, 1893-10-07


were screaming with terror ut the continual
1oar of the thunder and the brilliant flashes,
when suddenly a deafening crash and / tre-
mendous shock, as if caused by q huge 4
plosion within the house itself, reused every
one from sleep, dazed and terrified. An in
descrihably peculiar feeling was experienced
by ala feeling az if they were being hurled
out into the vast beyond. There was q s-
lenoe az if of death for a moment. Every
thing seemed acknowledgements. Tten the
screams of the children were mingled with
the crash of falling glass. When the effects
of the shock wore OF Mr.. Learmond to bis
great relief discovered that no one was killed.
Miss Beatrice Moves, q young relative to hs
wife, was severely Boorched aud, IN conse-
quence of tho shook she received, remained
insensible until day break. All the others
by some marvellous interpretation of Provl-
dence escaped comparatively unhurt. Mrs.
Learmond was struck down by the shock,
and together with the rest Of the family, ex-
perienced severe nausea for many hours. An
oppressive odour filled the room Mr.. Lear
mond's strongel frame was the first to lecove
er. Looking up he saw a great hoio about J
feet in circumference through the root or his
house. Broken glass and 6pllnters we're
thickly strewn about. Just where Miss
Moves was lying unconscious, and close by
her head, a huge rent showed where the
lightning had sped in its downward course.
The chill, weary, dark night hours wore on.
The hanging lamp In the drawing room had
been dashf into pieces the wind whlstled
through the house, riddled as 1t by artillery,
and the ceaseless rain found q free entrance
through the shattered windows and broken
roof. When morning broke, we and cherries,
~ " u .on raoN Tha
lightning seems to have struck the ridge of
the house on the eastern side, tearing a
great hole and then from this central point five
distinct streams seem to have branohsd off
Each stream was attracted by and followed
somemetal work either tho zinc capped ridge
or the copper gathering, AMI rushing down the
side posts, and leaping as it were from nall
to nail, it wrecked and tore everything in It's
way. One stream ere losing itself in the
earth seems 10 have run along the ground
smashing the sill and finally Dispensing itself
in the wet soil outside.
Mr.. Learmond's well built and COmforta-
BILE residence, only a few months old, now
bears the look of a house which has stood q
siege. The large gap IN the roof looks as II
a shell had burst through there, The WIN
dows and t~rellice work are riddled as if by
bullets; the sides Of the house are ploughed
as II by plunglhg snoC inc "ooo "olA "
scorohed in several places as if by gunpew-
der. and pieces ( wood have been driven
from near the porch deep into the opposite
aide.
We offer our earnest sympathy to Mr.Lo"r-
mond in his sad disaster. For a great part OF
Wednesday, he was untiring in his courteous
efforts TO explain the occurrence TO numbers
of people who pressed him for particulars.
Thousands visited the scene during the day
and were freely allowed in the house.
Thoughtless persone must done co siderable
damage to the flower beds Ground the cot.
tage as they tramp!ed over and through them.
We sincerely hope that Mrs. Learmond's niece
will suffer no permanent i'll effects from the
shock. Her escape was miraculous. lot only
was tho bedstead broken on which she was
lying, but the very bed cloths were scorched
aud torn by the terrible fash.