The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-03-09
How it Feels to be Struck !, by
Lightning, !ai :ayii.

How, it Feels to be Struck + by
- Lightning, aH .aoii.
Geo Mills writes as follows 70 the
Chicago Tribune. 20, y. 81. % = ,sxg
On the evening Of the 10th day Of
July, 1870, I was struck by lightning
under tbs following circumstances :: ]
am a farmer, and had gone to the pas
ture, three fourths ola mile from the
house.. op horseback, to drive home the
COWS. a heavy shower had just fallen,
accompanied by much lightning and
loud thunder, and a little rain was
still falling-we would say it was
"sprinklingl" When riding through
the field I discovered q small cluster Of
cockleburrs, q noxious weed that, in.
tests many farms in that section Of the
country, lThacattl we're feeding near
me-, i dismounted and held the horse
with one hand, and :proceeded to pull
up the, ,burrs with the other. While
to; pull up the last one, my
hand, grasped close to the root. the
horse standing with his head partly over
my STOPPING body, fash Of lightning
struck the horse, entering his head in
and behind the, left ear, tearing two
holes in the skin behind the ear, and
though he was wet with the rain, the
hair was .singed from is;head, neck,
shoulders, and one front leg ITO the
ground; he, Of, course, was instantly
killed. A small portion Of the electric
fluid struck me on the right temple,
singing the lashes Of the right eye and
slightly burning or scalding the face,
rendering me unconscious for o little
time. The following were the sensa-
tions aud phenomena, as I obsefyed
and rememb bered them First, I felt
myself enyeloped in Q sheet Of perfect
ly white light, accompanied by q sense
Of suuiffocation by heat. THE light could
be seen as well. through the back Of the
head as we'll as With the eyes, and ap.
peared to extend several feet on all
sides Of me; the I experienced sense
of danger, and tried to. escape injury
from my horse. Then followed trou-
blcd dream, in which I was hauling a
load of hay, in.eompany with another
person, and, in spite Of ali-the effort |
could make to avoid it, the load of hay
was about to fall on me. When in the
dream I madea last desperate effort to
spring from under the hay, | found
myself standing on my feet. -. .;..., =.
The FIRST thing I observed was that
tho cattle, in fright were running from
mo, and next, that /, stood in front OF
the PROSTATE horse. Instantly / com,
sprchepasd tho sitaatieH and listened
10 hear thexBunder that should have
accompanied the lightning but no
thunder could be heard. j felt no
pain and no sensation, except mcntal
exultation, which lasted but a. few
seconds. At first I thought the "tightn-
ing had struck me, and had slightly
stunned the horse and myself Then
l obeerved the water on every hair and
the moisture, in the eyes, nostris aud
mouth of the horse to be boiling, haV-
ing the appearance and making. a noise
like fine drops of water on . hot iron,
which continued for several seconds.
This was o phenemenon I never heard
of, probably because person near
enough to see it is almost always rem
.dcred unconscious, too long to make
observation. Judging from the dls~
tance the cattle had run, ] was pro-
baly unconscious, less thsn six seconds.
Finding that the horse did not
breathe, I proceeded 10 pull off the sad,
die and bride, and then, ! felt q
severe pain 10 my head, which con-
tinued for several hours, followed by
soreness, which seems to be in the subs
stance of the brain, with an inclination
to Inflammation, but, at the. end ota
week no effects Of the lightning we're
felt. e.: .1s.5 -ri 5.G :, tir ..rlr"