The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-01
PHANTOM PASSENGER TRAIN
SHE CoRRE CrED HIM.

| The little town OF Rittman, o., sltu
ated in the northern edge OF Wayne
| county, on the Erie and the H. and O
| railroads, has never made "A bid for no
toriety or immortality, and Yet IL pos
sesses. according To some OF its inhab-
itants. one thing that very few cOmmu-
/ mites have or could desire.
cluster OF nifty or sixty houses. a
tile works. salt factory. two or three
stores, post office. "A blacksmith shop,
church, school house and railroad depot,
mark the place as an ordinary Ohio viii
lage. The extraordinary possession Of
the town Is a phantom passenger train
that Is apt To come down the Erio track
from WadswOrth at any hour Of the
night, and wreck Itself and evaporatc I'm
thin air ~ the River StyN bridge about
quarter of mile east of the railroad
station house.
The Rittman phantom train. as Is conf
monty told and believed had its origin
about two years ago. when the fast west
bound passenger train on the Erie No. =,
was wrecked at the bridge over the Styx,
and the faithful engineer was killed az
his post Of duty. Since then the appari-
ton has been VariOusly seen and de-
scribed. according To many believers In
spookologN. The best authenticated ac-
count of this wheeled phenomenon Is
given by two well known citizens OF the
community. Several months ago they
were returning home in a buggy at abont
~ o'clock at night when they saw
train coming fran the east at "A tremeu-
dous rate OF speed. and supposed II Was
train No trying To make up time Both
men saw the glaring headlight. the clouds
OF smoke belchiue from the smokeStack.
ana the aim lights stealing through the
windows or the passenger coaches. Just
before the train reached the bridge over
the StyN the shrill whistle OF the locomo-
tive caused their renewed observation.
Suddenly circles of fire and sparks were
seen elected from every wheel OF the
train. and the terrible grinding caused by
the application of the air-brakes in
clouds OF dust, smoke. and fire. ana the
confusion Of an awful wreck There
were sounds OF Kissing steam issuing
from the demolished locomotive, and the
creaking and swapping OF trnbers and
rods OF IRON and above all the Shrieks
ana groans OF the passengers pinioned
beneath the mass OF wreCkagc. This
noise was not oFly heard by the two as
toniShed .ohlooktfS. but IL aisu awakened
Win alarm mary who were quietly sleep
ing I'm adjacent houses.
MOmentsrilN SpcNhound az what they
had Witnessed. the two citizens soon
came tu their senses and FASTENED to the
scene of the disaster. Their feelings eau
scarcely be described when ~ is undcr-
stood that on reaching the bridge theN
found everything In q normal conditions
No wrecked locomotive baggage. mail
and passenger ears were there. and no
dead engineer and fireman aud no man
glrd passengers dying. The SlvX was
iiowing on with scarcely a ripple and
the bridge and the railroad track were
intact
The men hurried 10 the town and re-
lated their experience. bat could induce
no one to return To the spot that night
venture over that portion az tho track
on foot at night. 10 IS further stated
that mothers find that the phantom train
Is more potent n Keeping wayward
urchinS indoors after dark than stories
about escaped circus bears. Cleveland
Leader