Connecticut western news., 1895-08-08
BOLT HIT A CHURCH.
TWENTY MEMBERS OF THE coNeRE-
 CATION WERE INJURED.
Lightning Wrecked the MsthodIst Church at Quakertown, N. J., Just as the Service. Were closinR--The Pastor Among the Severely Injured.

Were ciosinK-Ths Pastor Among the
 Severely Injured.
 QuAKERTowN. N. l., Aug. b.-The Methodist church hero was struck by lightning, and 20 persons werc prostrated Those seriously hurt are James Hon, jus ticc of the peace; Minnie France, Mrs. Kuhl Hoffman. Mrs. John Wilson, Asa Bauman, sexton, and Mrs. Bowman, wife of Rev, l.. Y. Bowman, pastor of the church.
 Nearly all of these were knocked sense. less by tho stroke, and 1t Is feared that deaths will result. Minnie France is in a critical condition.
 Dr. Bowman had just pronounced the bonediction nt the morning service when the bolt struck the belfry, running around tho edifloe under the weatherboards and down under the flooring. Tho services having been all but concluded. many per sons were In tho vcstibulo and aislos of the church.
 Besides those named is persons were maimed and soarrcd.
 The houses of the town were turned into emergency hospitals and the victims are thore being cared for
 Sexton Bauman had his coat torn from his back and into shreds, and one of his shoes was stripped as by a knife. Minnie Franco was in her pow when the bolt tore through the floor. Both shoes were torn from her feet the crown of her hat was wrcnohed away, and her watch chain was melted into liquid. James Hoff was pros. trated in his pew, and most of his clothing was literally torn from his body.
 Horses broko from thclr tie posts out sido the church, and many of thcm ran away. A workable panic followed tho stroke.
 After tho excitement had suhsidcd it was found that tho 600 pound bell in the cupola was hanging almost by n thread while fully 100 persons were directly un- der 1t. The church cdiflce is almost a wreck, as the lightning penetrated it from all sides. F Church Looked Like a Hospital.
 Word was at oncc tolographed to Pitts. town for medical aid as the village doc tor, Dr. Snyder, had more to do than he could attend to- Tho Plttstown physicians Drs. Franco and Warrington, started at once for Quakortown on a special engine run wildcat for their transportation by the Lehigh Valley railroad. They arrived at the church after n quick run from Pitts town to find the place moro like hospital than a church.
 | The burned and injured wcre laid out | on the cushions, and the uninjurcd ones. under the direction of Dr. Snyder, were ministcring to tho needs of those injured. | Miss Franco was soon pronounced In ox. treme danger. Rev. Mir. Bowman was ai- most delirious. The others were still daxed from their experience To add to tho con. | fusion the flremen were still nt work fight. ing tho fire, which had started in tho tow. or just after tho bolt struck, and which persisted in breaking out every time it ap- peared to be quenchcd.
 The fire appeared to have gotten into the beams between the boards, whore ii could not be detected until it broke out. An examination of tho tower showed fl was badly damaged.
 Iron rods had lost their temper, and their bolts had been fused to the threads. Somc of the bars must have boon nt . | white heat at one time.
 As soon as the injured wore made as comfortable as might be blankets were T procured, and they were carried to tholI homes.