The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-23
Cut Down by a Flash.

his match!
seriously. there are a good deal more
of the electric pitchforks dropping
among us than is at all agreeable for
common folks. We noted last week the
killing of Il negro, oil the river bank in
virginia. There WAS not a sign OF a
cloud in the sky yet Il bolt fell and burn
ell him to Il crisp.
We are nothing of d scientist, but We
fancy. # he case were investigated II
would be found that the sand in which
he was digging contained some metallic
substance which attractel the electric
elements.
There are places on the English and
W,l-h coast where you can SEE a great
many round holes in the sand. They
are large enough to admit your cane
# p3ked down into them. Sometimes
vou AN rull mp the hole, which il
fouui ~ bc Il .uuL Il ,,s tube or funnel,
very smooth inside. You Will be
amazed until told b. the natives that
these holes or tubes Wore made by
lightning which rarely fails to strike
these beaches during a thunder storm
nm | that the Ih,cn,c heat of the frey
flash fuses the sand into glass as it de
,r.als towards the bowels Of the earth.
We have seen spots almost similar In
this %coIutrv, and probably many Of our
reaIers know some locality that is quite
riIiIed nv the frequent ilshes of light
uiuc. Scientific investigation would
probably deveiupe the presence OF some
miaera or other :ause for the danger
ous prominence Ofthe place.
Bat this Is en- pussIHt We started
t. note L lev Of the munv reports vi
snllen death reported during the past
week.
\ despatch from Henrietta, Texas,
says =
On Thursday, while the family OF
". b. HUTCHINSON were returning III
a carriage from a visit, accompanied
bv Miss Cox. a thunder storm came
up. Miss Lizzie HUTCHINSON and Miss
Cox, were instantly killed by lightning
and Mrs. HUTCHINSON fatally Injured.
Mr.. HutciIcrson and one Of the CHILD
rem were stunned, but soon recovered.
b. +. Brown, Il farmer, while cross
inc the river 10y the iron bridge at
Peoria, Illinois, Saturday night, was
struck by lightning and killed.
Andrew ID. Roneson. of New jersey
was instantly killed by lightning at
Hunewtll, Kanfas, on Sunday after
noon. He was a nephew of Secretary
Robson.
Desmojues, June l4.-Intelligencs
from Western Iowa, including Aubu
bon, CaSs, i'ottawattomie and Guthrie
couutIes i that the storm of Sunday
did much damage. Calves, hogs,
chickens, &c, wers killed, and cattle,
badly bruised DS hail stones The hail
stones are reported Of the size of door
knobs, weighing owe Il pound apiece,
and covering the ground to the depth
of six inches. An Audubon farmer this
ornIn drove through a drift OF hail
stones two and 4 half feet deep. At
Minder "A train of cars WIS thrown of
the track pe the wind. Over fifty
thousand ptnes of glass were broken in
Avoca.
kilograms from numerous towns tell
of similar experience. Some OF the
farmers barns, etc. were completely
demolished by the wind and hail.
St. .ToscDh, June Il Sunday was a
terrible day for cyclones in northwest
Missouri. The atmospheric pressure
was very great between t and ) O'Clock
in the afternoon, and during that one
short huur no less than three ''twlsters
dealt death and destruction IL as many
paths. The fist cyclone started neal
Savannah in Andrew county. Many
houses were destroyed and not less than
..u.1,. lTyn. Loot in AnIraU nnnrtu
At Floy Springs and King City the
destruction was much greater, the loss
Of lille in that vicinity being probably
fifty men. women and children. The
public school building in King City, q
large brick structure, was RACED to the
the ground. Hundreds of h,rses, cat
tie. hogs and sheep We're killed; one
man losing eighty cattle, another sixty
sheep and another seven horses.
Another started four miles southwest
of Rosedale, Andrew county. The
course of all the above cyclones was
east by northeast. Another started
eight miles northwest of Hopkins in
Nodaway county, its course for twelve
miles being southeat. l. was quarter
of a mile wide. and nothing escaped
destruction in it's track. Mary lives
have been lost.
Among those known to have been
killed are X. G. Nelson, G.. f. May
nard, Miss Maynard, Mrs. Roberts and
child, and a MN whose name is IN
known. The injured, so far as report
ed, are Miss \. +. Wild, Miss Maynard.
K. Miller, Israel Wood. wife and child
ali more or less severely injured
Frank Burke and Il party OF fourteen
persons. all Injured; Mr.. Coe and fami-
ly. all in uIed-the children have since
died; WIN. Kicks. severely injured );
Mrs RicLs fatally injured: Mrs. Rich
ards, right arm and ribs broken.
\ correspondent describing the scene
near Olivet says; A horse was lifted
out of Il stable and carried over high
hill and dashed upon the ground in a
cornfield a mile away. Cattle were
lifted from the ground, carried into
air and dashed to pieces. \ lady by
the name of Tweed found the works of
her gold watch a quarter Of a mile
from her house. Everything was car
ried away, her furniture destroyed,
and her trunk was lifted out of the
house, carried off and has not yet been
found. Mrs. Freeman, a widow lady,
living near Olivet, lost her house an
everything in it. Pointers farm house
and buildings were lett In ruins. Three
negro children left at home heal Olivett
we've badly injured, one having since
died and it is thought the others can
not live. Mrs. Roscranz. and MIS-.
John Harper, are known to have been
killed. Mrs. Rosecutz, Mrs. Colyer,