The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1882-07-20

nate1y decided that all future arrange
ments shouldb be left in the hands of the
London committee.
LIVING ELECTRIC BATTERY.
Kentucky's Marvel Who Discharges
Electricity and Fortels Stor ms.
Condensed from the Louisville Comm rcial
In Spencer county, about thirty miles
from this city lives one Of. the. most
marvellous curiosities that has ever come
within the knowledge of science. The
marvel is Everett Gilbert, a son Of DR..
Bobert S. Gilbert, who is known and hon
ored throughout the state. "A CONNER
cial reporter recently visited Waterford,
where Dr.. Gilbert lives. Everett was
found at work in a field. He stands six
feet two inches, weighs 1876 pounds and
has muscles as brawny as a smiths, He
has a singularly prepossessing face.
homely but honest and faithful-looking.
His story as told by himself is in sub
stance as follows: During a thunder
storm, four years ago I picked out
my pocket-knife, and, opening the
blade, began driving itinto the top Of
the chair-round. [ remembered dis
tinctly that I laid the little finger of my
left hand carelessly across the upright
|eS Sl1, and that is about the last thing I
do remember. There came binding
flash from the cloud and that was all !
knew. / aWoke hours afterward with
horrible pains in every part of the body.
had been powerfully shocked BY the
electric discharge, aud for weeks after
ward was so9sick as to be thought be-
You'd recovery. One night just before
heavy thunderstorm L. happened to be
home from school, and was sitting on the
front steps. I was suddenly seized with
the most violent spasms and had to be.
taken into the house. Then my father
noticed that these spasms and twitchings
OF the hands and arms always came be-
fore thunderstorm, and he began to
experiment to relieve me. He, soon
found that was surcharged with cleo
trlcity. He began to devise means to
draw the electricity off me, and has sue
ceeded in some degree. My efforts at
first were rude enough. :.r
remember one day that l was out
here in this very wheat field and under
this same shed we are standing under
now. [ was suffering such horrible
agonies that thought perhaps if would
strip naked and lie down in the mud the
ground would act as a conductor and free
me from my intolerable burden. I took
my clothes off and threw myself down.
The u effect was trightful. l never felt
anything like it before and hope that
ordeal again. When I laid down on the
moist earth, which made fine conduc-
tor, the electricity left my body like
flash. It was like an imprisoned spirit
freed, and I felt as though my side had
been rent asunder. It was as though
red-hot iron had been passed down my
side with inconceivable rapidity. Ifelta
tearing off Of the flesh from the bones,
and for several moments imagined that
1 had been torn asunder. The agony
tor an instant was terrific. [
afterwards went at it more deli
cately. By taking off my shoes and
stockings and wading in the mud found
great relief when overcharged. can
aurora borealis few months ago was
awakened by the electricity in the air.
Once I met young friend of mine,
delicate, white faced young fellow, and
he reached out his hand to me and I
burn me; let go:' I ala SO and he wrung
his hands, saying he felt innumerable
dartinge, needle-like sensations pervading
| has nerves ' :. 2,'ss
Everett's bed is in neat little room
on the second floor and is between two
windows. Around one bed post, where
| he can lay his hand on it at any moment,
| is heavy magnetized iron wire which
goes down the outside Of the house and
finds a resting place in soft
basin of mortar at the bottom,
whence it is conducted to the
earth. Everett seized the wire in his
fingers and it began to tremble all the
way down. There it goes now" said
| he. A moment later the reporter placed
his hand below and there was a very ap-
! parent discharge Of electricity He
afterward seized Gilbert by both hands
and a circuit was established In mo-
ment the electricity, ina weak form,
however, began to circulate, tingling
every nerve. IAN old circumstance"
his that whenever am
surcharged my mouth begins to taste of
sulphur. I can feel it in everything I
eat, and sometimes for days together I
] cannot eat enough to sustain me. When
lever get excited or hot also begin to
have my mouth filled with this strange
taste. Do you see the tips Of my fingers?
Well, they were burned by the electri-
city passing through. When [ was first
afflicted in this strange way the ends Of
1 my fingers were nearly scorched off, but
now the skin has hardened"