Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1906-01-25
GHOST OF BIC BULL TUNNEL
Hair-Raising Experience Of Train
men on Southern Railroad
Extension.


II have heard some mighty weird
ghost stories In my life" said Vir-
ginia railroad man who reached town
day or so ago, relates the Washing
ton Star, but the most ghostly has
been told me by persons Of honest and
trustworthy character The story is
that Norfolk & Western trainmen
have recently heard some unearthly
sounds in Big Bull tunnel, which is
in the mountains of Virginia not lar
from the Kentucky line and on the
Clinch valley extension Of the Norfolk
& Western road. The residents of the
neighborhood have talked about hair
raising noises a long time, but the
railroad men did not want to yield to
these stories.
"On the afternoon Of July II a
freight train In charge Of Capt. Cal
Iaway and Engineer Kerns stopped
just as the rear car cleared the tun-
mel John Perry was the fiagman and
be had to hasten back into the tunnel
to protect the train from collision.
But Peery did not stay long In the
hole, and when he reached the train
at the mouth he declared he had heard
sounds in there which no human be-
ing could stand. He had the appear
ance Of a man badly scared, and Cal
laway and Kerns went back into the
tunnel with him. When they reached
the point where Peery said he had
heard the sounds that ratified him the
trio stopped.
According to all three Of the men
they did not have to wait long. They
say they never heard such groans as
those which proceeded from the side
of the tunnel, which is bricked. The
voice was that Of man apparently
In terrible anguish. The men felt
chills chasing each other down their
spines and their hair raised In spite
Of their efforts to keep cool. But
there were three Of them and the
touch of elbows had a reassuring ef-
feet. Finally Capt. Galloway spoke.
"'What do you want7" he asked,
and the sound Of his voice did not
help make him more comfortable. The
answer came without hesitation.
Remove that awful weight from
my body said the voice, which ap-
peared to proceed from out the solid
wall. The men agree that the voice
was that Of a man with heavy load
On his chest; and. in great torture. 1t
was a minute beforeN the men could
whisper q word to each other. Then
the voice cried:
They are drinking my blood
THE trainmen could not stand 1t
any longer and fastened back to their
train. But before they did so they
made a careful examination of the
walls. thinking 1t possible that some
wag had found a hiding place and
was playing a practical joke. There
was not break In the brick which
hid the sides and the top of the tunnel
The three men who heard the voice
are positive that 1t was not the voice
of a live human being.
Three men, at least, have lost their
lives in the tunnel One of the men
who assisted in arching the tunnel
about two years ago stoutly maintains
that It is haunted, or. at least, that
sounds may be heard therein which
are not susceptible Of explanation. A
number of trainmen are making ar
rangements to investigate the story
further and with all the care possible
The story that the three trainmen tell
is credited very generally, as they are
men of good reputation for truth and
but their fellows want to
verify 1t for themselves. The incident
has created great deal Of comment
and some excitement among the peo-
pie who reside near the tunnel"