The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-24
PHOTOGRAPHED BY LIGHTNING
Pictures Imprinted Upon the Inside o
Sheep Struck by tho Fluid.

Pictures Imprinted Upon the Inside of
Sheep Struck by tho Fluid.
From the New York World.
From the village of Coombe Bay,
which lies about four miles from Bath.
England, came a story of curious freak
of 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. quite hem
med in by the surrounding grove
Here six sheep were kept by their own
er. The flock being small. the pasture,
only about so yards in extent, contain
ed heritage sufficient for them.
One day while the sheep were in the
field a severe thunderstorm came on
and one flash of lightning killed stimuli
taneously every sheep in the pasture
1t is to be presumed they were mourn
ed by their owner, but no doubt consid-
ering that they might be of some profit
to him, although dead. he sold their
bodies to a butcher in the neighboring
village of Coombs Bay. The butcher
began his business by skinning the
lightning-struck animals. And here the
strange part of the story comes in.
To the establishment of the butcher
and his assistant. on the interior of
each sheep skin 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 impressions
list daubs. but the trees, the fences, the
rocks and the bushes were all as pre-
cisely represented as il photographed
upon the skin of the animal Every
detail was exactly drawn.
The sheep had been killed while hud-
died together in a 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 flash which killed the
frightened animal.
The story relates that the skins were
hung up for some time at n public place
and 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 represent
tation.
II the sheep owner in this tale had
had foresight enough to skin his flock
before selling them he might have reap
ed n greater harvest from his dead ami
mails than he could while they were liv-
ing by exhibiting or selling the skins
as curiosities. And IL the mutton was
eatable at all IL doubtless brought high
er rates because coming from sheep of
such fame.
Stories of lightning are pretty old.
some OF them curious, and many, no
doubt. have an element of truth in
them. But some of their marvels are
certainly done to the vivid imagina-
tons 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 il is difficult
To pin ones faith on a story so COM
plete as this. or so extensive as to in
clude a whole flock of sheep.
There is the story OF the Italian lady,
who. while sitting in the window of her
villa at Lugano. received severe
shock from a stroke of lightning, and
although she recovered completely.
the impression of a flower. which must
have been in the path of the lightning
fash which reached her. was printed
indelibly on her body"
The same old chronicle tells OF a man
who. while standing at his door during
a thunder storm. saw the lightning
strike a large tree opposite to him. In
this case "a reversed image of the tree
was found printed on the mans
breast"