The Sobbing Spectre of Mahanoy Plane

Mahanoy Plane

July 1891

A home is more than just four walls people live within. A house becomes a home from attributes that make it special, unique, and comforting. People yearn for a sense of relief when they arrive home after a grueling day. They want to unlock the door, and enter a location that gives instant security. However, how does a person react when the one site that is supposed to be a “safe spot” is, in reality, a location of terror? A family experienced this type of horror in the early 1890s.

The Mahanoy Plane, located between Gilberton and Frackville, was once hailed as a marvel of its time. The Mahanoy Plane rail system’s purpose was to pull coal carts weighing tons from Mahanoy Plane, a portion of Gilberton, up the side of the mountain over 500 feet into the borough of Frackville. Here, the railroad would transport the coal to its ultimate destination. The total length of the track was a staggering 2,460 feet and seemed to rise upon the mountain until it disappeared among the trees and clouds. Operation officially began in July 1861.

A fire in 1868 caused major changes for the better. New 6,000 horse-powered engines were installed. During this time, the two engines were deemed some of the most powerful in the world. During its heyday, almost 1,000 full carts of coal passed the Plane every twenty-four hours.

The Mahanoy Plane was in operation until February 1932. Ultimately, the operation fell silent. Various options were easier and less costly.

A small patch town community was erected at the base of the incline aptly named Mahanoy Plane. This collection of structures housed railway workers and miners’ families. The P & R company erected a row of structures, known as Red-Row, for the employees. These structures were located just opposite of the Roundhouse used by the railroad. Affectionately know as “the foot”. This small community still stands today with the Mahanoy Plane ruins lying not far away.

Sadly, many men, well upwards of one-hundred by most accounts, lost their lives during the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Plane. Whether any of these deaths have a direct impact on our tale is impossible to say, but also cannot be discounted.

In July 1891, a railroad worker by the name of Reichelderfer occupied a house with his family within the patch. The family made the house their home. It was a comfortable escape from the chaos of the working day., and a suitable location to raise a family.

Initially, all was well. Reichelderfer provided for his family the best he could. The family seemed happy and content in the plane’s shadow. Unfortunately. This all changed late one balmy night in July 1891.

After locking the doors and extinguishing the lighted flames, Mr. Reichelderfer ascended the dark stairs to the family’s sleeping quarters. Lying down, the tired man fell fast asleep after just a few moments. The day's strenuous work had done him in.

The nighttime slumber was ripped away as Reichelderfer’s eyes opened wide, staring into the darkness. Listening, the startled man sat motionless. He could hear his wife sleeping soundly next to him, but something else had awoken him. The sound was faint and seemed to come from the foundation of his family’s home. Deep within the bowels of the home, a sound could be heard almost like uncontrollable sobbing. The man listened intently. Gradually, the sound subsided, and the night became quiet again. Reichelderfer, unnerved, attempted to calm himself, and eventually fell back asleep.

The next night, the tired rail worker again locked the doors, extinguished the lights, and settled in for the night. Surely as he lie in the darkness, the sound the night before entered his mind. Most likely, he rationalized the sound was merely a dream, as most would do. Eyes closed, Reichelderfer slowly drifted off into sleep.

Nothing is more unsettling than being jarred awake during a peaceful sleep. Reichelderfer sprung up in his bed as he heard a person’s loud wailing and sobbing coming from within the home. Sitting in the darkness, feeling his heart ready to pound out of his chest, the stunned man concentrated, trying to rationalize was he still asleep? Were the sounds real? His questions were answered as the wailing and sobbing intensified.

Reichelderfer immediately thought the worst with his family. He left the safety of his bed and rushed to check on the rest of the home’s occupants. Surely one was ill or having some form of night terror. However, upon checking those within the home, all were sound asleep. Yet, the sounds persisted and seemed to grow louder by the minute.

Reichelderfer retreated to his room, confused as to what to do. The sounds seem to come from below towards the cellar. Without warning, the wailing ceased, and the home became quiet again.

Listening, Reichelderfer’s eyes grew large as he heard an unearthly demonic cackle replacing the pathetic sobbing. Had something attempted to get Reichelderfer to descend into the cellar?

The sound of the cellar door creaking open pierced the silence. Someone or something made its way up from the bowels of the house.

Stunned, the rail worker could not move to investigate the footsteps he heard slowly walking upon the wooden floor. The footsteps made their way to the staircase and ascended towards the second floor. The steps intensified and grew louder as they neared the family’s sleeping quarters.

Reichelderfer dare not move as he heard something walk past the closed door of the room he sat within. Shuffling and faint sobbing could be heard as time seemed to stand still.

The sounds traveled down the hallway towards a set of stairs that lead up to a small attic. Frozen with fear, Reichelderfer sat and listened.

The opening of the attic door was clearly heard. Footsteps slowly and methodically ascended towards the attic's landing. The same demonic laughter Reichelderfer heard just moments before echoed through the home again.. This cackle was immediately followed by a sob, as if mocking its listeners.

Footsteps were heard walking to and fro in the attic just above Reichelderfer’s sleeping family. The clanking of rusty chains were heard dragging across the wooden floor, in addition to the sobs and demented laughter. What could the rail worker possibly do? His home seemed to be inhabited by something beyond rational thought.

The footsteps stopped. The laughter ceased. A whimpering sob could be heard as the entity began to reverse its path. Down the attic stairs. Past the family’s rooms. Descending back into the depths of the house into the darkness of the cellar. High pitched cackling ended the horrible experience, as if the entity reveled in the psychological horror it had caused for Reicheldrefer. Silence followed as the night became peaceful again.

Reichelderfer surely worried he was going mad after his experiences. Although his family did not hear what the father of the house had, they unknowinglywere about to have their own experiences.

It was said "when churchyards yawn and the graves give up their dead", this is when the entity made its presence known within the Mahanoy Plane home. Each night, the family experienced true terror within their supposed safe place. Within the household phantom footsteps were heard, chains were dragged across the wooden floor, sobbing and wailing intensified, and the nightmarish demonic laughter echoed as the family felt as they were held hostage within the home. These experiences continued as the family attempted to hold on to their home and sanity.

Apparently, the entity within realized it would take more than just noises to drive the Reichelderfer family from their home.

One night, a few weeks after the experiences first began, noises emanated from the cellar. Sobs and wailing accompanied the footsteps up the stairs to the first floor. Laughter grew louder as the entity ascended to the second-floor hallway outside the family’s bedrooms. Reichelderfer listened intently as the footsteps methodically made their way down the hallway. The steps neared Reichelderfer’s room and then something unexpected happened, which had never occurred before. The footsteps stopped directly outside the man and woman’s bedroom door.

The couple sat up in their bed and locked eyes. The room grew cold and had an odd smell. The couple’s blood ran cold as they realized they were no longer alone in their bedroom.

The demonic cackle was heard as if the entity had invaded the space between the couple. Reichelderfer and his wife’s hearts beat faster and their stomachs dropped. Silence enveloped the tiny bedroom, and the couple waited, hoping whatever was within the room had left.

Without warning, a thump was felt from beneath the bed. The couple grabbed for each other. A portion of the bed where the couple normally laid their resting heads rose as if someone or something was lifting it higher and higher. The man panicked. His wife screamed. The bed continued to rise until the couple was thrown to the wooden floor. As they looked up, the bed dropped with an incredibly heavy thud. A piercing demonic laugh engulfed the room, and the stench of sulfur made the couple gag. Reichelderfer and his wife threw open the door, gathered up the rest of their family and ran from their once safe home.

The Reichelderfer family would never call that Mahanoy Plane house on Railroad Avenue their home again. The experience had been too haunting to ignore or forget. The choice was made to move from the house.

There is no documentation to show if the new occupants experienced the same horror as the Reichelderfer family did. There are also no known stories of the entity following the family. It seems the otherworldly entity’s goal was accomplished. The rail worker’s family lost their place of security and no longer called the structure “home”.

Pottsville Republican July 1891

Miner's Journal July 1891