Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-09-02
KILLED BY LIGHTNING AT A
FUNERAL.

A terrific thunderstorm struck Balti-
more Saturday afternoon, and for a half
hour there was flash after flash of the
most vivid lightning and peal upon
peal of deafening thunder.
AS the storm burst upon the city
there was fearful rush of wind ap-
preaching the velocity of a hurricane.
For the first few minutes the rainfall
was moderate, and then as the wind in
creased the rain also increased. The
wind blew the water in almost solid
sheets, flooding the streets and over
flowing the sewers. Then for FIVE min
utes hail fell with the great downpour
of water, beating upon the roofs with
an alarming sound.
The sky grew SO black that in many
dwellings and business places lamps
were lighted, though it was but little
past four o'clock when the rain began.
The lightning ran along the trolley and
electric light wires and played mischiev-
Gus pranks in many places, burning out
circuits, and in many instances plungipg
buildings in total darkness.
A scene Of horror was enacted dur
ing the storm, when a funeral coitege
had drawn up to the entrance OF the
Sharp street cemetery, at Mount Wi
mans. It was the misfortune OF the
party to arrive at the cemetery en-
trance Just as the worst storm of the
season broke. The rain came down in
torrents, the lowering clouds caused o
darkness almost like that of night, in
fearful contrast with which were al
most ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
binding flashes of lightning aud deaf
eniDg peals of thunder. Natures ele-
ments made the scene weird and aw-
full, and it appeared impossible for the
funeral train to proceed. But horror
was added to apprehension by an oc'
currence, the counterpart Of which can
not be recalled by any witness, and
which is not parallelled in any recent
local annal.
When the funeral procession arrived
at the cemetery, and had almost stop
ped at the side ofthe grave bearing the
dead body of Mary Brown, colored
woman, a lightning bolt, which
stunned all the members of the
party, instantly killed William
Alsup, who was driving the hearse,
and started the horses drawing
the hearse on dead run. The deadly
bolt at first stunned one of the hearse
horses, bringing him to his knees. He
was but shocked, however, and being,
like his mate, fiery steed, the regain
ing of his feet was but the signal for a
runaway. Meantime the driver, al
ready dead, sat bolt upright, the reins
in mis- clenched hands, aud there was
presented to the Mortified on-lookers
the ghastly sight of the maddened
chargers dashing over the narrow
abodes of the silent dead, controlled
only by the reins in the convulsed
hands of dead driver, and bearing
within the somber vehicle burden at
testing the mortality of human flesh.
The frightened horses, in their mad
career, were thrown upon their haunch-
es by collision with one Of the trees OF
the cemetery, and then the lifeless
driver was hurled from his seat to the
ground. The horses struggled to ex-
tricate themselves, but before they
could continue their mad career, they
were restrained by horror-stricken
members of the funeral party.
The hearse was not damaged by the
lightning or the collision with the tree,
and the corpse in the coffin was undis-
turbed. The bolt, after killing the
man, buried itself in the open grave in
which the womau's body was afterwards
buried.