The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-11-21
NO. Al.
From the Scranton Republican.
Remark BILE ESCAPE of a Large Family
From Death by Lightning.


iug that you are anxious to inform your
readers of ell important N alters Of local
or private interests, ss we'll as national
and foreign; and having been guest Of
the alluded family-an eye witness and
participant in the extraordinary event
i will endeavor to give you some Of the
particulars connected with it.
On Monday. October 7th. | had occs-
sion to visit Holistervile, Wayne county,
on bu-iDesS, and was invited to spend the
night at the house of Mr. Jas Waite, q
deacon of the Baptist Church, aud a welf
known citizen OF that place. During the
day the atmosphere had been portentous
of gathering storm. and early in the e.
VeniDg the RAIN began to fall heavy, sc-
conpsnied with thunder and lightning.
At 10 p ID the family retired, and after
about hall an hour. sbiob spent 10 my
room. | also retired for the Ui ht. At a
bout o'clock was suddenly awaken.
ed from very sound deep By an awful
concussioD, which -eemed like the final
Gil uS
seemed tottering to it, fall, while the rim
ging of the falling window glass and the
ruU bling Of the earth beneath combined
to make it altogether more than the hu-
man mind. just from the land of dreams,
could fully comprehend. At the moment
of waNing the sensation was truly awful,
affecting me so much that l could not
End my clothing or the entrance to my
room, though | eagerly sought for both.
Up to this time, which was but few se-
oonds. had heard nothing from the fam
lily, and reSeatiDg myself upon the bed
IN niDsle confusion and consteruatiop,
| heard Miss Waite call from her cham
Der. again sought and found my room
door, and called to know if any of the
family were killed, aud what the matter
was; but as get no answer came. But
soon | heard Mr. Waites voice calling
for a match. As soon as be had obtained
a light, repeated exclan stioas from ssve-
raj voices expressive of the greatest con-
sternatiou. followed. In the mean time
bad found mg clothing. Cor portion Of
it,) and was prepared to meet bin (Mr.
W as be descended the stairs from his
room on the secopd story. He expressed
bis gratitude for the safety of bis family,
although bis house seemed seriously in
jured. We then repaired to the kitchen,
to find every thing in the room thrown
iuto the gres estest possible confusion. The
door was blown out of the frame; the
stove (Which was very heavy one) was
thrown fron its position, and from msrks
10 the ceiling, as also from the foot prints
of the stove 10 the floor, it would seem as
though it had been thrown against the
ceiling and landed very nearly in the GEN.
tre OF the room, soDe OF the feet being
broken while others had sunk into the
solid flooring to the depth of half an inch
by its iD neuse weight. The window
castings were blown off, the glass blown
out, aud in some cases the sa.hes also,
while the flooring was torn up and splin-
tered into pieces. From this room We
descended to the cellar to 6nd everything
there too a similarity coofused mass, and
several Of the joists under the kitchen
foor broken off as if they had been pipe
stems. From here We went to the butte
ry adjoining the kitchen to witness still
more dismal scene. Flour, bread. pies,
broken dishes. broken glass, &c., all
thrown iu one promiscuous mass. We
then examined the setting, and the ad-
joining room in which / slept and found
the floors forced up from the joists, and
tho bed in which | slept bad been re-
moved to very nearly the centre of the
room. He then took me to his own room
on the second foor above. and found win-
dow cssiUgs. furniture, &C., in similar
condition ln the garret We found the
chimney strewn in every direction and
the stove pipe melted up or flown open.
The ceiling through which tse electric
fluid passed had the appearance of hsv-
ing been perforated BY bullets.
During ali this time the house was FL
led with fumes almo-t to suffocate, as if
it bad been mixturs of sulphur, soos
and gas, which led Us to make q more
thorough examination in order to ascer-
tain if the building wss on FIRE. but none
could be discovered By this exaDiBatiou
it appeared that the charge bad entered
In contact with the latter, and glanced OF
10 two different directions one portion
passing down tbrcugA the buttery and
out at the north es side. while the prin-
cipal portion passed through the kitsben
floor into the cellar. and out under the
hall (soutb west -ide) and the room in
which | slept, apparently raising that
side from the foundation and forcing the
whole broad side soue distance from its
original position. reDoying a stone OF sew
eral hundred pounds from the bedding at
the hall door and tearing up the ground
as il it. bad been q cannon ball.
Thus Mr. Editor. | have given you zs
nearly as can some OF the particulars of
one of the most terrific scenes that ever
witnessed. and What seems almost incred-
ihle. none of the family were seriously in
iured nor the house burned.
The next morning the neighbors came