Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-05-31
FREAKS OF THUNDERBOLTS.

FREAKS Or IHUNDERbULIS-
RECENTLY lightning struck tele-
phone pole near Roxbury, Conn. After
shivering the pole into thousand frag-
ments the current ran along the wire to
Roxbury Station and Bridgewater, melt
ing the telephone balls at each station.
The thunder clap that accompanied this
stroke caused Mrs. Wells, who lives near
the Roxbury depot, to leap affrighted
from her bed. Looking through VIII
dow she saw large map In the depot
framed in fire, and the alarm Immediate
ly given by her saved the building from
destruction. At one point near Bridge
water the telephone wire hangs near the
ground. A few inches from the wire a
COW was switching her tail. The current
left the wire and killed the cow.
LIGHTNING came down from cloud
that overhung Atlanta, Ca, May 18th,
and did more damage than shell thrown
from siege gun into the heart of the
city would have done. The bolt, or
Joves handful of bolts, killed horse, a
mule, and a second mule: tearing the
latter from the side OF its mate, which
was untouched. Then running
through the wall of the Harden
dwelling, on Northern Avenue, the
lightning killed little May Mitchell and
prostrated Miss Eliza Mitchell and Mrs.
Harden. The latter regained conscious
ness in short time, but she was blind,
her eyelids being turned inside out.
Several other persons in the vicinity
were knocked down and clocks and win
dows shattered.
Mrs. Burrows, of Kaufman, Tex,
was at her tea-table on recent even
ing. A sharp cry from his wife caused
Mr.. Burrows to look up. She held her
teacup in her hand, which was half way
up. to her lips. Mr.. Burrows asked
what was the matter, and she replied:
"I'm shot through the head" AS she
spoke a second electric current envel-
oped her head. The cup was knocked
from her hand. She tried toget up, but
was knocked insensible by quickly
following current. Mr.. Burrows was
not touched. The poor woman was ra-
tional enough on the following day,
but could not open her eyes. Last
year two men and three animals were
killed within a few yards of the same
house.
DURING heavy thunderstorm that
swept over Harveysburg, O., several
days ago, Frank Oyler, a lad of Is years,
sought refuge, with his blowing team,
in barn. While he was caring for his
horses the building was struck by light
ming. The bolt passed through the
building, hit the boy fairly between the
shoulders, and running down his back
passed around in front across the groin,
thence down the left leg to the knee,
where it forked and sent both prongs to
the barn floor. This bolt that passed
down tie lads back and leg set fire to
the floor at the points where the prongs
struck, and In few minutes the build
ing was in ashes. Franks younger
brother saw the barn in flames, and
fighting his way in dragged the insensi-
BILE lad to the house. Young Oyler re-
NAMED unconscious for nearly an hour,
during which time his father traced the
course of the bolt by means of bis
tered streak running from the shoulders
to the left knee. Upon recovering, and
at last account he was nearly well, the
boy said: "Quick as she went / could
feel the darn thing all the way from my
neck to my knee.
THREE cyclones of terrific violence cut
their paths through portions of the In
dian Territory on the 9th, 7th and 9Th of
May. The last CT the tornadoes, that of
Monday, the 9Th, was remarkable for it's
electric phenomena, lightning playing
freaks the like of which no person in the
neighborhood of Paris, Tex, had ever
seen. Bolt after bolt descended, and
many trees were rent asunder or scat
tered into splinters. The cyclones track
was about fifty yards wide and three
miles long. Among those killed by
lightning in this track was Wallace Hill,
who had just driven into Paris with a
load of telegraph poles. Hills death
was instantaneous. When the body was
examined by the coroner that officer was
startled to see the picture of tree pho
tographed in fiery red upon Hills chest
just over the heart. The picture was in
dAtline and in detail of branch and leaf
a true miniature of an oak that stood a
few feet from the spot of death. Vines
chung to the original tree and the vines
were to be seen in the blood picture.
The delicate vines of some of the leaves
were visible also and microscopic exam
nation showed that the natural act of
photography was much nearer perfection
than an artificial act would have been.
The portion of the skin containing the
picture is preserved by Hills family.