Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-07
TERRIBLE EFFECTS OF LIGHTNING.

The Peoria Republican gives the following account Of
the terrible effects of lightning stroke in that city
Sunday night week: FL
Last night little after twelve o'clock, those of c
who had retired startled from their slumbers BY
of the deaening pees of thunder that canddy
believe, reyeberated through the ornament 1t was
not particularly sharp but rather collected roaring as
million pieces Of artillery had been discharged at
sound seemed in direction locality but to fill
all spaces in fact seemed If the entire universe united
in the terrific utterance The lightning which preceded the
explosion (srcty speaking although it appeared to be in
the instantly intensely vivid as it is possible to
conceive. must hax been Of the most youmnous
bolts electricity haever descended for It's effects
amazing and almost unprecedented 1t seemed to burst in
all its upon the residence Of Capt Morrison on Third
and sit IT'S .acs sac rscora he an mouse Sh
ney passed down the to bar that passed through
the building the walls where it forksd one OF the
ripping the roof the south side Of the building
tearing apart the wall and running along the earth in
tho back yard to the prvy Another fork passed down the
dining room shatterng the ceiling and finally TOOK the same
whore they met third fork passed into the second story
where branohed in two opposite direcons branch
sreakng through the chambers shatteng into fragments
door which closed and passing out through the west side
the house, after which it the ground in the ad
passed hall on. the front door,
tearing up the outside steps and courng about the front
yard and tearing up the earth in the as the
other did back the At the foot Of the stairs
Of Capt Morrison lying in the hall having
chosen that place on account OF the warmth Oh the ngh
The Oldest of those received the whole force of the electric
and rendered senseess and incapable of speech
only giving his suengs in few feeble
Instant made him, but they were Of
avail in half hour life extinct. The body to all APP
injured in the least there not being even
fracture Of the skin. This morning the face
preston life and presented the appearance of
calm slumber The other brother terribly laceraed
both thighs being furrowed vertically to the bone by
Der gashes The physician who Is in attendance
upon him has but little hopes of the sufferers recovery Capt
Morrison sitting in the diningroom at the time Of the
looking of the south window and he describes
the produced upon him similar to being struck
upon the head with brick. But in moment he recovered
from the shock and discovering the filed with dust and
the wreck Of the wall lying around him. he Immediately pro-
look after the safety of his family who were utter
ing frghul shreks from oil parts of the house. when the
other weeng in blood struck his stout heart with terror
and completely unnamed him. His daughter young girl
narrowly escaped injury although she considerably
She slept in the chamber the door of which
shattered as stated She aad her first idea that
the had been blown up with powder There were two
other ladies sleeping in the house at the time neither OF
whom were seriously injured.
The building presented this morning frghtful appear
having been completely rdded from the roof to the
cellar The steps to the upper chambers as well as those
which led to the cellar thrown some ten inches from
the walls shattered render them unsafe to
One of rods used faen the carpet to the steps
by tho electricity and hurled through the stair
way with such force that penetrated Of the afters OF
the roof such depth require the weight of an ord
man to pull out The atmosphere in the vicin
ty was strongly with sulphur, if there had
been On immense powder explosion. In conclusion,
safely say this of the most wonderful
and terrible phenomena of electricity record" 8