The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-10-05

p. Willis, who has been for some
time past writing in his usual fcIic.
itous style, sketches Of his pleas
ant home on the Hudson River. fur
nishcs the following to the last number
Of the Homo Journal
"A startling calamity breaks in up.
on this limited history Of what happens
at home. Close to our gate at the door
OF one of our nearest aud mos, valued
ncIghbors-a lovely girl was struck
dead by lightning. A friend who
stood with hcra tic moment, young
married lady whom she had como
to visit. was Il great sufferer. in bc.
ing rrostratcd by the same fash and
paralyzed from the waist downwards-
her lif' spared at the cost Of torturcs
cXroSsihlc. 1t is hard to make n
record of this-iitly, mean, for the
saddc,icG reading Of those around us
and the careless reading of the pub
lie at large. 1t was paracraphcd in
the city pancrs, and read this morn
ing by thousands who have already
forgotten it. Yet to us, who saw the
flash and trcmbicd mt the ,hhndcr-to
us, who but Just before had seen the
victim, surrounded by friends, hap
py and admircd--iic hush and gloom
OF the calamity now brooding around
us, and a feeling as If we must still
grasp and fold our own precious ones
t" nur bosom-it is an event for
which common passing mention is not
| rDtIIpI --SSt >yn,Is or>,,l 49,.
tell it, through, to tic hurrying world.
with thc claims of new and present
moments hcckun ing them Gil This mon
tioning Of an accident" again is but
rcprttion-a recalling of what was
flung TO the past With yesterday.
The household from which this
finger of lightning phckcd its victim,
numbered, at the time, as many as iii
ty-six persons, and they were mostly
in sight, grouped about upon the
grounds in front of the house. the
sultry heat at theGlose, of the Sab
bath afternoon M httfTTi.ag brought cv
cry one Of them. cas- q tl0ofs 1'hevcrr
e7ah!u .,au.iul,, ss3cn III s,itnncr 10
'hoardcrs, has been INC residence ufthc
snmc tnriiiy. ain,sS from time i'm.
| memorial. 1t is il large-sprcad and
picturesque old house, su buried in
trees and vines, that YOU can hard.
y sec corner of it, and its aged but
active and beloved mistress, "a widow
OF eighty, and sister of the venerable
friend and rcighbor OF whom | have
before spokcr,) was seated under the
willows which form the avenue to
the front porch, and fell backwards
with the shock "f ;hc fatal flash The
troop OF children. several Of her own
grandchildren among them, who were
around her upon the benches and
green swarL, has been, bat moment
before, out upon the grassy hillocll
where the stroke fell, but were sent to-
ward the house to avoid the coming
shower. The tclcgraphic wire, which
collected and pointed the stroke,
hung i'll ii relaxed curve within
SIX feet of the summit of this hiliock.
Ia tavoritc play ground for the chill
dren and fluid here entered the ground,
though the adjoining post and wires
for half mile were shivcrcd and
torn apart.
The sky was darkening, but scarce
q drop OF rain had yet fallen. Miss
Gilmour had been chatting with a
, handsome boy-admircr, but left him to
take aside the confidential friend
whose guest she was, that she might
read her Il letter. 1t was from her
mother, (a widow with this only
daughtcr:) and related 20 some visit Il
bout which the moment was seized for
II girlish taking of counsel. They
passed out of the gate, crossed ov-
or the road to be ont of hearing, and
stood under the telegraph wire, where
the letter was opened. Her lips were
scarce parted to read when the flash
camc-an arrow ofintcnsc light shoot.
ing along the wire and binding those
who stood watching them. \ scream of
piercing agony arose with the crash Of
the thunder. A look toward the
glorc--one Of those whom they had
seen moment before, lying PROSTATE
the other upon her knees, with hands
struggling wildly upwards the
truth was revealed. From joyous
life, health and beauty, every pulse
beating with the promise of as hap
py morrow, that young creature had
been summoned in an instant.
So complete an extinction Of life in
an instant is doubtless merciful
sParing Of tho usual pain Of death. The
countcnancc of Miss Gilmour showed
no suffering. Faint purple strcaks
followed the veins upon the left side,
and the skin was slightly broken upon
the left side, and the left foot; but the
person was not otherwise disGgurcd. a
recovery from a partial injury by
lightning, however, is probably as Sc
we're pain as could be endured. The
escape OF the electric fluid from
the body suddenly surcharged with it,
is described by the surviving COM