Smyrna times., 1892-08-03
Caused by Lightning.
BOY KILLED AND SEVERAL PROPERTIES
RuRNED

/
BURNED.
In breaking the dry heated term it
was very natural to expect that there
would be electrical disturbances, but
that of the past week was accompanied
by more than the usual amount of
losses.
COLORED BOY KILLED.
The small shower of Saturday after
noon resulted in the lightning striking
small tenant house near Green
Spring, the fluid besides setting the
house on fire, killing a son of Wilson
Bristor, cOlOred, aged 10 years, and
nearly killing an older son IA years
old, ripping the sOles from the shoes on
his feet. The mother only was home
with the children. She ran to the
house of Jas. Vanpelt not far distant
for help. He and his wife returned
with the stricken woman, and while
the latter were resuscitating the boy,
he with some difficulty succeeded in sun.
pressing the fire in the loft above.
which had destroyed bed and had
burnt hole some two feet SQUARE in
the roof. The boy who received the
fatal stroke was leaning against the
washbOard, the descending bolt from
the chimney making a hole through
the crown of his hat killing him in.
stantly. 1t jumped from him to a
clock and looking glass, tearing them
literally to pieces. His remains were
inferred Sunday afternoon.
STABLE AND COwsHED BURNED.
ha oh
tween four and five o'clock on Sunday
afternoon was attended by very heavy
thunder and lightning. Geo. II. Jones.
residing on the peter S. Collins"
farm, down the Neck sustained quite
loss by lightning in this storm. He
and his wife were the only one on the
premises, sitting in the house with
closed doors and windows. In the
midst of the storm one of those crash.
ing, tearing strokes came. indicating
that 1t was very near. Mrs. Jones felt
1t had struck somewhere on the prem
lses, and opening the door to look ont.
saw her worst fears had been realized
anu that the tames were already BURST
ing from the stable loft, where the hov
had been ignited.
Mr.. Jones' first impulse was to save
his property, if possible, but he was
the only man on the place and the
contest looked like a hopeless one. but
fortunately the fire was seen bv las
L. TruaX, George Dollev and other
nelghOors, whose timely aid saved him
MS oarh ana his crop of wheat which
mad been recently threshed, about 700
Ousheis; only two wagon loads having
been marketed. The stock that had
taken shelter in the stable was first
gotten out with some farming imDle-
ments. While this was going on. the
hames were communicating with tba
cowshed which joined uD to il and
winch contained in its loft ten Tons of
superior timothy hay. This was sena-
rated from the barn only by a gate
Notwithstanding the rain, with snch a
mass OF lnilamable material the fire.
swept ON and the weather boarding of
the barn had ignited. The men were
exhausted with their work and the heat
and had about concluded their efforts
We're futile. Mr.. Jones gathering nm
all MS energies, determined on one
more effort, which was to pry or knock
OIL the burning boards. Just here
nature came to their aid, or else all
efforts would have been unaveiI;n,,
The wind, which had not been in thair
favor, suddenly changed to the onno-
site course and blew the flames back
rom the barn. They were thus ena.
"leu 70 WORK, throw on water--tbe
ouiidlng ana Its contents were saved
The buildings belonging to the estate
OF the late Peter S. Collins. were in.
sured in the Kent County Mutual as
was also the personal property of
MIR. Jones who had an insurance
OF $40 ton on his hay ten tons. He
Will sustain a loss of about $50 besides
on harness and small tools.
The value of the destroyed propertv
was about $500.
OTHER PLACES,
Near BrenfOrd, the fence on the farm
occupied by Jas. X. Orrell, was struck
and two pannels knocked out.
The dwelling of Douglass Coverdale
at Clayton was struck and somewhat
damaged. " N"V
Three or four telegraph poles were
knocked out between SMYRNA and
ROthwel's Landing.
The new school house at Blackbird
was struck at one end QoiDp tbronob
TO the other and splitting the building
open.
Inc chimney of the house of Jas. r
ID Hohecker, in Middletown was struck
sunday afternoon, and also the resi-.
dences OF Mrs. Lydia A. Price. Jobp
fitzpatrick, Jas. Jenkins and Jacob
Wiggn were slightly damaged Hail
stones ieIl the size of hickory nuts.
several stacks of wheat on the farm
oi Ihomas Moore, near New Castle.
were struck and DESTROYED.
a barn on the Esling farm, also near
New Castle, was struck and a horse
owned by Benjamin Wainwright, was
At Brandywine Summit. a tree and
two unoccupied tents were struck bv
lightning but nobody killed. though
several were severely stunned
Inc rumor that the Sussex county
almshouse, at Georgetown, was struci
by lightning Saturday afternoon. had
no foundation in fact.
Six stacks of hay were DESTROYED and
one COW killed by lightning at fhe Sns.
sex county almshOuse.
Isaac Short, at Gumboro. lost four
mules, one horse, one OK and had his
stable burned from the same cause yes.
terday. %
OVER IN MARYLAND.
The most violent thunder storm
ever experienced in that section of the
Peninsula, passed over Centreville on
Friday morning between l and .
o'clock. "
The Queen Anne and Kent railroad
station house at Prce's Station was
struck by lightning and was burned to |
the ground. A construction train was
sent there on Saturday morning to mt |
up temporary station house and res |
tore the telegraph line.
AT Iilghman's Station, during the
same storm, it struck dwelling house
and man and woman were Knocked |
lnsensible by the electric current
Ihey were insensible for several hours
and they were thought to be fatal
Daring the storm In Cecil county
Saturday afternoon a barn, 65 bv So |
feet. on the farm Of