Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-05-20
Sensations Of Being Struck by Light
ming.

A gentleman who with his wife and
son, was struck by lightning at Torbay,
England, recently, has written an account
of their experiences to Nature. After
describing how the flash snapped flag
staff fifty feet high, near which they
were standing, he proceeds: " must
now attempt to describe the effects on
ourselves and the impressions on our
senses, THOUGH [ am conscious of diff
Guilty in avoiding subjective matter here.
Of the three, my wife only was struck
and fell to the ground, my son and my
self remaining erect, and all three re-
tanning consciousness. For more than
half an hour my wife lost the use Of her
lower limbs and left hand, both of which
became rigid. From the feet to the
knees she was splashed with rose-cOlOred
tree-like marks, branching upward,
while a large tree-like mark, with six
principal branches diverging from
common center, thirteen inches in its
largest diameter, and bright rose red,
covered the body. None of us are certain
of having seen the flash, and ny wife is
sure she saw nothing. AS to the noise,
my wife heard a believing sound and
squish,' recalling fireworks; my son
also heard below while / seemed
conscious of a sharp explosion. My wife
describes her feelings as that of dying
away gently into darkness and being
reused by tremendous blow on the
body, where the chief mark was after
ward found. My son and myself were
conscious of sudden and terrific gen
eral disturbance, and he aff1rms that he
received severe and distinctly electrical
shock in both legs. My left arm,
shoulder and throat especially suf-
fered violent disturbance, but [ did
not think it was electrical. AS I turned
to help my wife, who was on the ground,
| shouted, as [ thought, that | was unhurt
and hoped they were also, but it seems
only uttered inarticulate sounds, and my
son, in his first attempt to answer, did
the same. This, however, was only mo-
mentary; in an instant we both spoke
plainly. Neither of us referred the oc-
currence Immediately to its true cause,
but the idea of being fired at was present
to all our minds; my wife indeed re-
manned Of the opinion that she was shot
through the body until she heard ne
speak Of lightning. An in1nitesimal
lapse of time enabled my son and myself
to recognize lightning; but cannot say
whether did so before or after my first
| glimpse of the wreck on the ground.
| Neither of us heard or saw the mast fall,
though it descended fifty feet, and fell
on hard gravel close TO US. My son and
myself both experienced momentary
feeling OF intense anger against some
| person or persons unknown further
showing that we primarily referred the
shock to some conscious agency.
ought perhaps to add that neither of US
felt any sensation of fear at the time, but
we were all very nervous for several days
after. have endeavored to keep to fact
throughout, but l venture to add re-
mark made by my wife as we raised her
from the ground: L feel quite sure that
death from lightning must be absolutely
painless; and offer it as an unconscious
confederation of views on this subject
which our experience seems to strength
en-"