On August 27, 1891 in Statesville, NC a passenger train headed for Asheville jumped the track on the Bostian Bridge and 30 people lost their lives. On the anniversary of the accident, at least one ghost of the dead comes back for a very strange reason.
The day of August 26 was going along fine for Hugh K. Linster, a baggage master for the rail road. He had just received a gold watch for 30 years of service and was looking forward to a long retirement. It was an extremely hot day and Hugh, known as H.K. to everyone was looking for ward to getting to Asheville and the cool weather at least for a while before coming back down from the mountains into the heat.
The all board sounded and Linster began to make sure his job was done when he looked at his watch for the time. The watch said it was 9:30 but H.K. knew it had to be later than that. He asked a passenger for the time. The man replied it was 3 o'clock. As Linster began to set his new watch, all hell broke loose.
As the train crossed the Bostian Bridge, it jumped the track. Seven cars were plunged 70 feet into the Third Creek below. the carnage was unmatched in anything Statesville had seen. Hugh Linster never made it to retirement. His body was found in the wreck having been killed immediately upon impact with a broken neck.
One year later on August 27, a small group of people were walking near the bridge when they heard a terrible sound. Fearing yet another train wreck they raced to the bridge and were met by a man in a rail road uniform. Very calmly he asked them for the time. Thinking he was in shock, they pushed passed him to where the thought the sound came from.
There was nothing there.
Confused, the people turned towards the man who had met them on the bridge. He tipped his hat to them and began to walk away before vanishing into thin air. They had just met the ghostly spirit of H.K. Linster. One of the people noted that when he looked at his watch, it was 3pm. The same time the wreck occurred.
As the story goes, every year on August 27, the wreck of the number 9 happens again and again, Linster goes looking for the correct time.. Perhaps he always will.
(I should note that there is a conflict with the time of the accident. While some sources say the time was 3pm, others say it happened exactly at 1:52 am)
Comments
The wreck happened at 2am on August 27, 1891.
And do some Googling. A young man was killed early this morning when he went with a group of friends to see the train.
That tragedy will surely add to the legend.
The sources I found stated the 26th was the day. However in light of the recent tragedy (About which I posted a blog entry <a href="http://www.creepync.com/blog/tragedy-bostian-bridge">here</a>) I have changed the date to the 27th. Please keep his family in your thoughts.
-Jason
I live in Statesville and the man that was killed was drug out by a couple of our friends that work for the fire dept. They said it was really bad and he had an indention on his head where the train hit him. His girlfriend was also with him and her boyfriend (the one that was killed) pushed her off the bridge at the last second.
i live in NC near statesville.And aman did get killed trying to see the ghost train...
Thats a sad thing to happen or just be as part of because I and my family was part of such a tradgedy back in 1985 when my brother was beat to death and put in front of a AMTRAC train to help get rid of the evidence I guess. I only wished I could see him or his gost again but I know that that is impossible and this happened in East Gastonia NC. There was five people that did this and two have went on to meet their maker, one already back in prison for breaking parole and the two girls that were there well lets just say I hope that they will all rest comfortably in "HELL"
that sux but don't kill the chicks
Don't kill the "chicks"? What kind of statement is that?
It's fun to go and see things like that, whether you believe in ghosts or not. Meeting at that location, just to see, is something I probably would have done if I lived near there. Putting yourself or others in harms way is a little beyond fun, and just plain foolish. These were adults and should know: Anytime is train time.
Very sad for something that was supposed to be fun and interesting to turn into a real tragedy. I hope his family can find the strength to go on knowing that their son was having a good time that just happened to go wrong. There is nothing wrong with doing what he was doing. We all do things that we think are fun and usually don't suffer anything for it. Such a tragedy that this life was lost. My thoughts are with his family.
A sad tragedy - condolences to the family and friends.
How about if the Railroad does NOT schedule or dispatch a train over the Bostian Bridge from Statesville to Ashville the night of Aug. 26th into the morning of Aug. 27th, any year, as this is an apparently 'well known' local legend and event ??
Otherwise, at least advise the Engineer & crew to go slow there, so there is no repeat of this preventable accident in the future.
There is apparently great sense of loss experienced by extrterestial beings that need acknowledgement and closure through that kind of respect. And, remorse so that attaining this kind of respect through deadly measures as what happened was but an acknowledgement of loss the same. May the aliens peacefully rest their souls and find reknewed interest in the protection and preservation of life against efforts that end in this manner symbolic of growth and maturity. This earth appears meaningless only to those who bear no interest in defining their own. along the way there are times of forsakenment but along the way there are also times of redemption and joy. Overall, establishing of which one to contribute and doing so does define who we all are and gives meaning to all of our existences.
dude.....you need therapy
Or are you smoking your socks. Not one word of what you wrote makes one lick of sense.
Forgive me, but telling the railroad what to do is a silly suggestion. The railroad is a for-profit business that operates trains when needed. The bottom line is, the bridge and right-of-way are private property. Those who were on the bridge were trespassing, and should be prosecuted.
What should happen next year is the local law enforcement and railroad police should arrest anyone trespassing on railroad property.
Forgive me, but telling the railroad what to do is a silly suggestion. The railroad is a for-profit business that operates trains when needed. The bottom line is, the bridge and right-of-way are private property. Those who were on the bridge were trespassing, and should be prosecuted.
What should happen next year is the local law enforcement and railroad police should arrest anyone trespassing on railroad property.
Bottom line: KEEP OFF THE TRACKS!
Like everyone who posted before me, the death of this gentleman is a horrible thing. I feel for the families and friends of ALL the victims. It makes me sad to think for whatever reason these people were on the trestle. Being on a railroad trestle at 2 am or 2 pm is, and probably always will be illegal in every state in our nation. These people were trespassing. I know it sounds mean and cruel, but they should have never been on the trestle, or the train tracks to begin with. Period.
Let us not forget the train crew either, who will now have to live with knowing when they went to work one night they killed someone and seriously injured another, while doing their duty as train service employees.
The railroad is there for a reason, for trains, not for people to walk on. Not to see a ghost train or for any other reason.
This may offend someone, but I don't care. The facts are the facts and two groups of families and friends will have to deal with them for as long as they live.
I work for a railroad and have had many near hits with people walking on the tracks thinking it is fun and safe to do it. Trains do not stop fast. Three engines going 35mph would take almost 100 yards to stop if not more and that is if they saw these people quickly.
The train crew now has to deal with this and live with it. They saw it up close and personal. I know crews that have hit people and have had suicides by train, they live with it forever. Many have to go work in other areas to try and stay away from the shock and horror they lived through.
One person mentioned they were not doing anything wrong. Yes they were, they were trespassing, they were on an active rail line on a bridge with no way to escape.
Another mentioned the railroad should schedule no trains on the date of the anniversary of the wreck. OK, then who is going to pay the thousands and thousands of dollars of lost revenue for that line to be shut down?
I am sorry for the families involved but none of these people should have been there for any reason.
I think it goes without saying that it was wrong to trespass, so instead of going on and on about how it shouldn't have been done, maybe you could saying nothing at all? Death is not a reasonable justification for trespassing. It's almost as if you are saying that he deserved it. If you knew Chris, you would know otherwise. He was a great person with a big heart. Yeah, so he trespassed. Is that something you have never done? I'm pretty positive that 90% of those who had something to say about this tragedy have been guilty of trespassing.
So instead of going on about how he shouldn't have been doing it and blah blah stating the obvious, pay your respects or say nothing at all. It would be really appreciated and less hurtful to those who did know him as a friend.
Thank you, and my condolences to everyone who knew him. If you did, you were very lucky.
Good for you! People are such idiots . If they have nothing nice to say they shouldn't say anything AT ALL! Low class
Ridiculous. No such thing as a ghost. That guy lost his life for something that doesn't even exist. What a stupid waste of life.
My prayers to the family - unfortunately he was trespassing and in doing so lost his life. Some of us don't think before we act. How sad.
To you Anonymous Monday 8/30/10 - 11:25
You small minded idiot. No such thing as ghosts? You don't believe in ghosts because you have never seen one. I do believe. I was visited by the spirit of my grandfather for several weeks after his death. Until one day I just prayed and said grandpa your work is finished here - go home. And I never saw him again. So think twice before you make stupid remarks about things you know nothing of.
There is more than black and white to life. I new the exact time a close friend was killed. Heard him scream in my mind. The next day it was verified.
WUT TIME PLEASE TELL US!!!!!!!!!! PLEZ PLEZ PLEZ PLEZ. WE R PROFETIONAL GHOST HUNTERS
The same thing happened to me. i was in a deep sleep 1 night and for some reason i woke up, sat straight up and my heart was pounding i felt scared but didnt know why and i went back to sleep. the next day i found out a loved one of mine died the same time i woke up
u the small minded idiot. ghost do exist. i saw 1 with my own eyes and 4 1 thing u have never been 2 the train wreck
Question: if you don't believe in ghosts, what are you doing on a website with ghost stories?
Everyone likes trains,especially old steam trains. And everyone is intrigued with ghosts. The two together would fascinate anyone. I've read the story of the 1891 wreck in a book called Ghost Train and if i had the chance to be at that bridge on any aniversary without mass crowds around i would not hesitate. I would not fear the idea of a ghost but i would fear the idea of a real train cathing me on the bridge. especially at night. Venture more than a few feet from one end? Oh no no no!
But i know what its like to lose a young loved one who was doing something i'm sure he never thought could have cost him his life. A mass solution? Never. Stories with tragic outcomes that had no clear cut recklessness will never end.
i belive that it happen at exactly at 1:52 am because no one could have seen in the darkness of the night and they could have hitted a farly big dent in the tracks
Anyone interested in this story should read the account in the Sep. 3, 1891 edition of the Statesville Landmark. There is also an Aug. 27th edition of that (at the time) weekly newspaper with initial reports, though the 9/3 edition contains a ton of information, including the grand jury testimony and findings. The actual accident occurred closer to 2:30am on 8/27/1891. The 1:52am time some report was the time the westbound train was scheduled to arrive in Statesville. The train actually arrived 34 minutes late that night at 2:26am, stopped for just a minute or so and resumed, the accident occurring within minutes of leaving the station.
The number killed was 22. The mixed finding of the grand jury that someone intentionally removed spikes is interesting and adds to the intrigue of the story. I am not a ghost hunter and would strongly advise people against going out on the bridge in the middle of the night. This is, however, a fascinating story.
I was able to look up the newspaper articles at ancestry.com, though I believe you may have to have a membership to do so.
Is it possible to set up some chairs 15-20 feet from the tracks just before the bridge and still see the Ghost Train and/or Conductor? Or do you only see them when you are on the bridge?
THAT WAS COOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was so good
If you say that it is true, I am so visiting that area at that time!
Do you know anything about Pickney Point and the tragedy that happened there? :p
i live in a small town in nc and we have 2 ghost trains within 2 hrs of each other that goes by either to selma to wilson or wilson to selma, while at the tracks between 1.00 am and 2.00 am you can feel a train passing arms go down and if your standing there you can feel a breeze as it passes. all i can say is trains are no joke and if your going to look for ghosts get a schedule from the train station nearst to that accident site. prepare for what to go wrong to actually go wrong. the loss of life and lives at one location will burn its self into the land where this took place. i wish the families best wishes in remembering the young man in his life not his death.
sorry for your loss but hoping something bad to wrongdoeers is almost as bad but not quite this happened to me in 1994 i was travelling on river road between peru and wabash which i have spent most of my life fishing the wabash river it was about 10 at night and i looked to my left where the tracks were and i saw a old steam train travelling east the same direction i was going i sped up with it and watched my speedometer 50 mph i kept up with it for a while when i got close to wabash i had to slow down because limit is 35 what i remember about it was a large train i guess about 25 yards long for engine silver front with blinders i guess you would call them on the front of it the back was either black or dark blue and it was pulling 15 pullman cars.this engine looked about 1930s built i dont remember anything like ghostly apperance or anything real strange other then it was un-usual travelling on a freight line pulling passenger cars
if anyone can help me or is interested can email me at berryw44@gmail.com
I live in Statesville -THE most run down nineties little town, never go there, it's boring- and I've never heard of this before today. It's not really that much of a legend. The best legend of Statesville is the Vance Hotel, THAT one is pretty well known :)
So is the adjacent to the tracks not private? And is there some way to get down to the creek bed?
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