In Whitley Strieber's book, Majestic, a frightening incident is described which took place on September 23, 1880 near Gallatin, Tennessee.

About 3:30 that afternoon, he says, a farmer named David Lang, dematerialized in front of 5 witnesses.  The witnesses were: his wife, his 2 children, his father-in-law, and a local judge.

The judge and his father-in-law had just arrived in a carriage.  Lang was crossing a field toward them, followed by his family, when suddenly, he vanished without any sound or sign of distress.

In a panic, his wife hurried to the spot where he disappeared and pounded the ground.

The field was searched the rest of the day, and into the night.  It was finally determined by the county surveyor that there were no underground caves, or sink holes.

Seven months later, in April, David Lang's children heard him crying beneath the ground.  They described him as sounding tortured, and sometimes begging for help.  His voice finally faded away and was not heard again.  Where he had vanished, a 20-foot diameter circle of withered grass formed.  Understandably, the family moved away from the farm.