Evening journal., 1893-07-25
ANTICS OF LIGHTNING
SOME OF ITS QUEER FREAKS IN
Pennsylvania AND OHIO.

Anything he had Seen at Home--uayoc
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 cur heads, |
streaks and balls of fire began playing |
around like the splitting and exploding off |
shoots Of q miscellaneous collection Of |
Fourth Of July pyrOtechnics. Lightning |
danced and flashed GA every bit of metal |
| there was in my horses larness, whrled |
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 Gerry chaEiot drawn by
horse incased in flaming harness.
Neithermyself, my wife orchild suffered
the slightest physical injury OF inconven-
fence from that awful play Of electricity
about us, and the horse seemed TO be inn
proved by il, but the nervous strain on as
all was terrible. That extraordinary cleo
trical disturbance lasted at least a quarter
Of an hour.
| we'll 4 AnOukhh AAth AAAllt NAA HAtIANae
sort of an experience with lightning that
any one ever had or was likely to have, butI
have just come back from visit to Ohio, and
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 eau beat 1t.
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
account Of the storm had passed away--for
thunderstorms in that region are nearly al
ways attended by more or less damage
when the most terrific thunderclap ever
heard there or elsewhere, 50 close to the
earth that the earth trembled as II from an
earthquake, and preceded not more than
second by a fash OF lightning Of binding
sharpness broke from the coudless 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 TO see what damage had been
done by the thunderbdlt.
Some very amazing things were discov-
cred. In a field on the edge Of the village
a large flock Of sheep were pasturinR. The
sheep had all huddled together as sheep
will during thunderstorm, and were still
huddled when the surprising clap came.
When the owner OF the sheep went to the
field to see If anything had befallen his
flock, he found every sheep standing just as
they had huddled in the storm, but out
Of the 40 in the foek IS were dead. Not
one Of the dead sheep had fallen TO the
( ground. That was strange enough, but she
-. l. - L.. /.
ers being white and unjust. Each dead
sheep had hole In the back OF its neck
|" around which the wool was burned away.
On farm a short distance from the vii
lage big flock of sheep had gathered in 4
| circular bunch during the storm and ever
b outside sheep was killed, 20 ip all, and al
- white feeced On that same farm, but II
another field, was a small flock Of sheep
all white except one, which was big blacl
J. ram The ewes all huddled about the ran
~ while the storm ragged, and when the thaR
n derelap came the ram was killed, ne harm
1 Detailing one Of the others sheep. More thai
{, that. the rams fleece had been turned b.
y the shock rs white as that Of any othe
,, sheep in the flock. That was all thu dam
81 age that was reported during the hour
was in Bailyville, but it was enough 70 con
vince me that Ohio lightning knew few
'. tricks that Pennsylvania lightning hadR'
r. learned yet
le Ny friend Simon Frey lives at Big Oi
4, Valley with his wife and 1-weeks-old baby
5h One day Simon was hurrying home from
the valley trying TO get there before
big Thunderstorm that was coming NJ
0 caught him. The rain began falling befor
be- he got there, and was coming down for Gel
Ike | tain when he drove into his barn. Simo
stood in the barn door waiting for the raj
to slack up, when his house was struck b
lightning. Il seemed to hit both chimney
Is at once, and streak Of fire ran from on
q chimney along the peak OF the roof, an
is midway between the two chimneys IL me
another streak Of fire that was hashin
along the peak from the other chimney, o.
d. rather, where the chimney had been, fC
both chiinneys had been knocked into brio
dust by the lightning. When the two fer
to currents met in the center of the ridge pol
there was an explosion like she discharl
of a cannon, anda fountain Of bluish liam
that threw off swapping and zigzaggin
In sparks and Jets of fire, shot up into She a
at least 10 feet Then all was over, u
To- whole exhibition lasting not mere tina
Icr three seconds.
Simon was only three rods away from Il
house, but felt not the slightest effects
a the terrible shock. He ran to the hous
not knowing what horrifging sight migl
swat him there as il seemed impossib
ar. that his wife and baby could have escape
q death beneath that terrible electrical boz
bardment. But they had, and after d
first shock of his fright was over Sim'
10 couldn't do anything else but lie down al
almost burst with laughter, the lightnii
had brought about so ludierous situate
in the house. Mrs. Frey was sitting on Z
T. kitchen table, her head resting against {
a. wall. In one hand she held a rolling pi
while the other was buried TO the wrist
a roll Of dough. Shewa covered with flo
,o from head TO foot. The baby lay in
up basket of newly washed clothes in I
corner Of the kitchen, yelling az the Top
=. its lungs The baby's cradle was turn
HISS upside down in the center OF the roo
are Aside from a severe nausea that troubl
lie, Mrs Frey all the rest Of the day, moth
she nor the baby suffered any i'll effe'
from their extraordinary experience La
en- caster Pa-) Letter in New York Sun.