The Forrest City times., 1893-08-25
VAGARIES OF LIGHTNING
Queer Freaks in Pennsylvania and
 Queerer Yet in Ohio.

II was once driving over the Myrtle hills, in the lower part of this county, with my wife and baby, flying from 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 aroand like the splitting and exploding offshoots of scellaneous collection of Fourth of July pyrotechnics. Light ming danced and fla 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 It was not only the sight of this most extraordinary electrical display, but the snapping, cracking and explo ding of the light hing, like continuous volley of mus ketry, that struck us d umb with terror. The FOOT 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 l 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 sheep killed by lightning in fields on bo tn sides of the road. Neither myself, my wife, or child suf- 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 quarter of an hour.
 "Well, I thought that was little the queerest sort of an experience with lightning that anyone ever had or was ever likely to have; but l 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. I 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 southward. The sun had come out, and all uneasiness on ac- count of the storm had passed away for thunderstorms in that region are nearly always attended by more or less ldamage-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 second by la flash 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 had all huddled together, as lsheep will during thunderstorm, and