Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-27
KILLED FROM A CLEAR SKY.
An Extraordinary Death from Light.
ming, in Iowa.

Sioux City (Ia.l journal
While the thunder storm Of yesterday
afternoon was raging at a distance of ap-
parently a couple Of miles from this place,
a singular freak Of nature took place in
the striking by lightning of the depot, and
the striking and killing, subsequently, Of
j. ii. Boyer, the postmaster and black
smith Of this place. At about > O'Clock In
the afternoon, at which time not a cloud
ObscUred the sky overhead or stood be
tween the sun and the town, a terrible
fash Of lightning followed by a deafening
peal Of thunder, struck the wires Of the
telegraph Office and set 10 on fire. The
dan. age done to the telegraphic apparatus
was most complete, the wires being torn
to pieces and the different instruments be-
ing almost without exception distorted and
broken and completely wrecked. lmme-
diately after the stroke John II. Bower,
who was in his shop at the time, ran out
in the street toward the depot, where
some boys had been playing. He ap-
preached them rapidly and said, "Why.
boys, Thought some Of you had been struck.
/ was quite frightened on account Of yCu."
He evidently had it in his mind that the
terrible shock might have frightened his
LI o4eAA lEtA NNa aaAA llAo AOulG
mediately. When within about 90 yards
Of the house, from the front window Of
which his wife was anxiOusly watching his
approach, another vivid fash of lightning
daZzled the eyes Of all, and ere the thun-
der had ceased rolling, the naked body Of
the unfortunate man was seen to be Wing
prone upon the ground. a number Of
people, among them his wife, rushed to
the spot, and so horrible was the situation
that it was not until he had been carried
to the house that full appreciation was
had Of the terrible death which nature had
inflicted upon him. An examination Of
the body, from which every vestige of
clothing, not excluding even pair Of
eOWhide boots, had been instantly torn,
showed that the subtle and terribly fatal
fluid had first struck him on the top Of his
head, whence, though the skull was
left apparently intact, the hair
had been burned of for the space Of
the size Of a silver dollar. Thence the
fluid had run down the side Of the face, as
was shown by clearly cut track to the
shoulder, and thence to the heart, where it
apparently had spread all over the body.
The terrible power of the fluid was shown
by the presence in the ground, on the spot
where the unfortunate mans body had
been picked up, Of a hole eight feet deep
by actual measurement. The clothing Of
the deceased was found to have been shred
ded, and when first discovered was on fire,
while the silver watch he carried had been
driven into the ground, and when lifted cd,
it was found that the works had been fused
into lump Of shapeless metal. The scene
at the house Of the deceased, who leaves a
wife ard three children to mourn his loss.
was painful beyond power Of words 10 de-
scribe, and those who had been led to the
spot through curiosity could not remain.
The affair has created the proiOundest
sensation in the town, where the deceased
was both loved and revered by all who
knew him in either public or private life.