Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-08-13
From the Cincinnati Commercial, July 81

From the Cincinnati Commercial, July 81.
Singular Freak of ElectricIty-HOw Lightning Went
Through a Railroad Conductors House, and the
Fantastic Capers 1t Cut.
Mr.. Albert H. Cole, a popular conductor on the Lit
tie Miami Railroad described to us last night the fan
tastic tricks of streak of Lightning on spree in his
domicil, Thursday night He says that at six O'Clock
that night during the tremendous thunder storm which
visited this deestrict ball of electric fluid struck the
chimney of his residence the southeast of Sara
toga and Ringod streets Newport, KY, and shattered
it from cap to base and likewise split completely the
COPING of the building. The fluid then lodged down
one Of the ues and entered the front bed chamber in
the second story where servant sat nursing Mr. Coles
two children. 1t carried with it a cloud Of dust and
SCOT from the fireplace flashed the room, filling
lit with dazzling light, perforated the plaster and ah
ing opposite the fire place. and made hole in the wall
more than foot in diameter, but did notgo throughthe
bricks. Then it played about the apartment instant
like luminous handwriting all over the walls spit
the castings, stills and frames of the windows parayzd
the nurse and the children-who were almost buried ID
dust and it back to the fire place. through
which it had ntruded darted down the chimney and
very unceremoniousy introduced itself into the paor
and played some OF the NEST eXtravagant capeIs ever
entered against the credit of electricity 1t first struck
the fender before the fire place. and rradaed the apart
ment with fiery and binding briliance glanced to the
centre of the parlor where Mrs. Cole sat entertaining
the lady of Colonel Hallam, and struck iron spoon
between them-an article provided by Mr. Cole for Dis
own accommodation when he chaws-lefta blue Streak
on the top of it scorched Mrs. Haams garments, and
shocked both ladies' But here the ball of fluid separated
one current flashing to the right and the other to the lett
the first enjoying itself by knocking the paserng from
the WALL splitting the castings and frames OF the windows
through which it disappeared; the other striking tne
open doors between the paror and dining room, when
it completely shattered then dashed through the closed
blinds of the dining room which it also spllntered[
Thence it glanced to the pavement which surr0un60
the cistern in the yard and after tearing up four or W
bricks and scattering the sand about mraculouSy'H
disappeared through the pipes which leads into the c
tern, perforating the pipe completely, leaving hole 4
bout the diameter of the largest sized buck shot.
1t is superfuous to say that the ladies, well as t
nurse and children-who were the only inmates Of tn
tenement-were more alarmed than electrified. Inc!
were blinded by the startling briliance Of the fluid alu
the nurse and children were heavily charged with as
trcity, besides being almost buried in soo ashes a
dust. The phenomenon was scarcely more than V'tDI
and sensible before it was gone. 1t was literally qi
as FASH" The fluid sped down the chimney au.
through each apartment like cannon ball. ~"
Ting with white heat. The chldren-both uIG ;
two years of age-seemed charged" fully 10 Lnr
utes, being completely Supplied. The ladies %S
affected but momentariy, and the nurse became 5
of something astonishing which had taken place Tbp
five minutes from the visitation of the intruder. COWS
bed chamber, parlor and dining room-Mr C ,oIoorc1
and we can well imagine it-present very snI' have
aspect. The walls in the two former rooms seem t
been subjected to pulverizng bombardment tne orre
lery of heaven having left the big imprint OF us
wherever it struck The house belongs to MI " ~
engineer of the Jacob Srader.