Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-06-22

~ 4 solT Of LIGHTNING


ST.. PArL June 2l.--DuEing . sevsrs
thundss storm 1t o'clock fhis sStss-
noon 1t River FslIs. wisconsin. Just
ovse the Ninneeota line. lightning struck
the full center pois Ia the msnagsrie q
Ringing BruaL
seven persona were killed instantly.
and quite Z number injured. n0ns a
the latter fatally.
The killed arc: O. A. Dean. Eugepe
Reynolds. = cnrpcntcr; laycsr-old son
a o. b. Wi0gina. . l2-yexs old son II
Curti@ Aldridgc. j. \. CicndenninG.
town clerk of Oak Grove; an unknown
boy.
Tbs greatest constesnatiou followed.
The tsin continued falling ia great
sheets aud the bodies Of the dead were
soaked through before they could be re-
moved. AZ soon n possible Ringlicg
Bros. and their employees did everything
in their mower TO alleviate the condition
of the wounded. The dead were taken
down town and laid out on the door u
the engine house where they were. with
tho exception Of the unknown boy.
identified In few minutes after their
arrival.
Distressing sccneA
The scenes - relatives identified their
dead was distressing. One elderly gen
tleman. the father Of young Dean. .
handsome and intelligent young man.
who vas % suddenly taken from life.
fnintcd and was carried out of the en-
gine house moaning. The clothing on
somo Of the dead was torn to shreds,
while others presented no external ev-
idcncc Of tho fatality except tho awful
stare and fixed. rigid features. The
number Of wounded IL estimated all the
way from ten to thirty. Most OF them
were taken home as soon a. possible and
are now doing we'll. The presence Of
mind of the Ringlings and their en-
ployes prevented stampede which un-
doubtcdly would have been attended
with still greater fatality. The crowd
was held in check and the dead and
wounded were removed q soon and ~
quickly as possible.
snrseAs od Alarm
The weather was clear. but the air
close and sitting when the crowd poured
into the tent. and during the early after
noon ! tns snSnoe, .Sn ro'sSa , .no .s az
,,oon, ~ ths ;rtc,;c, - thc font -.. "a
i;eve5 hv orc.s;onai e.shes ~ Tvhtr;ng
which drew omf sa;nt shr;eks ef alarm
from the more s;,n;d Ju.t n 4 o;ciocI
th.-. ,r.s . hlsr.I;rr a.sh - Er,Str;r,
snIiowsJ Inv !. terr;ti. real ~ tkurdee
The slestr;c;tv s;lled the tent ~;fh =.
vivid aame The cir s.smea -, a.
The hoit had .f,,,ck sh. ce.te~ 49, -
the lent and IN : instsnt diSfn.,.d i<r5if
ovsc17h r. rrord
~ . momsnt thc 49, erc~,d -.
sRrne3 then .n.ned : rsn;r thst To- .
I;nute se.med to th re.fer ths Ie.tr,c-
tion ~ bnndreds ~ ires Win one i'm.
rulss thc crowd sta rte1 for the evit and
slnve the shr;cks ana scre.m. ~ women
ro.c the .onnd - The cr.sh;re se.ts
Near the Shattered p-,le vhich sliowe5
ths canvas 10 droon and 6sn . core -
r,es,nI. were wing prortratsi anna w;th
Their c,osh,rc Avrnel and othe,. -;sh
NO marx ~ death snve ~. ns.cuI;.r nal.
ic- soiio.;r. sha .n-h - o. ais,,t-;,,
a,,;d & seven hsS @ h.sen ;ostent,v Lille,
hut to those nan, The GENE - d.ssh
do,bla th.t rur,her .ss,,,.,l a..d :.
sh.v I.v .t,,r,~1 .n5 5.,rr,,.s.;..,,s
Horror OF the Scene
The horror OF the scene seemed To
paralyze the crowd. else the inevitable
panic must have occurred with dreadful
results. The stroke Of lightning had
almost wrecked tent and the wind com.
pieted the work. Through the rents in
the canvas poured the rain in great solid
masses. drenching everything and add.
ing. IL possible. to the terror of the oc-
casion. The shriehs and groans Of the
frightened and injured people reached
the ears Of the animals In the menagcrie
and to the din was nov added
shos~ -<..~- :. "A ..~,.. All xh.~ h~~..~c Il