The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-09
VAGARIES OF LIGHTNING.
Queer Freaks In Pennsylvania and
Queerer Yet in Ohio.


hills, in the lower part of this county,
with my wife and baby, flying from a
thunderstorm that was coming up rap
idly in the valley" said resident of
Lancaster, Pa, ''but only did not es-
cape 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
ofshoots of miscellaneous collection
of Fourth of July pyrotechnics. Light
ming danced and ia shed on every bit of
metal there was in my horses har-
ness, whirled around with the tires on
all four of the wheels. and ran
about and zigzagged everywhere
around the buggy frame, until
we were literally sitting in a
fiery chariot drawn by horse encased
in flaming harness. 1t was not only
the sight of this most extraordinary
electrical display, but the swapping.
cracking and explo ding of the light
! ming, like continuous volley of mus
/ kerry, that struck us umb with terror.
! The roor horse was too much scared
to run away, the fire and noise seeming
! to have just the contrary effect upon
! him, and it was all that could do to
urge him forward. On each side of the
/ road trees were being splintered and
/ shivered by thunderbolts every few feet
/ of the way, and the terror of the crash
! ing thunder, glare Of the forked light
ming and noise made by the trees as
| they were riven by the bolts was some
| thing no one can describe. In going a
mile, where we reached a house, we
saw six cows, seven pigs, two horses
and eighteen shee killed by lightning
in fields on DO tn sides of the road.
Neither myself, my wife, or child SUI
fered 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 all was terrible.
That extraordinary electrical disturb
ance lasted at least a quarter of an
hour
well, thought that was a little the
queerest sort of an experience with
lightning that anyone ever had or was
ever likely to have; but I have just
come back from visit to Ohio, and l
want to say that that experience of
mine might have been the boss queer
one up to this summer, but it isn't any
more. / ran across some others in Ohio
that can beat it.
Take the one, for instance. at
Bailyville. got to Bailyville at about
noon one day. A thunderstorm had
just passed over that locality, and the
clouds had nearly all broken away or
rolled to the southwark. The sun had
come out, and all uneasiness on &C.
count of the storm had passed away
for thunderstorms in that region are
nearly always attended by more or less
damage-when the most terrific thun-
der 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 a second by
a fash of lightning of blind
ing 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 anyone
ventured forth to see what damage had
been done by the thunderbolt. Some
very amazing things were discovered.
In field on the edge of the village a
large flock of sheep were pasturing.
The sheep has ali huddled together, as
sheep will during a thunderstorm, and
were still huddled when the surprising
clap came When the owner of the
sheep went 70 the Geld to see if any
thing had befallen his flock he found
every sheep standing just as they had
huddIed in the storm, but out Of the
forty IN the flock eighteen were dead.
Not one Of the dead sheep had fallen to
the ground That was strange enough,
but the eighteen dead sheep were black
sheep, all the others IN the flock being
white. and unhurt. Each dead sheep
had a hole in the back OF its neck,
around which the wool was burned
away.
ION the farm short distance from
the village Il big flock Of sheep had
gathered in circular bunch during the
storm, and every outside sheep was
killed, twenty in all, and all white
feeced On that same farm. but N an
other field. was small flock Of sheep, I
I'll white except one, which YVES a big
black ram The ewes ali huddleCi about
tie ram while the stcrm ragged, and
when the thunder clap came the ram
was killed, 10 harm Detailing cle %
The other sAeen More than hat the
rams fleece had been turned by the
shock as white cs that a. any other
sheep in tie aoc,, That wes az n.
damage that was reported during the
hour I vas in BatlyvLle, ca. !. was
eao1-h % cou-i7ce re t-a. Ohio light 1
-i1g anew few tricks TIA. penEsyl-
san.a lightning hadn't learned yet
my friend Simon Frey hves 81 Big
OIL valley with his wife and seven
weeks cid baby. One day Simon was
hur-y;Eg home from the valley trying
to get there before big Thunderstorm
that was coming Up caught him The
rain began falling before he GO. there,
and was coming down for certain when
he drove into his baru- Simon stood IN
the barn door waiting for TIE rain to
slack mp, u hen MS house was struck
by lightning. Il seemed 70 hit both
chimrerS a, once AID . s.reaa O. Sra