The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-16
CATCH BOTH GHOSTS
EPISCOPAL CHURCH MUSICAL
MYSTERY EXPLAINED
Engineer Marquis Runs One OF the
Melodious Spooks Down in Short
Order While Rev. Vo1 Herfiich
Soon Corrals the O.her
Tweedledee Banshee.

Those two Episcopal church ghosts have
been caught. Engineer X. w. Marquis
identified one. Rev. Won Herrlich is sure
that the other cannot prove an alib,.
Il is unfortunate that the truth did not
come earlier. A large crowd OF devout
and mystic spiritualists and less mystic
and more obstreperous investigators be-
sieeed the beautiful church edifice at mid
night Sunday and late last night.
Trouble may result from some of their
antics The presence OF ghost or human
does not license vandalism. The following
is a reward offered:
S25 REWARD.
For the apprehension and conviction of the
party or parties who broke the window In the
Episcopal church Sunday night.
ST.. JOINS CHURCH.
By c. H. WALKER.
Senior Warden.
Now, as to the first and most melodious
ghost: r. w. Marquis believes he has
caught it, Mr. Marquis is chief engineer
at the Citizens electric light plant. The
spook, he has taken, is not the diaphanous
shade of ,.-earted virtuoso, doomed TO
walk the night and press the organ keys
in gliding, mournful cadences, to pour out
The pangs of condemned soul in weird
cascades of minor diminuendos and spurts
of harsh. protesting crescendos. In fact,
this ghost has no more use for an organ
than cow has for spectacles.
1t has no pallid cheek-no flowing locks
dabbled in blood; no long convulsive
clutching fingers. 1t is merely an electri-
Cal transformer. In shape it is square.
But Engineer Marquis had better ex-
plain: 1.-The low humming succession of
musical sounds" said Marquis, yesterday,
switch some imaginative people would
charge to a supernatural agent, which are
heard, supposedly in the Episcopal church.
are easily explained: On that church is a
Transformers metallic meter. On an
electrical wire there is ordinarily HOO
volts. This voltage goes to the transform
err The transformer prevents all but 81
volts-all that is necessary TO produce
the necessary lights, from going beyond
it into the church, bnt directs
it on around the circuit. This creates a
mournful hum, with time beats, such as
you can hear from telegraph pole Oh
windy day. There is one provision. The
transformer will not moan except when it
is attached to stone or brick. Wood
leadens it,"
''But why is il heard only after mid
Dight?"
''That is easy. The transformer signsin
The daytime, but very family. Now
every night, a few minutes after mid
night the resident electric circuit is shut
off. This causes an increased voltage on
the other circuit and it is no surprise to
me that the transformer on that stone
church is audible several hundred feet
away at that hoEr."
Mr.. Marquis pointed to transformer
In the plant
1.-The music that it makes" he said, sis
quite unlike any other that am familiar
with. II has certain fascination for
me-has that transformers plan
i've song. You will hardly
believe me, but it is true that my ear has
become so practiced that l can tell almost
the exact voltage, whether it is decreasing
or increasing by its modulations.
This is the first ghost most assuredly.
This is the spirit that people have listened
to between gasps.
Now the second ghost. Rev. Won Herr
IL
may be that il is somewhat confused with
Mr. Marquis electrical ghoul.
''Now have heard those low mournful
sounds myself" said the reverend gentle
man yesterday. II heard them again Sat
nrday night. | Investigated and L found
that those sweet sounds came from lot of
electric wires near the church. The winds
turns sharp corner and sings upon them.
1t is merely an Aeolan harp, and
t is this that gives rise to that
ghost theory. The music it makes is very
plaiutive and sweet. The story of the
sexton hearing the organ playing all by
itself is explained in this way. A member
OF the congregation was in there playing
pne day, when the sexton was in the base
ment. Before the sexton came up the
member had slipped OUT
This di.poses of the ghosts. 1t is well.
A great many people in the neighborhood,
when this information comes TO them,
will, with relief. sigh like the steam valve
Of locomstiye under full steam, blowing
pff.
There was large crowd OF spiritualists
and others lowering around the church
,ast night until after II o'clock.
1t was the same way Sunday night.
Several women were present.
Will Ayers was among the crowd Sun
day night. He said that shortly after II
o'clock most of the crowd heard low,
harmonious melody begin. Some of the
more faint-hearted in the crowd broke
away and ran pellmell down the street
like a Cheyenne squaw with hornet in
her hair.
These are the two ghosts. Their airy
putlines have vanished under the search
light of science. 1t is WELL
WAS PROUD Or IT.