Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-07-21
A TERRIFIC THUNDER STORM.
Property Destroyed by Lightning.--A
Chapter OF Accidents.


ton. The day had been close and sui.
try till about4 o'clock P. NJ, when a
G considerable breeze sprang up from the
west, and ugly. portentious looking
"thunder caps" appeared above the hor-
lion. Soon the whole heavens were
overcast and great tongues Of forked
lightning played spitefully in mid.air,
while crashing thunder bolts filed cloud
land with reverberations. Then the
rain began to Fall, at first slowly in huge
bespatteriug drops, and then in gusts
and sheeted whirlwinds. Tho storm.
clouds appeared TO float but little above
the house tops, and every inch of at
mosphere seemed charged with electrici
ty. It was not strange, then, that tree,
and buildings were shattered by the re-
sistless lightning. or that a man should
thirk bis domicil coming down about
his ears at each fresh thunderbolt; and
all did not escap', as later developments
proved.
About o'clock the tempest abated
slightly and report was circulated that
the new Methodist church building had
been struck and
TWO MEN SERIOUSLY INJURED.
The report was soon corroborated.-
Examination showed that that n charge
had struck the lightning-rod on the
church; and as the rod seemed to havo
been ins efficient to pass off the fluid, it
had divided, part entering the steeple
and the remainder continuing down the
rod which was torn from IFS fastenings and
completely demolished. The other part
entered the beIfry, and, passing down q
large iron rod connecting tho s!eeple
with the roof of the building, again di
vided, the main charge passing along
hugo beam which i: shattered and twis-
ted out of all usefulness, then down
rafter and out through the north
east corner Of the building, which
was torn in pieces and made to-
tai wreck of. Clapboaids, sheetng and
an eight-inch corner post were ripped
and broken like straws in n whirIwind,
leaving an aperture large enough for a
man to pass through. The remainder
Of this charge, after separating in the
beIfry, passed along the sheeting of the
roof TO about the center of the structure
then down through the ceiling into the
main room of the building. Here James
Gam aud w. f. Miles were at work on
either side of long bench in the cen
ter of the room. Dir. Gum was lean
ing over the bench sharpening tool
and Mr.. Miles was showing plane
The electricity seems again to have di-
vided. One part passing downward, left
hole the size of a minnie ball in the
rim of Mr. G's hat, struck the bench. and
skipping along the top to The end, passed
down the leg and out through the floor.
The reat Of the charge struck the bench
near Mr.. Miles aud ricochetiing along
the top, passed off and was lost in the
rubbish on the floor. But q few mo-
meDts elapsed before some of our cil
zens having noticed the accident FASTENED
to the building and found the two
workmen stretched on the floor As they
had fallen. Mr.. Gum was entirely sense
less and remained so for nearly three
hours. Mr.. Miles informs us that after
being struck he was perfectly conscious,
though unable TO stir, in the slightest
degree, any part Of bis body. Lay ing
helpless upon his back, and believing him,
self fatally injured, thousand thoughts
flashed through his mind in an instant.
and he believes he understands now
what are the sensations Of dying per.
son.
Both gentlemen have so far recovered
rs to be able to attend to business. They
hope, however to be delivered in the fu
ture from oil such freaky yisitations.-
These are the same gentlemen, it will be
remembered, who, last spring, were seri
ousIy injured by the falling of scat
fold, while they were at work on this
same church building. They arc exceed
ingly unfortunate. ..,as
The damage to the church is estima-
ted at 5000.
NARROW ESCAPE.
AT about the Same time of the above
accident, a charge no. under the control
of, any" battery" Came tearing over the
wires of the Northwestern Telegraph.
Co. Miss Matte Skinner, operator, in
this city, had detached the wires imp rep.
aration for the storm, but the electric
charge was so great rs to break the lines
from their fastenings AMI melt the ends
of the wires. A piece Of board was torn
from the wall and hurled across the
room haratx ,n;ss;nrr Tia o0orato.'s baaJ