Summerville, South Carolina, has been haunted by mysterious “ghost lanterns” for decades. Now, a scientist thinks she’s finally worked out what the floating orbs are: Turns out, they could be linked to tiny earthquakes.
Local legends suggest the mysterious balls of light, which are often spotted near old railway tracks, are lanterns carried by the ghost of a woman who lost her husband in a train accident.
It is not clear exactly when the floating orbs were first seen in the area, but references mostly date back to the mid-20th century. The lights are described as small, glowing spheres, often in blue or green, seen floating above a narrow stretch of Sheep Island Road, where an old railway line used to run. Witnesses also reported cars shaking violently, strange whispering and, occasionally, “ghostly” apparitions.
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