Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-08-28

STRUCK DEAD IN A IwlNKLING BY A
FLASH OF LIGHTNING FROM CLEAR
SKY.-While the thunderstorm of yes
terday afternoon was raging at dis
tance of apparentlya couple of miles
from this place, singular freak of ma
ture took place, in the striking by light
ming of the depot, and striking and
killing subsequently off. II. Boyer, the
postmaster and blacksmith of this city.
AT about o'clock in the afternoon, at
which time not cloud obscured the
sky overhead,' or stood between the sun
and the town, terrific flash of light
ming, followed by a deafening peal of
thunder, struck the wires of the tele-
graph office and set it on fire. The
damage done to the telegraph appara-
tus was most complete, the wires being
torn TO pieces and the different instru-
ments being almost without exception
distorted and broken an0 completely
wrecked. Immediately after the stroke
John IL. Boyer, who was in his shop at
the time, ran out in the street toward
the depot, where some boys had been
playing He approached them rapidly
and said: "Why' boys, l thought
some of you had been struck. | was
frightened on account of you" He evi-
IDENTIFY had it in his mind that the terri
bic shock might have frightened his
family, as he started for his home i'm
mediately. When within about fsty
yards of the house, from the front win
dow of which his vile was anxiously
watching his approach, another vivid
flash OF lightning dazzled the eyes of
all, and, ere the thunder had ceased roll
ling, the naked body of the unfortunate
man was seen to be lying prone upon
the ground. A number fpeople, a
mong 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 examlna-
ton of the body, from which every YES
tige of clothing, not excluding even a
pair of cowhiIe boots, had been instant
ly torn, showed that the subtitle and 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 off for the space OF the size OF
silver dollar. Thence the fluid had run
down the side oflhe face, IS was shown
by clearly cut track, to the shoulder,
and thence to the heart, where it had
apparently 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, hole
feet deep by actual measurement.
The clothing of the deceased was found
to have been shredded, and when first
discovered was on fire, while the silver
watch he carried had been driven into
the ground, and, when lifted up it was
found that the works had been fused in
to a lump of shapeless metal. The
scene at the house of the deceased, who
leaves wife and three children to
mourn his loss, was painful beyond
words to describe, and those who had
been led to the spot through curiosity
could not remain. The affair has crea-
ted the profoundest sensation in the
town. where the deceased was both
loved and revered by all who knew
him in either public or private life.
-SiO"r City (LOwo) Times