Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1889-08-03

Singular and Thrilling sPook Seen by
Night Telegraph Operator.


Night Telegraph Operator.
On tho 10th day Of October, 1883, ]
was employed rs night telegraph
operator at -. Ills. with hours
from Z p. IN. 10 n. M. On
this evening ! had been read.
ing Robert Elsmcrc" and had read,
perhaps. twenty-five or thirty pages Of
the work. and had just laid aside the
book To reflect upon the work when !
found il was nearly l2 O'Clock. an
swerctl "a call that one of the boys"
sprung" on me. After finishing up
this work loukcI out To see il every
thing was clear for the passage, saw
that all switches were in position, oil
Signals displayed. aud was about TO
turn Ia some other business, when ]
saw approaching what appeared to be
| u train from the west. ] looked in the
other direction aud saw another train
approaching This surprised me. as ]
knew that there were no regular trains
due until 2:35. and had not heard Of
any extras ON the road that night As
they came nearer ] saw that the one
from the west was stock train. aud
the one from the east was "a light train
Of only the engine. caboosc and one
freight car.
Then | noticed that | could sec
through the cars. that they were not
solid as an ordinary train. In a mo-
mcnt they had como together right
in front Of the window Of the
office. within ten feet Of the
chair in which vas sitting There
was not the slightest sound.
but | saw the engines strike and
stop; saw the cars piling up, saw
one engineer try To jump US he was
caught by the cars and pinned
against the boiler head; saw
car double against the one that
had caught the engineer in the
same manner that the blade Of
knife doubles as regards the handle;
saw brakeman caught between the
cars that doubled up; saw ono OF them
slide over or across the other. forced
by the cars behind; saw the namelcss
appearance of the man after this nc
ton; saw a car fall against the water
tank and tip il over; saw side rod
break aud go through the cab; saw
portion of the boilcrhcad or front
detached and come with terrible
velocity toward the window; felt
the shock rs il passed through
the window and by tho chair in
which ! was sitting; saw the sur.
viving tr;iinmncn us soon us the car
stopped begin TO carry the dead TO
ward the door Of the waiting room,
through which they passed without
opening the door or making a sound.
! started 10 go into the waiting
room. when stumbled upon the body
of u man lying upon the iioOr. | look.
cd carefully. saw that lie bore ON his
coat the pin Of q. Il. T.. thereby pro.
claiming himself as AN operator. As
| looked ! recognized the face Of an
old acquaintance. and operator from
whom | had not heard for q long
time by the name Of Frank Willard.
While | looked there came into the
Office two men. who picked up the
body, carried il TO the waiting room.
where ! saw them lay il beside those
Of seven others; but as stepped for
ward To see who they were the entire
aplariiiom vanished. locked ont of
the door, but there was no sign Of a
wreck, the tank was rs usual, but ]
H'tUcu u WHY strOik Suicil VI hiHohc.
then went into the office: looked
at the clock, which marked ~ :03 u. IN.
| sat down at the key, called up the
train dispatcher asked il there had
been II wreck near that place in
the last year, and he replied that the
night man had been killed there about
a year ago IN "a collision. | asked my
relief in the morning the name Of the
night man who WAS killed there.
aud he replied Frank Willard,
aud gave good description Of
tho man Us | had known him. He
also showed me u copy Of the country
paper. containing an article referring
To the wreck and giving the names Of
those killed. and noting the fact that
the wreck took lire and was burned,
with the exception Of couple Of cars
that had been near the water tank
when il was tipped over, and were SO
wet that they would not burn.
| do not, or rather did not, believe
in tho existence Of ghosts; but think
that in this case there is proof that on
occasions the spirits Of tho deceased
visit the places Of their leaving this
life, aud appear as they did At the mo-
mcnt Of departure. Detroit Tribune.