Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-04-16
PHOTOGRAPHED BY LIGHTNING.
Pictures Imprinted Upon the Inside Of
Sheep Struck by thc Fluid.

AhNsapo SPoh thS Ahoiov va
Sheep Struck by thc Fluid.
From the village of Coombe bay,
which lies about four miles from Bath,
England, comes story OF curious
freak lightning. Near the village there
is, or was, when the incident occurred,
an extensive wood composed of oak and
nut trees. In the center of this wood
there was small pasture, quita
hemmed in by the surrounding grove
Here six sheep were kept by their
owner. The flock being small, the
pasture, only about 90 vards in extent,
contained herbage sufficient for them,
One day while the sheep were in the
field severe thunderstorm came on
and one flash of lightning killed simul.
taneously every sheep in the pasture.
1t is to be presumed they were mourned
by their owner, but nc doubt consider
ing that they might be of some profit
to him, although dead, he sold their
bodies to butcher in the neighboring
village of Coombe Bay. The butcher
began his business by skinning the
lightning-struck animals. And here
the strange part of the story comes in.
To the astonishment of the butcher
and his assistant, on the interior OF
each sheepsliin they found printed an
elaborate and faithful picture Of the
landscape surrounding the sheep pas
ture. These natural pictures Were in
no respect suggestive of the impress
sionist daubs, but the trees, the fences,
the locks and bushes were all as pre-
risely represented as If photographed
upon the skin of the animal. Every
detail was exactly drawn.
The sheep had been killed while hud-
died together in corner, and the land
scape in each case was the same, the
picture being of that part of the sur
rounding scenery which lay in the path
Of the lightning fash which killed the
frightened animal.
The story relates that the skins We're
hung up for some time alta public place
und were examined by hundreds of peo-
pie. Many old inhabitants who had
been familiar since childhood with the
little pasture and its surrounding grove
readily identified the spot when they
beheld its strangely pictured represen-
tation.
II the sheep owner in this tale had
had foresight enough to skin his flock
before selling them he might have
rcaped greater harvest from his dead
animals than he could while they were
living by exhibiting or selling the skins
ms curiosities. And if the mutton was
eatablc at all ii doubtless brought high
or rates because coming from sheep Of
such fame.
Stories of lightning prints are old,
some of them curious. and many, 10
doubt. have an element Of truth III
them. But some of their marvels are
certainly due to the vivid imaginations
of those who listen to them. Most of
them have an 'at-least-my grand
mothers cat ran across his-grand-
mother's-garret" air. And it is diff
cult to pin ones faith on story so coir-
plete MS this, or so extensive rs TO in
clude a whole flock of sheep.
There is story of the Italian lady,
who, while sitting in the window of her
villa at Lugano, received n severe shocl,
from stroke of Lightning, and "al-
though she recovered completely, the
II. Il
have been in the path of the Lightning
flash which reached her, was printed
indelibly on her body"
The same old chronicle tells of man
who, while standing at his door dur
ing thunderstorm, saw the lightning
strike large tree opposite to him. In
this case IN reversed image of the tree
was foundprinted on the mans breast
IN. Y. World.