The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-31

|, Struck BY LIGHTslNG.-The dwelling
house of MIR. Maurice Evans, No. 1872 west
Clay street, was, during the storm of Sum-
day morning, struck by lightning about g
O'Clock. Mr.. Evans and bis wife were in
| their sleeping.rooD, together with two for
more) of his children, one Of them baby.
His oldest daughter and servant-woman
were in the basement. The house has two
stories above the basement. The electric
fluid struck the lightniDg-rod, which is an
old-fashioned one, nearly or quite an inch
in diameter, and much Of the discharge
passed off into the ground, making hole
all around the rod where it enters the earth.
Some of the insulators were broken to
pieces. At two points, however, the fluid
left the rod, and, making holes entirely
Through the solid brick walls, entered the
house. One Of these points was just below
the ceiling of the basement. The fluid here
knocked the bricks inside apart, tore off
plastering, broke the crockery and glassware
10 the room, and projected articles against the
wall opposite the chimney with such force
as to leave deep marks upon the wall. It also
broke out of the basement window nearestits
point oil entrance "a small WindoT) the four
corner panes of glass, shatteriDg them aS IL
they had been hit by a BANNER. It seemed to
come out Of the chimney exactly at the gas.
pipe, but there is no evidence that the pipe bad
either attracted it or was touched by it,. The
chimney.fue is no doubt full Of loose bricks
Just here, but the Latrobe heater hides them
from view. The second point Of entrance
from the ligbtning-rod was in the upper
story. Here the fluid seemed TO enter upon
a level with the upper side Of the floor.
1t set fire to the carpet and tore the
mating. III this room were Mr. Evans. his
wife, and two Of the children. Mr.. Evans
was in undress, having just come out of his
bathroom. The shock was so great that it
rendered him Geaf for time. He did not
hear bis wife's cries, though they were audi.
BILE TO his nearest neighbor. In fact, he was
so "deGloralizcd" that he went about
for hall an hour in light dress, for
getting his coat and pants. He said
to bis wife, in reply 10 her questions,
that lie supposed somebody had tred of Il
gun iu the house, as lesmelled sulphur. He
was so thoroughly shocked that he did not
know what was the matter until he went
down stairs. Mrs. Evans was also severely
shocked. but Was not sc much affect
cd as Mr.. Evans. The baby received
the seycrest shock, she thinks. The servant
and the child III the basement were in a
| room adjoining the one into which the fluid
entered. and were only shocked, hot injured.
! The family had not SIT down to breakfast,
and the escape OF every member of it must
be accounted proHdentia!.
But the lightning also struck the wing Of
the house. How it got there, or whence it
car.e, or whittier it went, wefnow not. At
| the vest window Of the wing the plasteripg
| was knocked of for several feet and the
windo w-frame disDluced. Possibly some
connection exists between the tin roof of the
| wing tthe main building has not a tin roof)
and the rod. We know not how tois is.
Altogether, the whole aifiir is u very in
teresting one. We take the liberty OF stating
how the shock affected Mr.. Evans because it
| is valuable part Of the history Of the mat
| ter. He himself laughed heartily in telling
the circumstances. We must state, also, rs 4
! part Of the history. that though the
house is surrounded by trees, none
of them are more than half rs high as the
house, and tha. hlr. Eyans's is the only light
| ning.rod in the ntiehborhood, the nearest
| being on the house Mex below the Clay
Street Methodist church, which is on another
square.
The holes in the wall on the outside Of the
house are only between the bricks. not one
| of which was displaced. On the inside, the
| fluid seemed to come OFT through number
| OF little holes, but it also displaced many
| bricks and the mantel-piecc, and doubles:
did other damage that has escaped our ME
mory. rye made no notes