SCHUYLKILL HAVEN NOW BOASTS OF GHOST.
August 29th, 1912
If the statement of a half dozen or more boys, who ages run from 14 to 17 years, can be believed, there is a ghost in Schuylkill Haven. On Monday night last these boys, about eight o’clock, took a walk to what is known in town as “Quarley Point”, situated near the old boat yards. While they were walking along the ghost suddenly confronted them less than 20 yards ahead.
Attired in white, it beckoned them to come nearer, with outstretched arms and a small head it started to advance to greet the boys. However, they needed no invitation to run and the speed attained by them, as they made their way up Canal Street, would have done justice to professional runners. All out of breathe they hastened to their respective homes, where they told their story. The following night the boys with stones in their pockets and armed with stout clubs, wanted to again visit the spot and look for his lord ship of the night, but for some reasons or other they were unable to secure a leader. The ghost has been seen by residents of that section on several occasions and many a child will not venture out at night without being accompanied by their parents.
Inquiry among some of the older residents of Sch. Haven elicited the information that years ago when the boat building business of that town was in its prime, when the town was noted for the industry from one end of the state to the other, and when the chief pursuit of the town was boat building a man by the name of Jacob Smith, about 35 or 40 years of age, was drowned just as a canal boat was being launched. The accident occurred about 15 minutes before the launching, and when the launching took place instead of gliding smoothly into the water of the Schuylkill Canal, went over sideways, and came near filling up with water. The body of Smith was never recovered.
For days following the accident parties made a search for the remains without avail. Superstation among the boat men in those days was nearly as great as it is in some localities today and the drowning of Smith, together with accident to the launching of the boat, caused many workmen to quit their jobs and leave for foreign fields of labor. It is now believed that after these many years nearly a quarter of a century. Smith has come back to haunt those whom people now believe were responsible for his death.
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