Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-09-12

| A REMARKABLE STORY. - In Byfeld, on
Wednesday evening last, during the thunder
storm, the house of Mr.. Henry Rogers, located
upon a slight eminence, entirely free from
| trees or shrubbery, was struck By lightning
aud almost totally destroyed, without the
| slightest injury to the inmates. As near as
we could judge, the lightning entered the
roof near the centre, and tore theretrom on
each side about one third part of the whole
surface. The house was one story, and direct
ly beneath this place was bed on which was
sleeping three children. So near were they to
the roof that the posts of the bedsteads came
within foot of the boards which were thrown
to the ground, north and south. The charge
then passed to the east part of the house, tear
ing oil the entire end, and throwing fragments
over forty eight yards into a eighborng field;
1t then entered a bedroom, split the head and
foot boards from a bedstead occupied by two
young men, shattered the posts, tearing the
paper from the walls, thence passing into an
/ other room, taking from under feather bed,
on which was lying Mr.. Rodgers and wife,
straw bed, and scattering the straw in every
direction Every pane of glass i'll the house
was broken, and some of the fragments thrown
! thirty-siX feet in southerly direction. The
lightning then separated taking southerly
and northerly course, throwing privy upon
were animals and a quantity of hay, thence
along the road, splitting frrm rock upon
stone wall piece weighing twenty pounds,
throwing it some ten feet into the road, and
passing into tho earth. Mrs. Rodgers was the
only person awake. She heard the report
which she says was very loud, and saw the
destruction going on, which she represents as
bewilderlng and incomprehensible. The light
ming must have passed within few inches of
the heads Of the young men, as the head and
foot boards, which were shattered, could not
have been more than that distance from them.
Everything in the house was HI the most sim
gular confusion. Articles were passed from
one room to another, cards from a rack were
found behind a mirror which hung opposite,
piece OF meat which hung in the cellar-way
was found on the second floor, and pouch of
powder was found perfect in the road. The
stove was shattered and broken, crockery ware
driven in all directions, fragments of furniture
pierced the partitions, and everything myster-
ious in its disposition. The clock was stopped
at three minutes to eleven, the pendulum was
displaced and has not been found Had a keg
OF powder exploded in the cellar, it would
not have made more perfect wreck. But
yet, strange as it was, not one of the seven in
mates was injured. A scientific friend, whom
we induced to visit the spot with U.S. eniolns
upon us to present it as one of the most re-
markable illustrations OF the protection afford
ed by feather bed from the effects of light
ming, as 1t is his opinion that this alone saved
them from instant death.
Crowds of people have visited the spot, and
are still going. and the house is looked upon
here as one worthy Of the attention of the
curious. Correspondence Of Boston Iragelier.