Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-08-16


SCRANTON, Pa, Aug. IA thrilling
catastrophe occurred this afternoon Oh
the hills, about five miles FROM tiis H}
ut u place called kuhu's Patch. n ial-e
number Of women and girls from eN'n'
ton were ON the hills gathering lIn''
when "a storm came up from the sou
and they rushed To an unt,nlul'd NnN'-
ing to take shelter from the down p1uuD7
rain.
About fOrty-One women and children
found room IN the old house, while seven
were obliged TO stand outside under lle
storm. With the increasing storm W.
sheets of fire began to descend, the llGAl-
ming becoming more vivid and the lte''
of thunder seeming TO advance l'9"
distant cayerns until the Old building Pee
gan to trcmbe. Al length Lightning
shaft, more vivid than any that had pre-
ceGed il, descended among the UNHAPPY
group Of women and glri-. killing tAoo
them and scorehing in irighttul manh.I
four others, tearing the flesh oil th'f
limbs and producing il heart sickehiu5
scene among the panic-strlchrn women
For some time oven those Who had Dol
been touched by the electric lire were
paralyzed by the appalling sight tIr{
had seen, and were unable W render ally
assistance.
The groans Of those fatally injured and
the six Other suffering victims were heart
rendiug, aud the utter helpicssncss 81 iu,
poor women aud girls WAS ptiable. N"l,G
was sent eventually to Scrarton, ana VIII"
the utmost dispatch messengers were
sent over the hill to the scene Of the d
aster with wagons, medical atleudm'g
and bedding to convey the dead hh"
wounded to city. Two of the women
who stood outside the shed said that l"v
| excitement WAS 80 intense - hen they '.
the shocking scene that they could h"l
bear To 20 Into the old house nor To h't
the means of those within who were sue
ierlng from the most eXcruciaiing nsnh"
The road leading from Scranton To lns
sad scene is almost impossible, ptN7
completely Hooded ut several points ava
II will be a late hour to-nifht before ln"f'
who have gone there with wagons eau
return TO the city.
! ! learn that Il woman named Kline an
"A girl named Schenck, eighteen year o'
age, the daughter of II poor blind mal'
are dead.
LATER DETAILS or THE CALAMITY
SCRANTON, Aug. l2-lO Z. M-in'
party of women struck 10y lightning ''
the Kuhn Patch hills, near Scranton .u9
afternoon, have been brought To this Guy.
Only two were killed on the spot, hN.
-four others are burned fatally and many
quite seriously.
Several Of the women were unable 70
find room in the old hut or the drllns
would have been much more numerous
One of the women standing on tue ou'
side at the time the fiery dart entered l'Ii
| lll-iatEd pace. states that the ram alt
hail was falling in torrents nul tl
crowded to the door. When the lirhlnW'
struck, preceded an instant before Nl
terrifying zeal of thunder, one urea 100
chorus Of screams rent the air, aud a. l'1
sight of the dead aud those whose h'sn
had been stripped from their bodice !.
many parts, several members Of The ''l'
tainted. while the remainder, though uu
hurt, were perfectly paralyzed Wiih le1''
IL was some twenty minutes before at'
one could he induced to move toward tnt
Guy Tor assistance, 50 great WIS tue ulu'
that had fallen ON them by this lllshttl"
visitation. The Wyoming Valley 10"
been partly inundated by the heavy i"I =.
and there was considerable dilicdity "
reaching the unfortunate people.
Governor Straw, of New llampshi',
has invited President Grant TO Nls'
Portsmouth and the Isle of Shoals.
, The 81. George and 81. Louis Criche
Clubs, Of St. Louis, have chosen clever
: Of their number, to be styled the 'unit'
= Eleven of st. Louis" to play malene
with the cricket clubs of the various ellle
oil the Northern States and Canada