The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-07
LIGHTNING KILLS THREE.
THEY HAD TAKEN REFUGE UNDER
A TREE NEAR ALBANY.

Il humor That Six People Were Killed
at Hardaway - a Terrible Scene
Where the Three Dead Men Were
round - Their Clothing Torn to
Shreds by the Current.
ALBANY, GA, Sept. 6.-About 1890
o'clock this mornig this community was
terribly frightened by three flashes of light
nlng' and crashing reports which quickly
Iohowe1 each other during a heavy rain.
reople watched the electric display with
olanched faces and the whole city was
thrown into wild excitement, when a swift
riding courier dashed up the streets and
spread the report that three white men were
lying stark in death by the side of the road
on the Baker place, about three miles from
the city. The NEWS correspondent reached
the scene In short time and found the re-
port true.
NAMES OF THE DEAD.
H. H. Rouse, Jeshu SILVER and J. W.
Shlver, all Of Worth county, were living
SIDE by side locked in the cold embrace of
ueath. 1t was the most CHASTITY sight ever
witnessed IN this section. The men were on
| their way to the city with cotton driving a
two-horse aud a one-horse wagon. The
heayy shower overlook them inst as they
| reached a china tree grove and they stopped
| unhltched their stock and sought refuge
| under the trees They huddled together
and wrapped a heavy blanket around them
selves, one holding the mules and another
an umbrella.
HOW THEY LAY.
When they were found by William JEFF.
ers, few minutes after being struck.
Rouse was laying with his head to the
| nor invest, young Shivers to the south and
| old man Shlvers to tho east, with their feet
at the root of the tree Rouse's clothes
We're torn from his body, young Shivers
shoes were torn Off, and their hats and UNI
| brella were torn into shreds. One of the
| mules was killed and horse was badly
stunned. The skin on Rouse's face was
broken and blood was oozing from the nost
o. each of the men.
SPEECHLESS WITH HORROR.
Those who visited the terrible scene stood
in speechless horror and gazed on the awful
| sight, The first clap that came struck g
large cedar tree near w. II. Bones resi-
dence, about 300 yards from the fatal spot
| knocking his daughter out Of chair anC
| more or less shocking the whole family
The second bolt struck a Caina tree seventy
yards of, where the men lay, and the las
was the fatal one. The tree they were
under was spllntered but very little. 1t i
claimed by some that there issome un
known attraction for electric currents ir
thet immediate vicinity.
A SKETCH OF THE DEAD
Jeshu Shiver and Rouse were about s.
years Of age. and J. w. Shiver was youne
man, having been married last Christmas
| All leave families. Runners were i'm
mediately sent to their families, who cam
about 2 o'clock, and put the corpses int,
vehicles and took them home. They al
lived close neighbors.
The railroad covered bridge across th
| Kinchatoonee creek, two miles north Of tn,
! city, was also struck by lightning, knock
ing it out of line for seventy feet, whict
DELAYED The 2:25 o'clock passenger traiI
until dark.
SIX OTHERS REPORTED KILLED.
1t was reported here at Z o'clock that si1
people were killed by lighting at Hardaway
this evening. The particulars are not OBJ
tainable tonight.