Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-10-25
WEIRD JERSEY LIGHTNING.
It Shows What Astounding Things
It Gan Do.
Electrifics austin Emmons, and Closes
Its Performance with Disastrous
Observation-Disclosures Conte-t With
Ducking Ran.

Exa2 FL q Il p must be
6 9E9T9m something in the
YEA w New Jersey soil
3Ra6S& VA N peculiarly attract
TaxAS&IN9 i've to lightning.
MMtSM@M In other regions
M>NH~| thunderstorm, +
very severe, damages a building or two
or possibly kills man with direct
bolt. In New Jersey it doesn't act that
way. Some peculiar and weird mani
festation invariably characterizes a
storm there. II man Is killed by
bolt there are dozen witnesses to tell
how he was wrapped in spiral of
flame and spun round till he fell dead.
When house Is struck the lightning
disdains to do anything as common
place as merely to rip off the roof or
set fire to the building. 1t usually
slides down the building, cavorts
round the room, destroying any
household pets that get in its way,
and ends by wlping the ornaments off
the mantelpiece and branding the date
of it's arrival on the face of the clock.
Its latest wonder of this kind &C.
Cured few nights ago on Austin EN-
mons farm, near Hacklcbarney, in
Chester township Mr.. Emmons pos
sssses as fine three-hundrcd-a
farm as there is in New Jersey. In
his big field just back Of the house he
keeps seventy-tive sheep, which at
night gather under spreading cherry
tree at one end of the field. AS the
sheep are valuable he has them all in
sured against death by accident-acci-
dent in this case having reference
chiefly to lightning, as that is the COM
monest form of accidental death to
animals in that part Of New Jersey.
In his farming experience Mr. EN-
mons has lost many fine cattle and
sheep from this cause, but none under
such strange circumstances as this last
time.
1t was about three o'clock in the
morning when the storm came. Mr..
Emmons was aroused by tremendous
flash, followed by great Kissing
noise.
"There goes another brook, dried up
by one of those confounded flashes
he grumbled. "lf this keeps on there
won't be anything but steam left for
the cnttle to drink"
Then he carefully adjusted the glass
casters on his non-conductor bed, saw
that the rubber blocks were placed I'M
der them, and, wrapping himself up in
his feather quilt, turned over to sleep
again. But he could not go to sleep.
There was too much electricity in the
air. 1t tingled in his every nerve and
made his muscles jump convulsivcly.
Everything in the room was affected.
Or the washstand the water pitcher
and the tooth mug were splitting fire
ut each other, and q Pickering halo OF
jagged flame played round the bureau
mirror. Unable to endure this longer,
Mr.. Emmons jumped out Of bed. In
putting on his shoes he sat down on a
flash of electricity that lifted him
nearly to the ceiling. Meanwhile out
side occasional flashes of dead black
ness could be perceived as the vivid
glare subsidized momentarily, while sc
great was the conclusion of the boom
ing thunder that the clapboards tapped
loosely against the sides of the house.
Great Scott! this is pretty tough,
exclaimed the farmer. "I'll bet all the
cream is turned sour. Wonder what
time it is"
In order to find out he opened his
watch, which, to his extreme disgust
emitted two brilliant flashes and
stopped short. Downstairs he hurried
surrounded by little Geographic dots