It seems each culture and even each region has its own rendition of a headless ghost. The Anthracite Region is no exception. Reports of decapitated apparitions have been present in coal country since before black diamonds were even discovered. There are several tales ranging from both male and female apparitions to varying manners of decapitation, however the stories are consistently present and have been handed down for generations. One of the most sinister involve a curious man and his quest to experience a locomotive. Unfortunately, his quest ultimately lead to his death and his apparition has continued to attempt to locate what he lost that fateful day.
During the mid-1820s, the Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad and Coal Company developed a plan to construct a track of railroad from Tamaqua to Port Clinton. The main goal of this twenty-three mile stretch was to transport coal from deep in the heart of the Anthracite Region south to Port Clinton. Here tons of profit-inducing anthracite coal would be piled high onto barges and travel down the Schuylkill Canal with the ultimate ending up in Philadelphia.
The Commonwealth granted a charter to the company in the late 1820’s and construction began on the railroad in early 1830. The rails were constructed of wood and strap iron. This was a less expensive option at the time and would eventually cause issues later on.
In 1831 funds were raised to purchase two steam powered engines to run upon the rails.
The two locomotives selected were ordered from Edward Bury of Liverpool England. Named the Catawissa and the Comet, the two locomotives made their way across the cold Atlantic by ship in the early 1833. They arrived in a Philadelphia port and the transportation of the locomotives to Schuylkill County was set in motion. However, there was a problem right from the start. The Schuylkill Canal had frozen over from the extremely frigid temperatures. It was virtually impossible to transport up the waterway. The transporters relied on a time-honored method instead to traverse the 8-ton locomotives - a team of horses pulled the heavy engines,
The team began their long haul towards Port Clinton. There the locomotives had their wheels removed and were prepared for reassembly which would take place in Tamaqua. Upon their arrival the locomotives were put bavk together and placed on the tracks of the Little Schuylkill Railroad. Local coal-mining residents were jubilant to experience these powerful locomotives roll through the region. Their eyes had never witnessed such a mechanical steam-powered marvel!
On February 27th of that year, the Catawissa was used for a trial trip from Tamaqua to Port Clinton. The trip was kept quiet in hopes the public would not flock to see the locomotive in action until all the bugs had been worked out. The steam engine propelled forward at approximately 10AM from Tamaqua and by all accounts returned to the coal mining community from Port Clinton later that evening. The trial run had been a success; however the engineers did not realize the problems that were looming in the near future.
On March 9th, with conductors’ confidence sky-high, a public invitation was published in the Miner’s Journal out of Pottsville for the public to witness The Little Schuylkill Railroad’s pride in action. Both the Catawissa and the Comet were placed upon the tracks for the public to view. By all account the first trip by the Catawissa was a success. The locomotive plowed forward in full grandeur. However, the second trip did not go as well. Thirteen cars were added to the locomotive’s haul. The weight proved to cause issues as the Catawissa came to a turnout. The Catawissa lost its connection and derailed from the track with all thirteen cars following. The damage was substantial, but manageable for the prized steam locomotive. A team of horses were dispatched and towed the locomotive to Tamaqua for repairs. However, the same could not be said about the thirteen cars. All were destroyed and eventually scrapped due to their damage. The Comet had similar circumstances surface on its inaugural run. The locomotive ran off the tracks and had minor damage. Though not substantial, the derailment foreshadowed the unlucky events that were to come.
The locomotives were serviced and put into regular service in April 1833.
Although utilized, they were not exclusively used. Horses were still utilized with towing about one-third of the haul as well as the Schuylkill Canal. By some accounts the weight of the locomotive and carts caused issues for the railroad and another plan needed to be concocted.
Although there were issues with the usage of the locomotives, the locals were in awe of such power. Never before had many of the residents witnessed anything like the Comet and Catawissa. Whenever the locomotives rolled through a community people would flock to gawk at the powerful engines racing by. It was instant and necessary entertainment!
There was a slight problem though. Spectatorsdid not realize the true power and force these engines possessed. It was not uncommon for the young and old to approach a bit too close towards the tracks as the locomotives rolled through. Luckily most individuals realized their mistake before it was too late. That is until one fateful day.
On this particular occurrence the sound of the locomotive could be heard approaching in the distance. Like normal, young and old ran towards the tracks for to take in the Catawissa. However, this time was a bit different. There was a stranger within the regular gawkers who had never witnessed the powerful locomotives. This man had come into the area on horseback and was intrigued while watching the locals react to the approaching train. The stranger gave a gentle kick to his horse and prompted the animal to go closer towards the tracks as the locomotive’s roar approached. As he inched closer, the horse began to act cautiously. Yet the man coerced the animal even closer towards the tracks. The roar of the Catawissa neared the onlookers as those waiting cheered. Seeing the reactions, the horse-rider became caught up in the spectacle. He propelled his horse forward to within just a few feet of the track as the locomotive continued its forward motion. When it approached within a few feet the horse rider and his companion could feel a pull from the locomotive’s suction.
Upon experiencing this, the horse became startled and began to panic. The frightened animal started to buck and raised up on its hind legs. The rider, not prepared for the horse's reaction yanked viciously on the reins attempting to gain control. The horse’s body lurched forward and moved partially in the path of the metal locomotive. The engine’s side clipped the horse’s head, disfiguring and killing the stunned animal almost instantly. As the horse fell from the deadly strike, the rider gripped at the leather rein trying to not to lose his grip. Unfortunately, the rider was unable to keep hold and fell from the horse. His body fell just as a locomotive cart began to pass by. The stunned man’s neck landed directly on the iron track with a sickening thud. The stranger’s eyes opened wide with terror as he looked upon the sharp metal wheel of the cart hauling tons of coal rolling ceaselessly towards him. In a fraction of a second the horseman saw nothing but darkness. His head had been severed just above his shoulders by the cart’s wheel.
The locomotive continued its journey as the lifeless body of the decapitated stranger and his trusty steed lay still in its wake. The man was gathered up by the horrified, local residents. It is said the stranger’s body and the body of his trusty horse companion were buried in a makeshift grave not far from the grisly incident. Sadly, the exact location of the horseman’s eternal resting place has been lost to history. However, the horseman was not ready for his eternal slumber. It seems he wanted to be sure his presence and untimely death would not be forgotten about.
Claims began to surface of seeing a lonely horseman riding along the train tracks of the Little Schuylkill Railroad. A dark silhouette in the moonlight was said to be witnessed by locals from a distance. As the horseman rode closer and the shadow’s forest background gave way to a clearing, the rider’s details alarmingly came more into focus. The man rode his horse at a slow, steady pace as though looking for something near the track. Slowly, as the horseman neared the spectator, horror filled the witness’ psyche. The rider had no head! His horse’s featured grotesquely, mangled facial features as though struck by a fast-moving locomotive. And just as the horseman traveled within feet of the witness, both he and his dead steed would disappear into thin air.
These otherworldly claims circulated for many years. Sightings became so frequent a story of the incident was included within a local historical writing published in 1906. The sightings began to wane for a short period of time but seemed to resurrect from the grave without warning in September 1910.
An uproar began within the Northwestern area of Tamaqua, not far from the railroad. Nightly visitations began that seemed to horrify residents to the core. Asleep, one borough resident was snapped from his slumber by an incredibly large crash within his bedroom. His eyes flew open and peered into the darkness. There, towering in front of a bedroom window near the base of his bed, stood the silhouette of a man. The homeowner sprang from his bed to confront the intruder. He yelled to get out. However, his yell of anger transformed into a shriek of terror as the homeowner realized the man who had invaded the sanctity of his home did not have a head! The homeowner recoiled in fear and shock from his vision of the apparition. Within a few seconds the headless specter began to seemingly melt away into the darkness until it was gone.
These haunted occurrences began to occur regularly enough word began to leak out. To the astonishment and horror to neighbors where the event was first reported other residents vouched for the man having the experiences. The reason was not neighborly support or friendship. It was because they too were having the same nightly visitations by a headless specter in the sanctity of their own homes. Shockingly it was not just a few families in the northwestern part of Tamaqua. Up to fifteen households were having these terrifying experiences on a nightly basis! People were in an absolute panic. A headless apparition had invaded a neighborhood’s most cherished safe space, the people’s homes, and was showing no signs of letting up. The visitations were so terrifying and frequent residents began to leave their homes. They looked to sell, sometimes taking far less money for their family home than it was worth. A resident named Sheitrumpf sold his property for practically nothing due to his extreme fear of the ghastly, headless specter. The residents that opted to stay and live with their paranormal visitor felt as though they had no other option. A visit was arranged with a local hoodoo doctor. Maybe this doctor of superstition and the otherworld would be able to supply answers and rid the neighborhood of this haunting headless apparition.
The doctor listened to the desperate residents and after much consideration he came to conclusion. The doctor believed the culprit hexing the area and causing the headless apparition to terrify the neighborhood was a sinister black cat. Upon hearing this revelation, the residents of the area decided to put an end to the nightly terror. Rid the immediate area of all felines. A slaughter ensued in which the neighborhood occupants took to killing all the cats that were found within the area.
Whether this massacre caused the nightly apparitions to die down is anyone’s guess, however, the reports gradually diminished over time. Had the headless horseman of the Anthracite Region found his peace or had the disposal of felines caused the apparition to flee? There is no clear-cut answer. However, the next time you are near the Little Schuylkill Railroad or in the Northwestern part of Tamaqua keep your eyes peeled and your ears open. You may hear phantom hooves making their way along the rail lines, or a headless shadowy figure from long ago frantically searching for his head. And in conclusion, just a bit of friendly advice: if you see a stray cat with a sinister look upon its face in the Tamaqua-area, it may be best to leave the feline be.