The Portland daily press., 1894-06-20
DAMAGING LIGHTNING.
MIR. Oliver Hanson, Of Windham, Was
Killed Instantly.
BARNS BURNED AND TREES
STRUCK HEREABOUTS.

1t Set the Heart of a Tree On Fire in
Stroudwater-And Struck a Barn in Cape
Elizabeth-Two Houses at Great Che
beage Struck-Exploded One Cartridge
Left the Others
In the town of Windham and the region
thereabouts the storm of Monday after
noon was very severe. One fatal result
is reported. At the head of Duck Pond
lived Mr.. Oliver Hanson, man aged
about 63 years. veteran of the war, a
member of Larry Post. and the head of
family consisting of an invalid wife
and several children. The family were
in the kitchen during the storm of Mon
day afternoon. Mr.. Hanson was sitting
near the stove and back to the chimney.
On the other side of the stove was Miss
Elder, daughter of Mr.. Ray Hugh Elder.
neighbor.
A bolt struck the house, there was a
tearing sound about the floor under Mr..
Hanson's chair, land he dropped dead.
At the same time Miss Elder felt the
sole tearing off one of her shoes. She
was otherwise unhurt.
The chimney did not show evidence of
being struck, and the people who inspect
ed the premises were inclined to the
theory that the lightning entered the cell
lar window and came up through the
floor. The floor under Mr.. Hanson's
chair was badly splintered, and the bolt
probably passed along his body.
During the same storm in Windham,
Samuel Larrabee's barn at Popeville
was stuck. The bolt set the barn afire,
and at the same time stunned Ernest
Staples, James Staples, Benjamin LARA
bee and boy named Hanson, all of
whom were sitting in neigh boring shed.
AS soon as they recovered which was
very soon they got the horses out of the
barn and put out the fire.
The lightning played a queer trick in
Stroudwater Monday afternoon. 1t
struck an elm tree in front of George
Johnson's house. 1t struck between the
spreading branches, and passed down
through the centre of the trunk, making
quite hole and setting the inside of the
tree on fire. Mr.. johnson climbed up,
poured water down the hole, and extin-
guished the fire.
In Cape Elizabeth, just across the line
of Stroudwater, the barn of Herbert
jackson was struck. The bolt passed
through the roof, broke one of the great
cross beams, knocked down the horse
and struck Mr.. Jackson perceptibly on
the shoulder. No injury was done to
him or the house.
Two bolts of lightning almost stimuli
taneously struck the houses of Capt.
John F. and Sumner E. Hamilton on
Great Chebeague Island. The houses
are only an eighth of mile apart. The
bolt split the ridgepole of Capt. Johns
house, passed down the chimney into
the kitchen, crossed the floor, burning a
track in the carpet, and frightening two
women, who fortunately were on the
other side of the room, entered the next
room, smashed this table to pieces, ex-
ploded one shot gun cartridge in the
drawer. but left the others, and took
it's departure with vicious tearing of
plastering and ripping up of the floor
The damage was about 500.
At Sumner E. Hamilton's house the
bolt knocked off the top Of the chimney,
went down into chamber on the up-
per floor and passed out through the wall
on top of the piazza. 1t did not damage.
In the house were two women and four
children.
The extreme heat of the last three or
four days eliminated in heavy shower
Monday afternoon, during which the
barn of Stephen Huston of West Gray was
struck by lightning and entirely con-
sumed, together with it's contents, con-
sisting of five or six tons of hay, two
moving machines and other farming
TOOLS A yoke of oxen and horse were in
the barn, but were got out uninjured.
The loss will be nearly $1,000, on which
there was no insurance.