Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-08-15
AUGUST Is, 1855.
Appalling Catastrophe i

-
A young Baptist Ministey instaatly Killed
Fifteen or tweaty Others seriously an
jured By lightning.
On Monday last, says the Fairmouut True
Virginian, after the adjournment of the
county court of Taylor, and while number
persons were still, standing within the
courtroom and the entry thereto. being de
tanned BY a terrific storm which was then
raging, the cupola Of the court house was
struck oy lightring, and the electric fluid
in its descent to the earth, prostrated some
fifteen persons, one of whom was instantly
killed, and about half of, the rest seriously
injured. Qnr nfnrrnan Who was in the,
Ec0fft room at kle tin1a of -fEzzI
represents the scene as a most terrifying
one. The building appeared to him to be
coming down bodily under, the pressure Of
some tremendous weight !; and he instinc-
! lively felt for a support. Collecting Eis
thoughts, however, 1.-The nature of the occur
renee was INSTANTLY evident to him. and he
and the. other persons ran out atthe side
doors of the building. Just then, ( the
screams Of some ladies, on the other side of
the street convinced them; that sad calam-
lity was visible to als Stretched on the bricks
Ilayea number Of persons; In the midst of
them the denuded body of the Rev. Mr..
Hezekiah Durham, the young man who was
killed, and whose. person had been stripped
OF every vestige Of. clothing. Fortunately
for the sufferers, the. persons present knew
the best method of restoring them all tc
consciousness, and soon dragged them out
into the rain, and commenced dashing wa
ter upon them. After the sufferers found
lying in the entry had oeen cared for, the
IJury-rooms above were visited, and in one oil
these. were discovered three more individu.
ais who had been so stunned as to be un
able to help themselves Two: of them were
taken out into the rain; the friends of the
third, from mistaken kindness, would no
let INN be taken out, and he consequently
suffered much more than his companions
OF the persons shocked, some recovered Sc
as to get away from Pruntytown tRe.samt
evening; yet on Tuesday morning, (whel
our informant left,) there were still six 0
eight confined to their rooms if not TO thei
beds, and one or more of them. in yer.
precarious condition, Since then, we hav
mot heard frenl Pruntytown. ~
:. Mr.. Dunhah Cordained to the ministry a
bout two weeks ago, by the Baptist churcl
in. Pruntytown) was standing when the cleo
tric fluid struck him, IN the front door {
the courthouse. with his head leaning again:
the casing. The other persons injured wer
standing near him, in the entry. One ma
was considerably scorched by the hesling {
pair of spectacles which he had Yin b
pocket. Another'ssw watch proved SO attra
tive that it was perfectly fused. Mr. A. v
Best, though Standing some twenty {
more feet from the track of the fluid, ha
his right arm, which was IN contact with
wall, paralyzed from the elbow down; an
this without paining him, for he did n,
know the fact until he. undertook to hand
bucket. After administering to the reli
of other and more serious sufferers, usir
only his left hand, he took off his hat at
stood in the rain for few minutes, -wht
his harm soon became subject to his will ar
free from every unpleasant sensation.