The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-03-15
4 DEFIANT GHOST ON srrLTs.
An Apparition Which Frightens the
Residents of CoopervilIe, Pa
4 Young Girl Thrown

4 Young Girl Thrown
into Spasms by it.
Philadelphia Record.
A we'll authenticated ghost haunts the
Second street bridge at Cooperville, in
the Twenty-fifth ward. Unlike the dis
embodied spirit of immortal Hamlet's
father, the Cooperville apparition does
not keep regular hours, but has been
seen at various times of the night, al
ways in the same spot, near the centre
Of the iron bridge across Second street,
above the Pennsylvania Railroad, but is
oftenest seen at midnight. The night
Waterman at Potter's oilcloth works,
which is very near the bridge, says that
there can be no doubt that some strange
or supernatural thing had lately been in
the habit Of appearing at the bridge, and
he has frequently seen it. On one occa-
sion he attempted to approach the object,
which. he says looks like a cloud of
steam in the shape of an immense man
but when he had got within thirty feet OF
it the ghost disappeared. This has hap
pened often. Sometimes there are, he
says, rumbling noises heard when the
ghost appears, which cannot be the cars,
for none have been seen passing at that
time.
When accounts Of this mysterious Wis
Itor first became current they were laugh
ed and ridiculed, but within the past
week so many people declare that they
have seen the ghost that something like
a panic exists in the neighborhOod, and
few of the people about Will go near or
pass over the bridge at night for any con-
sideration The idea generally prevailed
for some time that the ghost was the
trick of some practical jokers and sys-
teinatic efforts were made to capture it,
all of which have failed. The station
agent at North Penn Junction, which is
near the bridge, says that the ghost has
almosr put stop to night travel over the
bridge, and that sometimes the appari-
ton, like white-robed woman, can be
seen through the darkness from the sta
ton platform. Several children have
been frightened out of their wits on
meeting this spectre on the bridge, and
the other night daughter of John Keys
was so frightened by itthat she was near
~ thrown into spasms, and when she
was taken to her home doctor had to
be sent for.
But the ghosts authenticity does not
rest upon the authority of two or three,
but dozens have seen it, all of whom de-
scribe it as transparent, like tieecy
summer cloud, appearing to rise through
the floor of the iron bridge and disappear
in twinkling when approached. John
Fisher, a resident of the neighborhood,
says that on Monday night last as he
was coming home from a meeting at
Franklin Castle, he heard terrible noise
beneath the bridge, as he stepped upon
it, and looking ahead was Mortified to
behold large white object flying from
the bridge to the track below, when it
disappeared.
Another resident of CooperviIle, Jas.
Long, whe boards at William Lammels,
$500 North Second street, relates his ex-
periennce with the ghost. He says few
nights ago he was on his way home, and
when half way across the bridge he heard
a peculiar noise. Looking quickly up
he was almost terrified to death to find
that he was within eight feet of an OBJ
ject which looked like man on stills
with sheet half concealing him from
view. In an instant the thing disap-
peared, as if dissolved in thin air. He
then heard terrible yell from the rail-
road track below, and looking down saw
the apparition standing between the rails
and appearing to cry out to an approach.
ing train. The engine came laundering
on and ran over or through. the thing,
which was still standing when the cars
had gone by. 1t then suddenly vanish
ed. The affair is a great mystery, hut
many people think it is a trick to puzzle
and astonish the neighborhood. The
superstitious say that it is the ghost of a
man who was accidently killed beneath
the bridge last summer