The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-08-26
ELECTRIC DEATH.


ELECTRIC DEATH.
Not alone In the accounts of tornadoes
which have entailed immense loss both
In city and rural district, nor in the
summary of devastation by floods, mol
In the estimates of damage to the crops
from weeks of unpropitious weather in
the record of the remarkable summer
not yet ended complete, there is a death.
roll attached to the list of disasters
which is without a parallel in the history
of the country, the number of those
killed by lightning being far greater
than is generally supposed. The diff
Guilty of obtaining complete statistics on
this subjec. is great from the wide ex-
tent of territory over which the acct
dents occur, and the fact that many are
neve reported to the news centers by
telegraph; but that the storms of this
summer have been especially dangerous
Is evident even through the occasional
accounts which have been received.
The following incidents will convey
some idea of the manner in which light
ming kills OF Injuries people when il
wants to:
MISCELLANEOUS LIST.
Accidents from lightning appear to
v been more numerous in Iowa than
elsewhere during the season, several
people having been killed in this State
and others severely injured. On the
18th of June oEpS. J. Smith, living neal
Webster City, was the first victim of the
series of storms beginning about that
time. While pursuing his ordinary avo-
cations he was struck by lightning and
killed instantly. No particulars of the
manner in which the electric fluid affect
ed the body were given to the newspa-
pers. The storm of the 18th of June
which came Immediately after this Iowa
accident was n especially remarkable
from the amount of electricity in the air
and the death-rol of victims of lightning
then received several accessions. Not
IN one State alone. but wherever the ter
r1ble storm prevailed there were acct
dents. Near Nashville, Tenn, n John
Mills WIS instantly killed and two others
we're severely stunned. On the sue
ceedlng day four others were struck
down In Nashville, though none were
killed. On the 18th, also, during the
storm at Milford, o., a child of l.. b.
Estum was killed, and two daughters of
Z. Edwards were severely burned by a
stroke of lightning. Other accidents.
none of them fatal, were reported from
various quarters. On June Is, while a
heavy rain storm was passing v wv
andotte, Kan, a sudden terrific flash of
lightning occurred, and the discharge
entered a house where a Mrs. Bradish
was engaged In nursing her babe. The
infant at its mothers breast was killed
by the shock, and the mother herself so
injured that her life was despaired of.
Whether or not the woman eventually
recovered does not appear. Soon after
this sad occurrence a series of similar
accidents took place elsewhere. In
Wake county, North Carolina, a woman
at her work was killed by lightning, and
IN the same county, within two weeks of
this affair, a young lady, one Miss Butt,
made q second victim. She was sitting
near a window, which was closed. The
lightning came down the chimney, and
passing around the room, fell upon her
killing her instantly. She was is wears
OF age. Only a few days later, while a
party of fifteen men were engaged in
running a threshing machine near Al
pharetta, Ca, a heavy cloud and rain
came up, and a bolt of lightning struck
in the midst of the crowd, killing three
mel outright and injuring to some ex-
tent the entire party. Two of the men
were brothers, and we're standing one
on each side of their father when killed.
the father m~iraculously escaping unhurt.
Near Florence, s. O., a colored woman
and two dogs were also killed by light
ming at about the same time. Thew had
taken refuge from the storm under n
tree. Soon afterwards, during a storm
Eear Cascade, in Pittsylvania county.
Va, MIR. Abram Talbot and others took
shelter In a stable, which was struck by
Lightning. Mr.. Talbot was INSTANTLY
killed and the other gentlemen were Sc,
verely shocked.
In Georgia a curious lightning stroke
also took place. A doctor of Oliver was
summoned to the bedside of a negro who
mad been injured. Upon reaching the
negro, the doctor, to his establishment.
found him doing well, with the excep.
ton of a profuse hemorrhage, issuing
from a comminuted wound of the first
or great toe Of his left foot. This the
doctor was wholly unable to account for.
especially after searching in vain for
anything that might have given rise to
it. except the electric current itself.
The vamp covering the toes of the shoe
OF this foot was torn completely off.
The position of the negro at the time of
the stroke seems to have been bending
over, with his face on his bed. He saws
he had a presentiment of the fact
an hour or so before its occurrence,
and although not a Spiritualist, yet the
remarkable precautions which he took
would seem to create the belief that his
prescntiment wss real. There were an
axe and two guns neal his bed, which
he says were there and gave him no un-
easlness during other storms, but on
this occasion he could not resist the i'm
pulse to move them, fearing the attrac-
hon OF steel. He rolled the axe in a
blanket and put it where he thought
1t would be less likely to harm him.
self Or his children, four Of whom