Weird Story of Tranmere Sands.
A night at the haunted hut.
The watch, alarm, and denouement.
(From a Correspondent.)
“Truth is stranger than fiction.”
Some four weeks since there was placed on the beach at Tranmere an iron ship which is intended for navigating shallow waters in the East Indies. Operations were commenced to take her to pieces, to be shipped thence. A hut was erected on the sands, about 30 feet distant from the vessel, for the convenience of two watchmen engaged nightly to protect the property lying about.
Strange stories began to circulate as to extraordinary phenomena, leading to the belief that either supernatural agencies were at work or that a trick was being well played. At all events, many people went to the hut, remaining until four or five o’clock, a.m., and left unable to account for what had been seen and heard.
A most incredible description of what had on two occasions taken place was given to the writer by an acquaintance residing at Tranmere, he stating that others with him narrowly watched, and could not detect how affairs stood. Stones, wet clay, cinders (hot), pieces of iron, were thrown, striking the watchers, but in no instance injuring any one. Nothing could be discovered as to where they came from, yet they would fall before, behind, roll off people, and be found. Inside the hut or outside was all the same. “Still they came.”
Some people thought that the “watchmen knew all about it;” but, although watched, they could not be seen to move. The latter being questioned, one said he could not account for what occurred, but he accused “his mate” for it; his “mate” said it was the other man was playing tricks, but he could not find out how it was done. Thus one man accused the other; still night after night were heard the noises, and were seen and felt the stones, &c.
Various stories were told – one that some years ago a collector, having with him a larger sum of money than usual, was seen to cross the sands at this particular place, but never reached home, the supposition being that he was robbed, murdered, and buried near; another, that a certain late Mr. C— had been seen walking, “at the witching time of night,” hurriedly on these sands, hastily examining a roll of papers. One inhabitant of Tranmere, who heard of the “strange doings” in and around the hut mentioned, but who has not been there, states he had a dream lately, in which he thought he was alone in the hut, when who should enter but the defunct Mr. C—, who spread out some papers, eagerly examining them, and at length, clutching them up in a mass, excitedly exclaimed, “Who, who has this property now?”
Now, at eleven o’clock on Monday night last, the writer, accompanied by two others, made their way from Liverpool to the mysterious hut, first calling on one of the Tranmerians who had before passed two nights “watching,” and who even now, as then, is firmly impressed with the mysteriousness of the whole affair. He at once volunteered to accompany the party. Before going on to the beach it was arranged that all should closely watch the two nightmen. Somberly and steadily they proceeded onwards.
Outside the hut, the door of which faced the river, burned a lamp. All was perfectly still; there seemed no “thing of life” about. Scattered in various directions were sundry piles of iron; looming darkly, solemnly, nearer to the water’s edge, rose a portion of the hull of the vessel watched. Further away to the right appeared a dark, heavy looking mass which proved to be the detached bow of such vessel. Midway between the two, but more distant, lay high and dry a ship in which two or three people had been recently drowned, through her having struck on a rock and sunk.
The night was perfectly calm, and silence reigned so supreme that one could almost fancy the very crawling of an earthworm would have broken the spell which seemed (at least in imagination) to rest about the place.
Covering the doorway of the hut was a tarpaulin, raising which, the party entered and found but one watchman. His usual companion did not appear on the scene during the time they remained. In one corner stood a ship’s caboose, the fire in which made the place uncomfortably warm. Suspended from the roof was an oil lamp giving a good light; a bench ran from end to end, a large chest on which sat the guardian of the hut, sundry coils of rope, and tools of various shapes and dimensions, completed the furniture. Seating themselves, the visitors awaited the disturbing element.
Twenty minutes past midnight the following statement was made in reply to inquiries by the watchman: – “Four weeks last Saturday me and my mate were in the stoke hole of the ship. Cinders and stones were thrown down. We thought some one was trying to annoy us. We made search, but could discover no one. We again went below, when clay, cinders, and stones were thrown in from time to time. We erected the hut about ten days after. Clay and stones were thrown inside and out, and they also struck the side of the vessel, which is about 30 feet from here, ceasing between three and four o’clock a.m. We thought tricks were being played upon us. we were several times hit with stones and wet pieces of clay. We thought some one wanted to steal something, and we spoke to a policeman about what had happened. He came, and we went round with him, carrying a lantern. While we were searching stones were still thrown. The officer mostly comes every night, and says stones were thrown at him. To this moment we are unable to account for the noise or stone throwing. We have also often heard sounds as if some one were walking round the hut, and have immediately gone out to search, but could see nothing, and stones still kept falling about. The worst time is from two to half-past three o’clock. A great many people have been here, and many have heard and seen what is now stated.”
Up to a quarter-past one o’clock all was quiet. The remark was made that as the second watchman was absent, so probably would be the “spirit” likewise. When, lo! all at once came a crash against the iron side of the hut, as though a stone had been thrown against it with some force; after a short interval another blow, and soon after a third. The writer and two others immediately went out to reconnoitre, leaving their companion with the watchman in the hut. every search was made, but in vain. The cause of the disturbance remained a mystery, when slap went a stone on to the roof of the hut, followed by what sounded like a shower of sand, plates of iron some distance off resoundd with blows, sand falling was here and there heard, presently a thud on the bench, followed by a booming sound from the side of the vessel.
A close examination was made, and a stone weighing about 12 lbs. was found, which, on being thrown against the iron side, produced a similar sound to that heard. Again search was made all around; still the throwing and falling of sand were distinctly heard. All this time the watchman was in the hut. The searchers returned into the latter and seated themselves, the doorway being closed by the tarpaulin, when, all of a sudden, something whizzed past the writer and another, struck the opposite side, rebounded and fell at the feet of the former. At that time the Tranmerian friend was sitting next to the watchman, directly facing the spot the stone came from, and yet was unable to say by what means it came; but, of a verity, there it was.
The thin line of light betokening approaching day now streaked the horizon, the “witching hours” had passed, and the Liverpudlians quietly awaited the first boat to retun. The Tranmerian said, at parting, to the writer, “Now, I suppose you believe, because you’ve seen and heard;” and away he went, still lost in wonder.
The writer’s conscience pricked him, and he determined to unbosom his secret to his companions. His story was briefly this. Finding that a quarter past one had arrived and yet there had been no manifestation, a thought struck him whether he might not contrive to produce all the phenomena which had been described. By the “language of the eye” he soon was on familiar terms with the watchman; a spade handle rested against the side of the hut, and by quietly stretching out one foot it was reached and raised forward, then let fall back, the repetition of that operation producing the blows first heard. When making examination outside, snatching a handful of sand unperceived by the others, and throwing it towards the iron plates, gave the shower of sand.
Stones dexterously picked up and quietly thrown backwards and forwards gave the different alarms. The watchman, when in the hut alone with the writer, made no attempt at concealment, but when requested produced some stones, and lying down, cast one outside against some iron plates. Our companions’ voices were heard noticing the crash, and each and every other mysterious sound was effected by the human agent now inditing this. And were it not for the adoption of such means, no spirit having burst the cerements of the grave would have stalked the beach to scare imagination or cause our “very hair to stand like quills of fretful porcupine.”
Liverpool Mercury, 16th April 1866.