to give it up as mystery that l
| can't fathom-and here we are at the
dock again."