The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-08-25
Curious Freaks OF Lightning.

Curious Freaks OF Lightning.
Last Tuesday night this sectionswas visit
ed by one of the severest thunder storms Of
the season, the lightning being very vivid
and the thunder being almost continuous.
About one o'clock Wednesday morning the
whole city was startled by one Of the
loudest elaps Of thunder that is often
heard, awaking' even the soundest sleeper.
An examination showed that the house of
VIM. Purdy, near the corner of Seventh
street and West Avenue, had been struck,
and that the lightning had played some
curious pranks. It struck on the southwest
corner Of the building near where the L
joins the main part, tearing up single or
TWO near the caves and making very small
hole. From there it evidently divided, the
main bolt going along the joist overhead to
the opposite eide Of the house, where it en-
tered small bedroom, coming out through
the plastering behind large looking glass
with such force as to send the glass across
the room and break it into ten thousand
pieces against the wall, and embedding mi
mute fragments of the glass in the plastering
so firmly as to make it almost impossible to
pull them out with the fingers. Pieces Of
the glass and frame were also carried
across the hall, the bedroom door being but
slightly open. On q small table directly
under where this glass hung was cup full
Of matches, the cup being thrown to the floor
and not broken, while the matches we're
scattered broadcast over the room. Where
the lightning entered the plastering was
torn of for about square foot in space,
and all around the hole the wall in every
direction looks as if hot flames had
touched it.
Another portion Of the lightning went
through the pantry, situated directly under
where the bolt first entered, combining itself
to light board partition in the cupboard,
making holes through between the shelves
that looks as if it went in above and then
crossed back below, finally leaving through
the back near the floor, in every case splin-
tering the wood so as to mark it's course
In this cupboard on one side of the partition
it threw down some platters standing against
the boards breaking them into thousand
pieces, and on the other side dentinp and
melting the solder off of several tin cans
filled with different articles used in cook
ing. Another portion Of the fluid entered
the kitchen near where pump is placed,
tearing the plastering and sending it in
minute fragments across the room. Still
another portion must have gone outside the
rear entrance to the house, as marks of it
can be seen in the splintering of the door
jams. The main bolt must have left the
house finally near where the water spout
enters the cistern as board funnel above
the filter was broken and the earth torn up
with such force as to scatter it all over the
back porch.
There were but three persons in the
house, Mr.. and Mrs. Purdy and Mr.. Roland,
all Of whom were sleeping down stairs.
They were awakened in common with the
rest Of the city, and one Of them went out
on the front porch supposing of course that
the lightning had struck near by and per-
haps it's effects might be seen, but thinking
they would wait until daylight for further
developments went to bed again without
striking light, not knowing until morning
that it was their own house had been struck.
1t seems almost providential escape for
the whole family. The night before nearly
every room in the house was occupied but
that night but the three were there, and
they in another part from where the light
ming was playing such havoc Another Gu
rious feature in this case is the fact that
the main part Of the house has lightning
rod but short distance from where the
fluid entered, and thus whether such rods
are really protection becomes again de-
bateable question. Mr.. Purdy says he has
owned good many different buildings, but
never before one with lightning rod, and
that he never had building struck before.
ARRESTED FOR FoRGERY.-Late last
Saturday night Peter Beheng, lately q
merchant at this place, was arrested for
forgery. 1t appears that on the 18th of
June last he gave note to Auerbach,
Finch & Scheffer, Of St. Paul, for $491. 46,
payable in sixty days, and which was
signed bV his own name and tho nonoo of