The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-07
vAeAR1Es OF rHUNDERBoLTs.
Queer Lightning Freaks in Pennsylva-
mia and Queerer Yet In Ohio.
From the New York Sun.

from Iut New lOIk sun
Lancaster, June PA was once driv-
ing over the Martic Hills, in the lower
part of this county, with my wife and
baby flying from a thunder storm that
was coming up rapidlyin the valley" said
a resident of this city, "but 1 not only
did not escape from the storm, but ran
right into another one equally as heavy
on the very summit of the ridge. When
the two storms, travelling in opposite di-
rections, met directly over our heads,
streaks and balls of fire began playing
around like the splitting and exploding Off
shoots of a miscellaneous collection Of
Fourth of July pyrotechnics. Lightning
danced and flashed on every bit of metal
there was in my horses harness, whirled
around with the tires on all four of the
wheels, and ran about and zigzagged every
where around buggy frame until we were
literally sitting in fiery chariot drawn
by horse encased in flaming harness. 1t
was not only the sight of this most eX-
traordinary electrical display, but the
swapping, cracking, and exploding of the
lightning, like a continuous vOlley of mus
kerry that struck us dumb with ter
ror The poor horse was too much
scared TO run away, the fire and noise
seeming to have Just the contrary
effect upon him, and 1t was all that l
could do 10 urge him forward. On
each side of the road trees were
being splintered and shivered by thunder
bolts every few feet of the way, and the
terror of the crashing thunder, glare of
the forked lightning and noise made by
the trees as they Wer6Tiven by the bolts,
was something no one can describe. In
going a mile, where we reached house,
we saw six COWS, seven pigs, two horses
and eighteen sheep killed by lightning in
fields on both sides of the road. Neither
myself. my wife or child suffered the
slightest physical injury or inconvenience
from that awful play of electricity about
us. and the horse seemed to be improved
by it: but the nervous strain on us was
terrible That extraordinary electrical
disturbance lasted at least a quarter Of
an hour
well, thought that was little the
queerest sort of an experience with
lightning that any one had or was ever
likely to have, but have just come back
from visit to Ohio, and / want to say
that that experience of mine might have
been the boss queer one up TO this sum-
mer, but il isn't any more. l ran across
some others in Ohio that can beat it.
The one, for instance, at Bailyville. l
got to Bailyville at about noon one day.
A thunder storm had just passed over
that locality and the clouds had nearly
all broken away or rolled to the south
ward The sun had come out, and all
uneasiness on account of the storm had
passed away-for thunder storms in that
region are nearly always attended by
more or less damage-when the
most terrific thunder clap ever heard
there or elsewhere, so close to the earth
that the earth trembled as If from an
earthquake, and preceded not more than
second by a flash of lightning
of binding sharpness broke from
the cloudless monday sky. The sudden
appearance and terrible nature of the
startling phenomenon paralyzed the
farming community with alarm, and it
was several minutes before any one ven
tured forth to see what damage had been
done by the thunderbolt. Some very