Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-10-10


Jim had big fire, and kept steam up
to high pressure, so that we fairly
flew past sleeping hamlets and still
farmhouses.
"At our first watering station made
sure that all was working smoothly,
while Jim inspected the headlight. The
station master handed out the orders,
which showed that the line was clear
as far as our next stopping place. On
we went.
"The darkness grew more intense, If
possible, while the wind shrieked by.
The rain became more binding, till
nothing could be distinguished in the
gray mist which enveloped us.
Suddenly through the mist and rain
1 saw looming right in front of us'the
gigantic figure of a woman wrapped
in n long, black mantle, which seemed
to hutter in the wind. She waved
great, spectral arms about in swift,
twisting movements. AS l stood look
ing in horror, the figure vanished with
final wave of the arms.
81 was too much astonished and stupe-
fed even to make n movement of my
udllu lONdIu lIC lnIOlOCs az bilttO
moment jim had been bending over the
fire. As he looked up he exclaimed:
"'Halloa, Frank. What's up. You
look as though you had seen ghost
'I did not answer. My mind was too
full of the strange figure | had per-
ceived.
"We were row nearing Red Creek,
where there is bridge over a deep
stream. felt more nervous than ever.
We dashed around the curve and
whizzed by Rock Creek station, which
is only a mile from the bridge. AS
we passed glanced at the steam gauge
for an instant. A cry from Jim caused
me to turn quickly toward him. He
sat rigid, his eyes large and staring.
His jaw dropped, the very picture of
terror. He pointed with a shaking
finger out into the darkness. turned
and looked, and then began myself to
shake. There on the metals was the
same hideous figure of a woman out
the engine, now motionless, now whirl-
ing in a witch dance, but all the time
motioning us back.
Frank gasped Jim, but scarcely
above a whisper, don't go over that
bridge. Don't go, for heavens sake!
Don't go until you are sure it's safe
Il suppose was pretty badly scared
At any rate, put on the brake for all
l was worth. l couldn't have resisted
the impulse to stop the train.
"As we came to a stop could hear the
| of l,o -, ,c,
ahead. 1 stepped out of the cab and
met the conductor coming up.
What's the matter? What's the
matterH he asked, impatiently.
II felt decidedly foolish. There wa!
no gigantic woman to be seen now
Nothing could be made out more thar
few feet away in the binding storm
Well said l, we've seen something
[ don't know what it is-seemed like i
ing its arms and warning us not to g
forward.
"The conductor looked at me curious
ly. Are you crazy, Frank he said.
should think you were. But we're 81
near the bridge We'll take look at it.
''We took our lanterns and wen
ahead, leaving Jim with the engine; h.
looked frightened to death. But tel
you, we hadn't gone five rods befor
we stopped in horror.
''There at our feet lay black chasm
filled with the roar of the river, a
swollen with the spring rains, it dashed
down toward the lake. The bridge wa
washed away.
"Only a few splinters of wood ant
twisted iron clung to the abutmen+
while now, far out over the blackness
that awful black figure of woman
danced again on. the thin air, relieved
against the shaft of light that th
headlight threw.
"It was fiinging its arms about as i
in wild glee. The conductor stared L
the chasm and then at me.
"'Was that the thing you saw whel
you stopped the train?' he asked.
"'Yes.'
"'Well, it's something more thai
luck that saved us tonight, Frank
''We went back slowly to the train
feeling very queer and thankful, too.
can assure you. Several passenger
nuu cOilt ruHlluS lOrNdTu Dy tHlS llue
Among them was a young fellow fror
Chicago about 1s years old, who wa
smarter than the whole of us, as
turned out.
'When he was told of the woman il
black he turned and looked at the 10
comotive headlight. Then he ran III
toward it. 1 looked up as he did sc
and 1 saw peculiar spot on the glass
There's your woman in black!' sal
the boy.
"And there it was, sure enough-tha
same moth miller that you see there il
the frame. He was clinging to the in
) side of the glass. AS tapped on tn
glass the creature few back and light
ed on the reflector.
"That's the whole story, sir. TIL
: moth, by fiuttering on the glass just l.
, front of the illuminator. had produce
!, a great black shadow like that of
cloaked woman darting in front of u