Wheeling's Eighth Ward Weirdness

The Daily Register (Wheeling, WV)
30 July 1886

Happy Ghostober! Today's story is a vintage one from Wheeling, WV. In the summer of 1886, the Eighth Ward section of the city was being visited by a ghost in "rather abbreviated garb." Said to show itself in nothing more than a cap and a shirt, and being rather large in shape, it first showed itself to a police officer standing near the corner of Eoff and 33rd Streets. 

Not even gonna lie---the mental image of a ghost floating around with no pants on, chasing down police officers kinda cracks me up. I can't help but wonder if this is your classic sheeted, cartoony ghost wearing a hat...or a humanoid apparition, naked from the waist down. But, I'm sure the officer wasn't laughing as he witnessed this thing float over a fence and then vanish completely. It didn't help that when he told his story, instead of people being frightened, or even intrigued, they laughed at him.

Well, they laughed until the ghost was seen again several nights later by even more people. The women who witnessed this apparition nearly went into hysterics at the sight (again, was it because it was a ghost in general, or because it was a half-naked ghost?). One man saw the ghost walk right into a B&O train that was passing by. When all the railcars had passed, there it stood, still on the tracks, unscathed. 

To my knowledge, there have been no recent sightings of this Eighth Ward Specter. We can only hope that if this unfortunate soul has found a way to move on, somewhere along the way he managed to find his trousers. 

1916 Map of Wheeling's
Eighth Ward

Strange Noises in Benwood

I've stumbled across another great vintage newspaper article featuring a West Virginia haunting!  The following article can be found in the 27 September 1893 edition of the Wheeling Register (view original article at Chronicling America). It tells of a large frame building owned by Wheeling Steel and Iron, formerly used by a furniture and casket making company to lay out bodies of accident victims. Strange noises could be heard coming from the second story of the building, and one group of young men even claim to have seen an apparition in white robes dart by on the staircase! The building was at the corner of 8th and McMechen Streets in Benwood, WV, and as far as I can tell, the picture below is of the interior.

 NOW IT'S GHOSTS

WHICH THE PEOPLE ARE SEEING DOWN AT BENWOOD

A Weird, Gloomy and Creepy Yarn About a Haunted House, With All the Usual Accessories

Benwood has a sensation.

It is a reported haunted house.

This house is near the center of the city, and the authority furnishing the story is unquestionable.  Citizens, generally are taking an interest in it, so much that a party of persons, composed of two doctors, a member of Council and a minister of the town, and a REGISTER man, will go in a few evenings to make an investigation of it. In fact, Benwood is all worked up over it.

At Eighth and McMechen streets stands the large frame building formerly occupied by Becker & Zimmerman as their furniture and undertaking rooms. This building, probably the oldest in all that locality, is owned by the Wheeling Steel and Iron Company. Numerous stories have been afloat that strange noises proceeded from the second story of the building. Many a man has been scared out of it by weird noises. Many dead, killed by accidents, have been laid out in the rooms, from which now comes the stories so hard to believe but for the high authority.

Last Monday night a dozen young men, in an unguarded moment, entered the building and sat down. It wasn't long before their hair was standing on end, for from the rooms above came strange noises. The young men who were so scared are reliable, and would be willing to take oath as to their sincerity in the matter. The noise sounded like bricks were being thrown on the floor, and occasionally, the young men say, they could hear cries and groans not like anything earthly. They say, too, a peculiar sound attracted attention, and there was an echo like a stifled cry. One of the boys, William Rutman, had $5 in his pocket. He offered to give the money to anyone who would ascend the stairs. The boys cowered in a corner furthest away from the sounds, but one of the men started to ascend the stairs, for he wanted the $5. He says a peculiar feeling came over him as he ascended the stairs. The groans increased, and something darted past him, he states, clad evidently in white flowing robes. After that the men made a retreat. They hastened to town and told what they had seen. Though many were incredulous, yet none volunteered to investigate. 

If there be such a thing as "ghosts" this seems to fill the bill, and the crowd which will go to investigate propose to investigate fully.

It is improbable that it could be any person playing a trick, as persons say who have examined the building thoroughly before dark and locked it up, but have heard the strange sounds in the night time.