The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-09
SOOTHED BY ZIG HTNING.
Il struck Their Houses, but Never as Much
A. Woke the Inmates.

Usually when lightning takes a notion to
strike o fellows house at night, II either gives
him a pretty lively waking up or puts him 10
sleep forever" said n man from Steuben county,
"but we had some lightning up In the Lake
Keuka region not long ago that went around
dipping peoples houses, and dipping them hard,
but never disturbed a person In any of those
houses, although the people in the houses that
were not struck were not only awakened by the
electrical freaks, but kept awake and In terror
for hours by them.
Nothing like this storm had ever been known
before in the Lake Keuka region. II began about
IL o'clock at night, and kept right at it for nearly
three straight hours. During that time there
was not a second In which the thunder was not
crashing or the lightning flashing. As many as
three sharp flashes would preCede "A thunder
clap. which would follow with a crash that was
appalling. For miles around the country was
almost continually visible beneath the constant
play OF the lightning.
"Of all the persons who had gone to bed and
asleep in the village OF HammonGsport before
the storm came up that night only two were
not awakened by the fearful turmoil Of the
storm. Both Of these were in houses that were
struck by lightning almost as soon as the cleo
trical COMMANDMENT began. One Of them, a
young woman, slept In a room next the roof and
Immediately under the spot where the lightning
struck and demolished a chimney, but she did
not wake up. The other house was also struck
at the chimney. the bricks being scattered all
over the roof. There was hut one person in the
house, and he did not know It had been struck
by lightning until he discovered the wTeckage
OF the chimney next morning,
while people who had been Weakened and
kept awake by the storm, although their houses
we're not struck, thought II strange that any
one could have slept through II all, especially
when the noise Of liGhtning-struck chimncys
Gathering about them was added Ia the CommO-
tiOn. no particular attention was given Ia the
Circumstance until reports from the storm In
adjacent places hogan 70 come in,
Across the lake in Wayne only two families
knew nothing Of the frightful disturbance until
next morning, and the house Of each family had
been struck by lightning that night. At Mitch
ellville, three miles from Hammondsport, a harm
was struck by lightning and set on hrs, In trying
TO save the contents OF the harm men found a
tramp sound asleep Ia the haymow. He hadn't
heard anything Of the storm. although II had
been raging for more than an hour he fore the barn
was struck. Near SsvOnR. az the Waite farm,
the family got up the morning after The storm
and the bricks scattered about on the ground,
The house had been struck By lightning twice
during the night aud no one In tho house woke
NJ. Near Tyrone three farmhouses were struck,
Zach one at n chimney, and the inmates OF those
houses were the only ones In the neighbOrhOod
who were not Weakened by the storm.
"No fewer than hfteen houses we're struck by
lightning that night within q radius OF I'VE
miles. and each one was struck at the chimney,
four OF them having both chimneys demolished;
but in each house the Inmates were Eoothed in
the same way BY the lightning, 30 that their
slgmoers we're not disturbed;
"Besides the houses. nine barns were struck,
and In dealing With those the lightning INDUCED
IN another queer freak. Not one house the
yond the demolishing Of a chimney or two. The
barns. In every instance. were hrcd BY the light
ning. and only t~oor three of them were saved