New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-07
~ AN ELECTRIC STORM.
THE STEAMER LCDGATE HILL STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING.
AND \ SEAMAN STRUCK DOWN. EUr
n IL
N0T sLRIOreLY HrRr.

Tho vot- and ampor,~ wavlaid the British
steamer Lud-at" Hill on the high seas IN" other
day. and n" cam" into port Yesterday looking ~
II .hc had run afoul ~ an electrical Du2z-saw.
The Ludratc :Iill is hg iron steamer with four
masiA She J. one OF the largest freight vessels
engaged in IN" carrying trade between London
and NrwNorl Nh" can roll on her beam "n :.
tcmporize with cyclone and crack icehergS into
fragment, suitable for picnic us", Yet III" storm
>li" met on "Wednesday was little too much Tor
her
Shc left London on June c$. With a general
c,roo snu-lv slowed below She also carried
thrty-siN passengers The wcathcr for the greater
,.r, Of the nm was mild and th" wa- scarcely
runicd by the winds The morning Of July WIS
ho, and ,ultry. The air had been thicl; and foe-y
Tor .,yeml dav-. Ik" dull braz'n di'c the sun
appeared THROUGH banks Of mist. and scarcely a
breeze disturbed the moisturc-aden air
The old ,,amcn who had shipped frm almost
every port and had sailed upon every se1 looked
Al rhc ,ky o.crhcad and muttcr"d something
,hout cyclones. y the day wore along TN" air
became .fiAing and unhcarabc From the bridge
down to the rrcroom where the erImv ,t"kcrS
nutred and cursed every man frlt the oppressive
heat
~ the coppcry sun sinking INTO the sea
dark clonds mingled with the haze OF ia" alter
noon and the sky bccam" black ai threatening.
Every stitch of canvas wa- -nueT turl'd tn'
decks were cleared Of everything movable and al
thinp, were made ready FOR th" coming OF th'
Storm II was = p. IN. when th" first Hash "i
lirhtniuc wa, seen. Like solitary signal II ap-
p,arcI illumin"d tie dark waters and faded INTO
I'm. blackn.Ss Then from the great r'>'rNoIr
overhead as from an oycrclarerd lcydrn jar. there
hurst sheet, Of electric flame There were reports
like. th, rattle Of muskctry, followed by deep,
snnorons roar rs of some mighty avallnche grlnd-
int down the side of distant mountains ~"
clouds were bound together by bonds of electro
fire and tiny lets of flame camel upon th" trucks
The Great steamer pitched and lurchcd, ana IN"
sound of the thunder vibratcd through every
l,a am and plate. The fury of III" storm incr'l'"d
as the hours wor" on. and at midnight II hid
reached it's height Shortly before /? o'clock there
came "A binding flash of lightning, followed by
q tremendous report. The electric bolt struck the
igaerma.t of the ludgate Hill and hnrird @r'i.
shvcrs Of IL upon III" deck. Inc Hsil'hh3
,ulnt,rrd the mast from th' truck 10 tn 'yr' ~
the tOpnaSt rigging, ana th'h WIS ulN'l'' "'
It's course. .l
second Officer Gorhan was ON watch on ih'
bridge He was knocked 10 IN" deck dlr' l'N
there bruised bleeding and almost lnSrDslp"
One of the crew was standing near sl'rl p1ch-
stay. The lightning sent him recllng ana r"llih'
over the dc X He was hurled for twenty ~;
and after striking th" hard piIKS 'uh"'n I;
head over heels like the master of IN" gOod snip
in which "A certain Mr. A"n'as was Il PASSENGER
! hat man ny in the Sruppers vaguely won n"rIh4
where he was and rubbing his back until he was
lifted down IA compa' l1iWaN. ~,
lhc electrical storm lasted until a. m Inc
i.udgatc Hill proceeded 10 this port without ANY
mor. mishaps and she Is now disclIarglhS hcr
cargo over at Il pier i'll Brooklyn