The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-08-20
~ sTnRW TFsTERnlY.
Great Damage 20 PrOpertyand Loss
OF Life.

uags OAOGA5 DCS04 W SAbAOA -
West and Northwest about noon, IN
creasing in size until at 2 o'clock that
part Of the sky was covered by
dense mass of clouds, from which
vivid flashes of lightning darted. and
loud peals Ofthunder were heard while
the sun was still shining brightly.
A little after two o'clock the clouds
had overspread the sky, and the rain
began to fall in torrents, the wind at
the same time blowing with great
force, several very sharp flashes OF
lightning occurring just as the WIND
slackened.
During the storm, the steeple on
the Walnut Street Presbyterian
Church, was struck By lightning,
which knocked off the weather vane,
ball and spear, but did but little other
damage. Not so in other parts of the
city, however.
When the storm arose, Mr.. John
Tohill, a milk man. who lived on
Eleventh Street, between First Ave
nue. and German Street, Jacobsville.
was standing In the door of his COW
stable, talking TO butcher, to whom
he had just sold calf, when the
lightning struck the roof of the stable,
and passing down on either side of
the peak Of the roof, knocked off a
few splinters from the boards of
which the barn is built, and striking
Mr.. Tohill on the head, killed him
instantly. tearing his hat to rag.
and burning his hair and beard. Mr..
Tohill sank to the ground with
slight murmur, and In an instant was
lifeless.
A boy mounted horse and rode
hurrjedly after doctor. and the body
was removed to the house, but he was
dead, and the arrival of the doctor
only served to assure. the distracted
wife and children Of the fact of their
bereavement.
The stable was so little Injured,
that at few yards distance the effect
of the stroke is not visible. Mr.. To-
hill was we'll known in the city, haV-
ing lived here for many years, and
amassed considerable property by
great industry and thrift.
Hardly had the news of the above
sad case reached the heart of the
city, when word was brought that the
steeple of the Trinity Lutheran
Church in Lamasco had blown down
and crushed in the roof of the school
house adjoining it. and reporters re-
pairing to the spot found it to be true.
It appears that the frame work of the
steeple, which was erected by Mr..
Thomas Grant, was not anchored to
the masonry, although Mr.. Grant re-
peatedly warned the Building Com
mittee that it was dangerous, and de-
clined to build it so. until relieved of
the responsibility of any accident
oyertaking it. Being thus merely
resting on the masonry, the high wind
of yesterday threw it over.
In falling, it struck about the mid
die of the roof of the school building
at the side of the church, and crush
ing through the roof, carried both
sidewalks with it to the floor of the
second story. Fortunately there was
no one in either church or school, or
loss of life must have resulted. As it
is the ruin presents shocking sight,
the only remains of the steeple being
few broken planks and boards, and
the school house is cut half in two.
Not long after the storm had abated ,
a young man, the son of Mr.. Terry,
of the Terry farm, in knight Town
ship, came to the JOURNAL Office, and
reported the destruction of his faith
er's barn, which was struck by light
ming, and together with its contents,
q moving machine. two wagons,
eighteen plows, two hundred bushels
of oats, and fifteen tons of hay, were
consumed. One horse was killed,
and another rescued from the burn
ing barn by great exertions. Mr.
Terry's place is about three miles
from the city, on the Newburg road
The barn was insured for $1,000 in
the Repubiie.o of Chicago.
\, Rumors were rife in the city thai
} other persons had been struck By
lightning. but diligent inquiry failed
to develope any more damage, eithel
! by wind or lightning. except the
grounding of the wharf boats, tn,
blowing up the wharf of couple o.
old smoke stacks aud several small
trees blown down. limbs blown from
larger ones, and the sky-light blowr
: from the Opera House. all of which
are comparatively unimportant-thl
damage to the Opera House being the
most serious; the frame was blown
across Locust Street and over Mr.
John Shanklin's lot into First Street
opposite the Sherwood House. with
out hurting any one.
: The Courts.
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