Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-29
SIGNAL TOWER HAUNTED.
Groans and Rnttling of Chains All
Night Long.

4 Bridgeport Comm telegram says: The
signal-tower west Of this city, on the
line Of the Consolidated railroad. is said
TO be haunted. 1t has ghost, too, accord
ing TO the stories Of Towermen Charles
w. Flagg and William Harrington ana
other men The tower Is situated west
Of the Burr road and In a lonesome spot.
About half-past 10 o'clock on last Sunday
night Charles W. Flagg who was IN
charge Of the tower up To midnight. was
aroused by the rafting of chains on the
first floor OF the tower. = minute or two
after II was repeated with great viGOr.
Going TO the top Of the ladder which
leads from the first floor to the place
where the levers and telegraph-instru-
menis are. Flagg called out, but receiV-
ing no answer took his lantern and went
down stairs. He made a careful eNami-
nation but discovered nothing. Few
minutes after he had returned TO his post
tn re was another shaking Of the chains'
this time longer and more violent Sc
cond search was a. fruitleSs aS the nrst.
on returning to his aph-instruments
again Flagg was startled to find that his
clock had stopped. Ii had not run down,
and there was no apparent reason Tor It's
stoppage. The rafting Of the chains con-
tinued, and another investigation showed
that a chair which had been i'm the centre
Of the room had been turned over, ana
was near the side OF the room.
When the night man, William Harring-
ton. came on duty, Flags told him Of the
mysterious noises While the two men
were talking the rafting started again,
and with a track-walker. who was pass
Ing the men searched for some solution
Of the noises. Nothing could be found.
F!agg and Harrington were up stairs and
the track-walxer was sitting outside the
tower. eating his lunch, when all three
were startled by a series Of groans. All
the doors of the tower were securely
fastened, and then a search Of the tower
began. \ Ny Baldwin, who was passing.
Joined in the search. All tn time the
groans continued and the chains ratified
There is a cellar under the tower. and
it was decided To search there; but the
question who should take the lead was
debated for some time. Finally Harrington
took the lantern and started. when
the men were in the cellar the groans
ceased and the chains failed TO rattle.
The search revealed nothing. Just as
Baldwin, who was the last man. was
starting up the ladder. the groans start
ed again. They seemed 10 come from a
dark corner of the cellar The men beat
a hasty retreat, and watched and waited
until morning for the ghost, but only an
occasional Slight rap or groan was heard
for the rest Of the night
The ghost came again on Monday night.
This time Engineer Louis Iioyt saw it
directly in front Of his engine. When
he sounded the whistle Ii vanished. En-
g.neer HOyt takes out the Bridgeport
freight every night. leaving this city
about II o'clock When he was nearing
the tower he saw that the signals were
all clear, and ne increased the speed
little. As he passed the tower he looked
ahead again, and directly on the track
in front Of him he saw human form.
IL seemed to spring from the ground.
tie blew the whistle. When the engine
came up with the form 1t seemed to move
along ahead Of the locomotive. and then
disappear. An investigation by the
.raiumen and those in the tower showed
that nobody had been struck. Engineer
HOyt says he is not mistaken in what
he saw on the track ahead OF him.