The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-07
Says His blood ''SIZZED."
One of Our Extremely Rare
Lightning Strokes.
THE NAN LIVED, THOUGH.
So What he Caught Was Not So Bad IS the
Sure-D Death Eastern Lightning,
After All.

1t Is something remarkable to have been
struck by lightning and live to relate the
awful experience. Yet Fl. NJ. Benson. a
young Oakland real estate dealer. had the
luck to escape from death after being struck
by heavens electric fluid. He was in the
city yesterday and related to CALL repor-
ter an account of his terrible visitation.
Here is his story:
II was visiting my fathers ranch about
four miles east of Dixon, Solano County,
last week." said Mr.. Benson. II was stand
ing in the wagon road about fifty feet north
of the dwelling awaiting the arrival OF one
of my brothers. storm was brewing at
the time. l saw flashes of lightning in the
sky, which was quite black. Suddenly l
observed a fash near ME. bright bolt
which descended and struck both myself
and a barbed wire fence near which l was
standing. The bolt enyelOped me with liquid
fame, so my family declared, who were
overcome with terror at seeing me struck
by the lightning The force of the shock
rendered me unconscious. l was taken up
by my relatives and carried into the house.
DR.. Rierson of Dixon was summoned and
restoratives were applied. Ii was at first
believed that | was dead, but after some
hours consciousness returned. For some
days | was like a rag, bruised, torn ana
sore. The feeling was one OF lnanltlon.
yet my bones felt as If they had been
charred."
Mr.. Benson described his feelings at the
time of the shock to be something terrible
and beyond comprehension. After he re-
gained consciousness he was p0werless to
move or speak. He seemed to be parayzed
He said his bio d 'siZZed." He thought
that he owed his life to the position In which
bra hnpn harDpn wire
fence, the barb wire acting as lightning
rod and carrying eff the greater portion OF
the electricity. He said tue bolt seemed TO
strike him in the left elbow, and descending
passed through the lower limbs into the
ground
When seen yesterday Mr.. Benson APP
peared still broken up by the shock which
threw him to the ground. He Is powerless
10 move his left arm. where the bolt seemed
to have entered his body. The skin OF this
arm is all black and blue. In some places
the skin is slightly torn.
The soes of his feet are one solid blister,
making il difficult for him TO walk
Black and blue streaks are to be seen
along the left side of his body and legs,
showing the course the electric fluid took
Mr., Benson was asked ab0utthe condition
of the baTbed- wire fence after ii had been
struck By the lightning. and replied that for
some distance IL was destroyed. The posts
were split and torn for about 300 feet east
FROM where he stood at the time of being
struck. Many OF the posts further away
were split and gOuged as if some one had
taken chisel and dug them along the sides
from top to bottom.
Mr.. Benson said that If he had had his
hand 10 the wire he would have received
shock which would have moderated him
at ouce. The barbed wire saved his life by
taking the greatest force OF the terrible bolt.
The subject of this terrible ordeal states
49, = lnr Faff 20 hn on
fire, and that if he had his way he would do
away with the execution of criminals by
electricity, as the agony of receiving the
shock was terrible. as If the blood was boiled
and the flesh roasted throughout the sys-
TEN.
Since receiving the shock Mr.. Benson
says the least rumbling noise or fash OF
light strikes terror in him, as il his every
nerve had remembrance Of his terrible
visitation.