New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-24
AZ Old HAN AxD A LITa.E 0RL DEAD-rHE
WHOLE FAMILY FrRUpx sKSsELEss
AND THE HOUSE WRECKED

The stroke Of lightning which killed two persons,
mangled another in frigbtful manner, besides
knoelsiaz- n whole family insenslble and com.
pletely wrecSing a house, on Saturday night, was
in many respects one Of the most terrible things
which have occurred in Northern Westchcster
County in many years. It is certain that no like
occurrence has ever happened in the quiet little
hamlet Of Poundridge within the memory OF its
oldest townsmen. The wonder Of the thing is that
single person Of the eight who were in the house
at the time lived for an instant after the bolt
crushed the building Leycrda Adams, with his
wife and Eve children, had Just sat down to
supper when Noah Brown an old man OF eighty
years, came In TO see them. It was raining and
hailing by turns but there had been little thunder
or lightning The Oldest daughter Of the Adameses
took baby only two months old from her mothers
arms and went to the window TO watch the largo
hailstones dart against the window pancs AS
she drew back the curtain there slight
aash, and she started back from the window
erying See the Lightning" The next instant
there was q terrific crash in the roonl No one
knew what had happened, for the eight people
were dashed 10 the floor in senseleSs condition
The first one to recover was Edward Adams,
arc eighteen. The room was in darkness, ana
he staggered toward the door to throw it open.
While feeling his way along he heard his mother
groan, and taking her in his arms he dragged her
from the house into the rain. He went back
again and found his father, and dragged him as
far as the door, where he left him, thinking that
be was dead. Upon going into the room second
time he discovered that the clothes Of his sister
Nellie, age nine, were on fire. lie quenched the
Gre by dashing a pail of water on the insensible
child, and then in turn dragged her, two small
children his older sister, still holding the barry,
T. 4por ha
covering that the house was in flames, he crawled
up into the attic and thence to the rafters and
stnothered the fire. As soon as the neighbors
gathered to lend helping hand two men set
out post haste for DR.. olmstead, who lives ut
Cross River eight miles from Poundrldge. The
rain was now pouring in torrents, and thunder
was peeling and lightning flashing at short in'
teryals The men were overturned from their
wagon, and only reached the doctors house after
two hours. At IL o'clock DR.. Olmstead was at
the scene Of the accident Leverds Adams, the
father was suffering terribly, but bore his pain
without murmuring The aged Mr. Brown and
Nellie Adams were beyond medical aid. They
| fingered through the night in great agony both
dying on Sunday morning the child at o'clock
and the old man about three hours later.
HOW THE BOLT STRUCK
The course Of the electric current could easily
be traced when daylight came, and shows O
| most striking electrical phenomenon. The house
wns an od-fashioned square-built structure, with
| a chimney directly in the centre Of the roof.
The bolt struck the chimney squarely, shattfring
| IL 70 pieces and hurting the bricks yards away.
| The electricity then separated into four main
| currents One OF them flashed down the space
| ieft by the wrecked chimney. tore open the
beiiings, and leaped 70 9 stoyepim leaolng
Is The stove "a the room where the people were
| sitting Nearest TO tho stove OF the table
wire Mr. Brown and the little girl Nellie.
On the opposite side sat Mr.. and Mrs Adams
| 10 the floor. The chair in when Nellie Adams
set split in two, the windowpanes were dashed
| from the sashes, and the door was sphnteredi;
two-year old girl lay in cradle nearest OF al al
| to the stove but sho and the baby, which
was in its sisters arms, were unhurt.
TREE DESTROYED.
A second current darted along the roof 10
| tree on the east side OF the house, dashed the
| bark from the tree and leaped twenty feet away
10 a fallen tcee, knocking it into splinters The
| third current spread into another tree on the
north side Of the house. cleft IL in twain, and
| following the course Of its roots, tore up the
| out in opposite directions in the ceiling OF the
| lower floor, and ripped it open as IL 1t were
| rotten canvas. The plastering was scattered in
the finest powder while the laths looked as II
| COARSE toothed saw had cut an opening in them
fsom ono end Of the house 70 the other: Ihe The
/ spoons and forks were twisted INTO thntaSuc
| shapes. Every dish was broken 70 pieces, the
| outer walls were forced out while the inner
and less substantial walls were twisted out OF
! shane and torn apart. Beams and boards were
| split and splintered into dndling wood
DEADLY WORK OF THE CURRENTS.
The currents which passed into the bodies Of
| Mr. Brown, Mr. Adams and the child Nellie acted
| in the same manner as those which leaped to
| trees or rafterS In the case OF Mr.. Brown and
the little girl the currents entered their heads
| and passing through their bodies burst an open
| ing in their heels as means Of escape to the
| floor In the right shoulder Of Mr.. Adams there
| Is round hole similar TO q bullet wound. Here
| Is the spot where the electricity entered his
| body. A deep red scar traced around his neck
| shows the course Of the current. IL then went
| down his body, part of IL finding an escape
| through q rupture In his knee on one leg, the
rest going the full length OF his other leg as IN
| tho case OF the two who died, and bursting open
| his heel The full beard he wore was singed as
| il a torch had been suddenly applied TO it. The
clothing of these three persons was torn INTO
| shreds or punctured with thousand minute holes.
| old there is round red scar which shows where
| the current entered his body. There are no
| marks, however, TO show how the electricity
| found an escape TO the earth. The shoes worn by
| Mr.. Brown, Mr.. Adams and Nellie Adams
furnished q striking example OF the terrific force
of the shock received by the wearers OF the shoes
| The upper parts Of them were burned 10 SUN
| black mass, while the heels, through which the
| electricity escaped to the next conductor, were
| torn apart twisted and cracked like cardooard'
-FOUR COWS KILLED.
A feature of the work of the lightning which
Gems 70 have great deal of mystery about it is
the killing Of four cows in the neighborhood.
Two of them were in barn and two were under
| tree They were all killed instantly, but in the
| nd rad In he CT