Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-06-23
LIGHTNINGS FURY.
The Terrible Work of a Thunder
bolt in Chicago.
The Grant Monument in Lincoln Park
Struck-Many Persons Seeking Refuge
from the storm Injured and
Three Are Killed.
A FATAL FLASH.

CHICAGO, June Is.-Lightning dis
played its terrific, uuexplainable power
in shocking manner Thursday night
During the thunderstorm which passed
over the city shortly after 9 o'clock
bolt struck the bronze horse of the
Grant monument in Lincoln park. At
the time no less than forty people
were crowded in the open corridor
just beneath the pedestal on which
the bronze work rests. There was
binding flash, "A loud report, and all
who were under the shelter were
thrown off their feet. Three people.
two men and a woman, were instantly
killed. All received a terrible shock.
but only four were SO badly injured
that they required immediate attention.
The following is a list of the killed;
Lewis Meyer. - years old, single. lived at No.
80 Mutt street; body removed 10 the county
morgue. Mrs Schiee, 20 years old. hved with
her son-in-law, William Hummel, agent for the
Wacker-Brk Brewing Company, No q Austin
avenue; body removed 10 the county morgue.
Carl Horst about 10 years old lived at No $50
East ontario street
Seven persons were badly hurt and
a score or more slightly shocked.
The great monument escaped with
almost no injury at all, notwithstand-
ing the loss of life that took place di-
rectly under il. The bolt made a Slight
depression in the left leg of the horse,
near the hoof, and it Clipped piece of
granite the size of mans hand from
the coping. It's course across the
arch could be detected by faint line,
and in one place it cut about a pound
of mortar out from two of the granite
slabs Five dollars will repair all the
damage that the big monument suf-
fered.
Lightning has seldom wrought worse
havoc at a single stroke. When the
storm came up hundreds of people were
seeking shelter from the burning rays
of the sun under the trees and about the
artificial lake at the south end of the
park. Suddenly and almost without
warning dense masses of clouds rolledup
from the west. Faint flashes OF light
ming played over the rising clouds, and
with the cool west wind light shower
began to fall The people who were
scattered about the south end Of the
park ran for shelter, and about forty
collected in the massive granite
corridor beneath the Grant monu-
ment. Then the rain. until this
time only slight shower. began to
fall in torrents Flashes of light
ming came in quick succession, but the
thunder rolled low and distant and
none of the group under the monument
seemed frightened. Suddenly ut 6:e5
o'clock there came binding
flash from the east. The yeilow-forked
bolt struck the left hind leg of the
bronze horse upon which the
statue of Gen. Grant rests then
bounded to the northwest corner of tina
granite coping and glanced into the
corridor. Following the seam between
two granite blocks 1t Travelled along
the top of the third arehway. from east
70 west, and then glanced 10 the
ground passing along she floor
and down the cast side Of
the base To peoAle who were hud-
died together in the path Of the
box there was a vivid fash but no Es-
port. The next instant thirtY-eight -
thirty nine people were lying prone
upon the stone floor, some dead, some
seriously injured, and all ter
ribly shocked. For the moment none
realized what had occurred or where
they we're Then the ones least in
jured aroused sufficiently to look about
themselves. They saw the result OF
the bolt and those who were able
hastened to the assistance OF the less
farfYtnafa II frtyirfr vNf
Women were screaming children were
crying and some were frightened into
speechless, meaningless silence.