The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-16
ANTICS OF LIGHTNING
SOME OF ITS QUEER FREAKS IN
Pennsylvania AND OHIO.
"A Lancaster Man Ran Across Some Expert
ences In the buckeye State That Beat
Anything He Had Seen at Home-Havoo
Among the sheep-In Big Oil Valley.

Anything He Had Seen at Home-Havoo
Among the sheep-In Big Oil valley.
Twas once driving over the Martic hills,
In the lower part Of this county, with my
wife and baby, flying from thunderstorm
that was coming up rapidly In the valley,
but / only did not escape from the storm,
but ran right into another one equally
heavy on the very summit Of the ridge
When the two storms travelling in opposite
directions met directly over our heads,
streaks and balls of FIRE began playing
around like the splitting and exploding off
shoots Of O miscellaneous collection Of
Fourth of July PROCEEDINGS. Lightning
danced and flashed on every bit Of metal
there was In my horses harness, whirled
around with the tires on all four wheels
and ran about and zigzagged everywhere
about the buggy frame, until we were lit
orally sitting in q fiery chariot drawn by
horse incased in flaming harness.
Neither myself, my wife nor child suffered
the slightest physical injury or inconveD-
fence from that awful play Of electricity
about us, and the horse seemed to- be inn
proved by it, but the nervous strain on US
trieal disturbance lasted at least quarter
of an hour.
Well, thought that little the queerest
sort of an experience with lightning that
any one ever had or was likely to have, butt
have Just come back from visit TO Ohio, ard
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. l ran
across some others in Ohio that can beat IL.
Take the one, for instance, at Bailyville.
/ got TO Bailyvillo at about noon one day.
A thunderstorm had just passed over that
locality, and the clouds had nearly all
broken away OF rolled to the southwark.
The sun had come out and all uneasineSs on
account of the storm had passed away-for
thunderstorms In that region are nearly al
ways attended by more or lees damage
when the most terrific thunderclap 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 10y fash of lightning of binding
sharpness, broke from the cloudless MONDAY
sky. The sudden appearance and terrible
nature Of the startling phenomenon par
alyzed the farming community with alarm,
and it was several minutes before any one
ventured forth 20 see what damage had been
done by the thunderbolt.
Some very amazing things were discoy-
cred. In field on the edge Of the village
a large flock Of sheep were pasturing. The
sheep had all huddled together as sheep
will during thunderstorm, and were still
huddled when the surprising clap came.
When the owner OF tho sheep went to the
field to see II anything had befallen his
flock, he found every sheep standing just rs
they had huddled In the storm, but out
Of the 10 III the Gock IL We're dead. Not
one Of the dead sheep had fallen to the
ground That was strange enough, but the
Is dead sheep were black sheep, all the 9th
ers being white and unhurt. Each dead
sheep had hole In the back of it's neck
around which the wool was burned away.
On farm a short distance from the vii
lage a big flock Of sheep had gathered in a
circular bunch during the storm, and every
outside sheep was killed, % in all, and all
white fleeced On that same farm, but in
another field, was small flock OF sheep,
all white except one, which was a big black
ram The ewes all huddled about the ram
while the storm ragged, and when the thun-
derclap came the ram was killed, no harm
Detailing one OF the other sheep. More than
that, the rams fleece had been turned by
the shock as white "a that OF any other
sheep In the flock. That waS al the dam
age that wac reported during the hour /
was in Bailyville, bat IL was enough 20 con
vince me that Ohio lightning knew few
tricks that Pennsylvania lightning hadn't
learned yet
MY friend Simon Frey lives 1T Big Oil
Valley with his wife and 7-weeks-old baby.
One day Simon was hurrying home from
the valley trying TO get there before
big thunderstorm that was coming up
caught him. The rain began falling before
he got there, and was coming down for GER
tain when he drove into his barn. Simon
stood in the barn door waiting for the rain
10 slack up, when his house was struck by
lightning. II seemed 20 hit both chtmneys
at once, and streak Of fire ran from one
chimney along the peak Of the roof, and
midway between the two chimneys 10 met
another streak OF FIRE that was flashing
along the peak from the other chimney, or,
rather, where the chimney had been, for
both chimneys had been knocked into brick
dust by the lightning. When the two fiery
currents met Ia the center Of the ridge pole,
there was an explosion Like the discharge
of a cannon, and fountain OF blush hame'
that threw off swapping and dgzaggfng
sparks and Jets Of fire, shot up into the ar
al least 10 feet Then oil was over, the
whole exhibition lasting not more than
three seconds.
Simon was only three rods away from the
house. but felt not the slightest effects OF
the terrible shock. He ran 20 the house,
not knowing what horifying sight might
await him there, Ga it seemed impossioie
that his wife aud baby could have escaped
death beneath that terrible electrical bonn
bardment. But they had. and after the
first shock o. his fright was over Simon
couldn't do anything else but lie down and
almost burst with laughter, the lightning
had brought about 80 ludierous situation
in the house. Mrs. Frey was sitting ON the
kitchen table, her bead resting against the
wall. In one hand she held = rolling pin,
while the other was buried TO the wrist in
q roll Of dough. She was covered with hour
from head 10 foot The baby lay In a
basket Of newly washed clothes in Tar
corner Of the kitchen. yelling at the Top OF
its lungs The baby's cradle YVES turned
upside down in the center OF the room;
Aside from a severe nausea that troubled
Mrs. Frey all the rest Of the dag, neither
she nor the baby suffered any Ill effects
from their extraordinary experience Ian
caster Pa. Letter In New York sun.
A Bit OF Realistic Acting.
rro,rv yrv;rois stoYy of Charlotte Cusb-