Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-08-15
Court House struck by Lightning-0ne
Man Killed and MANY Wounded.

On the Esd inst, The cupola of the
Court. House in Taylor county, Va, was
struck by lightning, while the Court was
in session, and a large number Of persons
within the building. One man was instant
ly killed, and several others Frustrated,
some of whom were severely injured
The Paramount Virginidn says:
Our informant, who was in the Court
room at the time of the occurrence, rep
Tesents the scene as a most tel rify ing one.
The building appeared to him to be
coming down bodi y under the pressure
of some tremendous weight, and he in
SANITY felt for a support. Collecting his
thoughts, however, the nature of the oc.
currence was instantly evident to him,
and he and the other persons ran out at
the side-doors of the building. Just
then the screams of some Indies OF the
other side of tile street convinced them
that a sad calamity had resulted, and on
reaching the front of the building the
character of the calamity was visible to
all. Stretched on the bricks lay a mum
Der of persons in the midst Of them the
denuded body .of the Rev. Hezekiah
Durham, the young man who was killed
and whose person had been stripped of
every veslige of clothing.
fortunately for the sufferers, the per
sons present knew the best method of
restoring them to consciousness, and
o o dragged them out into the rain and
commenced dashing water upon them
After the sufferers found lying in the
entry had been cared for. the Jury rooms
above were visited, and in one of these
were discovered three more individuals
who had oeen so stunned as to be unable
10 help themselves. Two of them were
taken out into the rain the friends of
the third, from mistaken kindness, would
not allow him TO be taken out, and he
consequently suffered much more Il an
his companions. OF the persons shock
ed, some recovered so as TO get away
from Pruntl town the same evening, yet
on the next morning when our inform
ami left) there were still six or eight con
fined to their rooms, if not to their beds,
and one or more of them in a very pre-
carious condition.
Mr. Durham (ordained to them inistry
about two weeks ago, by the Baptist
Church in Pruntytown) was standing,
when the electric fluid struck him, in the
front door of the court house with his
head leaning against the casing. The
other persons injured were standing neal
him in the entry. One man was con-
siderably scorched by the heating of a
pair Of spectacles which he had in his
pocket. Another's watch proved so at
t%ractive that it was partially fused. Nj.
H. W. Best, though standing some 20
feet or more from the track of the fluid,
hau his right arm, which was in contact
with a wall, ~paralyzed from the elbow
down, and this without paining him, for
he did not know the fact until he u der
took to handle a bucket. After admin
istering TO the relief of other and more
severe sufferers, using only his left hand,
he took off his hat and stood in the rfin
a few minutes, when his arm soon became
subject to his will, and free from every
unpleasant sensation.
The electricity ran down the front wall
of the houSe--at some points forcing out
the bricks, and at others only separating
The walls and driving out the cement.
In the northwest room, up Stair,
Major S. G. Flemming, John w. Mon
roe, George Flemming and John w. Sin
sci we're in business. The electricity
passing down the wall neal them. very
much stunned and otherwise injured the
two last named gentlemen. COnsidera
Bile damage was done to the ceiling Of
the room. Passing down the wall, it
broke out at different points.