Wichita eagle., 1890-02-13
-veSsaiIxN
9aily - Eagle
JACK-0'-LANTERN TOWN.
GRcSTIY GLIMMERiNGS IN THE
lACkAWANNA VALLEY.

IACkAWANNA VALLEY.
strance Night Scenes in the Town of Arch
bald-Good Material for Ghost Stories.
Phil Crefan and His Turkey-The Mys-
terry Easily Explained
Have you ever heard of the moving
lights" OF the Lackawanna valley? They
present an interesting phase of phenomenon
which has exerted strange influence over
the minds of many persons in the mining
haznlets of northeastern Pennsylvania, and
particularly in and about the village of Arch
bald, which stands a little 10 the north OF
midway between Scranton and Carbonate
The mere mention of the lights" 10 any resi-
dent of Archibald is sufficient to convey the
significant meaning which usually attaches
in that neighborhood to the mysterious md
night glinmerings that are frequently seen
lowering over the shallow river that runs
through the town. drifting along the noun
tain side or floating over the tops OF the
houses
These mystic lights have been seen at all
hours of the night by persons who firmly be-
Heve that they are manifested by ghostly
hands A certain old lady who has frequent
" seen the lights solemnly AYERS that at
various times she has observed candle held
bv a spectral hand and carried swiftly along
the mountain side and over the house tops in
the dead of night. That she saw the light
there can be no doubt whatever, but the hand
was furnished by her in1agination-that is
certain.
These lights have been seen most frequent
IL emerging from the mouth Of an old, aban-
doned colliery called the Sebastopol rhine,
where it is said several persons met a violent
death several years ago. Others have seen
them dancing across the village graveyard,
and others vet at the dilapidated water
wheel 1t is needless to say that these par
ticular landmarks have been regarded with
no small degree OF awe for years past, but the
terror is not so great now as 1t was ten or flf-
teen years ago, when the flights" were
usually spoken of with bated breath by those
who actually believed that they were manipu-
lated by the spoolls and hobgoblins, who took
a sort of fiendish delight in frightening the
poor mortality that were not well versed in
the scientific causes from which such phe-
nomena proceed.
The oldest inhabitants" could of course
tell some hair raising stories concerning the
ghostly lights and the thrilling experiences
OF the pioneers who encountered them.
Among the stories current of bygone days,
or rather nights, when these haunting lights
were first observed, is one Of a mysterious
glimmer that actually spoke to one of the
''od settlers" on his way home from the
upper end of the village OF course it was
past the midnight hour, when churchyards
yawn," and the hero of the adventure, Phil
Crehan by name, was returning from a rattle
with d fine fat turkey he had won under his
arm Just as Mr.. Crehan was passing the
''Bottomiess mine'' a light started up from the
mouth Of the shaft, and, after lowering about
for few seconds, as if undecided as to the
course it should take, IL flickered merrily to
his side. Phil Crehan was man of power
ful physique and rare courage, but he con-
fessed afterwarG tnat when he saw the I'M
canuy light keeping him company for a hun
ored rods or so it made him feel rather shaky.
This was nothing, however, until the light
began to talk TO him.
"You are out rather late, Phil, for man
of family" it began
Thinking silence was golden under the cir
cumstances, Dir. Crehan made no reply, but
fastened forward. As he did SO the light
darted ahead of him. and with laugh, which
he described as Eight laugh" it said: ooh,
not so fast, Phil; am not so easily left be-
hind see you had good luck at the rattle, -
said the light rather sarcasHcaly, and as it
spoke 1t fastened itself 10 the head of Mr..
Crehans turkey, giving the gobbler the
Quaint appearance of having an illuminated
head.
BY this time Phil plucked up some courage,
and he replied, with slight show of temper:
''Wen, what if | dido l don't see that it's
any of your business"
at wouldn't be if you played fair,n re-
torted the light, but you know you won the
turkey by cheating, and if you attempt to
eat the bird 1t will choke YOU
Mr. Crehan knew that his playing had not
been entirely fair, but it startled him TO think
that this Pickering intangible thing with
voice should be aware of his conduct The
threat Of choking so terrified him that he ac-
tually lost his appetite for turkey. In his
desperation he blew at the offending light |
with all his power of lung, hoping TO eKtin- |
guish it, but the result was that instead of go |
ing out, as he intended it should, the tiny |
light burst into a great sheet of flame, which |
entirely enveloped the TURKEY, and Mr.. Gre |
han i'll his terror flung away The blazing bird !
and ran home as fast aS he could. Instantly |
the light disappeared, leaving the darkness
more intense than ever, and there was n loud |
peal of mocking laughter which echoed ali |
along the mountains.
When next Phil Creban met the men who |
were interested with him at he rafie he no |
ticed that they crinRad rather suspicously !
when they asked him how he eujoyed his tur- /
KEY, but he did moi care about investigating |
the matter any further, rs his recollection of |
his experience with the spooky light was any |
thing but pleasant.
The queer lights have been seen bv scores
of others, and a good many believe that they /
are carried about by s0ool1s and hobgoblins. |
Those who made a study of the movements of
the luminous visitors noticed that thew were
frequently observed moving from lonely
spot where man was found dead TO dilapi-
dated shanty in which a poor woman was
burned to death some years ago. Another
favorite spot for the lights was arourd the
haunted dwelling in which a widow was found
dead in her bed. Other equally grewsome
scenes are mentioned, including the bottom
less shaft. in winch party of men were
drowned long ago, and which is situated at
the foot of the abrupt slope called Dutch
Hill.
The mystery Of the haunting lights is easily
explained. They are nothing more nor less
than the Old fashioned will-o' -the-wisp, some
times spoken of as the iGnus fatuus. They
arise from the gases generated in the old
mines, where the decaying timber of tire
props ana other prolific causes contribute 10
their existence. Rising slt OF the mines at
night and floating about ike tiny comets,
they present strange study and are well
calculated to strike fear to the stoutest heart
The town of Archibald is probably not more
subject 10 these luminous visitants than other