Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-05-23
JACK -U-LANTERN TOWN.
GHOSTLY GLlMMERINGS IN THE
LACKAWANNA VALLEY.

| Strange Night Scenes in the Town of Arch
bald-Good Material for Ghost Stories.
Phil Crehan and His Turkey-The Mys-
terry Easily Explained.
Have you ever heard of the ''moving
lights" of the Lackawanna valleys They
present an interesting phase of a phenomenon
which has exerted a strange influence over
the minds of many persons in the mining
hamlets of northeastern Pennsylvania, and
particularly in and about the village of Arch
bald, which stands little to the north of
midway between Scranton and Carbonate.
The mere mention of the "lights'' to any resi-
dent of Archibald is sufficient to convey the
significant meaning which usually attaches
in that neighborhood to the mysterious mid
night glimmerings that are frequently seen
lowering over the shallow river that runs
sssongh the town, drifting along the noun
sain 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-
lieve that they are manifested by ghostly
hands, A certain old lady who has frequent
ly seen the s'lights'' solennly AYERS that at
various times she has observed a candle held
by 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 imagination-that is
certain.
These lights have been seen most frequent
ly emerging from the mouth of an old, aban-
doned colliery called the Sebastopol mine,
where it is said several persons met violent
death several years ago. Others have seen
them dancing across the village graveyard,
and others yet 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 it was ten Or fif
teen years ago, when the ''ights" were
usually spoken of with bated breath by those
who actually believed that they were manipu-
lated by the spooks and hobgoblins, who took
a sort of iendish delight in frightening the
poor mortality that were not well versed in
the scientific causes from which such phe-
nomena proceed.
The coolest 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 mysterious
glimmer that actually spoke to one of the
''old 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 rattle
with a fine fat turkey he had won under his
arm. Just as Mr.. Crehan was passing the
''Bottomless mine" 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, it fickered merrily to
his SIDE Phil Crehan was man of power
full physique and rare courage, but he con-
fessed afterward that when he saw the I'M
canny light keeping him company for hun
dred 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 Mr.. Crehan made no reply, but
fastened forward. As he did so the light
darted ahead of him, and with a laugh, which
he described as slight laugh" it said: ooh,
not so fast, Phil; am not so easily left be-
hind. see you had good luck at the raffle,"
said the light rather sarcastically, and as it
SpOk0 IL 1dSUeued 1IS0ll W Cuo aCc1o VI 1u1
Crehan's turkey, giving the gobbler the
quaint appearance of having an Illuminated
head.
By this time Phil plucked up some courage,
and he replied, with a slight show of temper:
"Well, what if I dida I don't see that it's
any of your business"
SIT wouldn't be if you played fair" re-
torted the light, ''but you know you won the
turkey by cheating, and if you attempt to
eat the bird it 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 a
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 extin-
guish it, but the result was that instead of go
ing out, as he intended it should, the tiny
light burst into great sheet of flame, which
entirely enveloped the turkey, and Mr.. Gre
han in 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 loud
peal of hooking laughter which echoed all
along the mountains
When next Phil Crehan met the men who
were interested with him at the rattle he no.
ticed that they grinned rather suspiciously
when they asked him how he enjoyed his tur
key, but he did not care about investigating
the matter any further, as his recollection of
his experience with the spooky light was any
thing but pleasant.
The queer lights have been seen by scores
of others, and good many believe that they
are carried about by spooks and hobgoblins.
Those who made study of the movements of
the luminous visitors noticed that they were
frequently observed moving from lonely
spot where a man was found dead, to a dilapi-
dated shanty in which a poor woman was
burned to death some years ago. Another
favorite spot for the lights was around the
haunted dwelling in which widow was found
dead in her bed. Other equally grewsome
scenes are mentioned including the bottom
less shaft, in which 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 the
props and other prolific causes contribute to
their existence. Rising out of the mines at
night and floating about like 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 to these luminous Yisitants than other
mining towns, but its sheltered situation be-
tween two hills gives it special opportunities
for studying the phenomenon that has given
rise to many ghost story and weird ira
dition.-Scranton Cor. New York Times
The Late Empress Augustus Tact.
At another time figured in way not cal
culated to increase my reputation as diplo-