Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-30
OF INTEREST 70 VERMONTERs
Lightning Strikes the Farmhouse Of the
Brattleboro Retreat,

Ht IdIllIy VI btDI6t w 1lcTCp, INC INt-
treat farmer, who occupy the Brattlcboro
Retreat farm house, will always have a
vivid memory of last Friday night says
the Phoenix, and, even If they have no
belief In special Providence, they may well
feel that they had a very real deliverance
from a sudden and startling visitation of
death. About o'clock Saturday morn
ing, when the heavy thunder shower then
prevailing was at its height, a bolt of
lightning struck the point or end of the
roof at the rear gable, directly over the
ell of the house. The attic window in this
gable was destroyed, tho sash and glass
being shattered and the frame torn par
TALLY out. The fluid evidently went down
inside the wall of the house and In the
upper corner of chamber ON the second
floor, directly over the head of a bed
where two children were sleeping, 1t OK
ploded, tearing off the lath and plaster
over a space four feet long and two feet
wide and throwing the debris across the
room with great force, the marks where
1t struck the opposite wall being plainly
seen. The studding and braces In the wall
were shattered into splnters and hole
made clear through the boarding and
clapboards out doors. Everything in theh
room was covered with the litter of the
explosion, including the bed and a crib Mt
its foot, in which a third child was sleep
ing. Mr.. and Mrs. Pierce, who sleep on
the Same floor. were awake at the time.
They did not hear, or notice the crack of
thunder accompanying the bolt. but heard
the explosion in the chamber and the rat
tie of slate from the roof. Probably both
they and the children were stunned or af-
fected for an instant. Mr.. Pierce made q
rush for the childrens room and reached
1t just MS the little folk were beginning
TO rouse and raise themselves up in bed
Tho next thought after this was about
fire, but fortunately none resulted, though
the splintered wood in the wall appeared
TO be slightly charred. The room was
filed with dust and smell of suphurous
gas. That no disastrous results followed
this remarkable visitation Is undoubt edly
due to the fact that the fluid did not leave
the wall OF the house. 1t evidently passed
out by the corner on the east side, por-
ton of 1t following the telephone ground
wire to the ground, and the rest following
the live wire along under the caves of the
ell. Both these wires were burned off
The childrens chamber was allowed to re-
main on Saturday and Sunday just as the
lightning left IL, and many people went 70
see the strange sight
Thomas Barlow OF Wilmington filled
himself up with hard cider Saturday
night and armed with an ak went on a
rampage through the house, in one tene-
ment of which his brother lives, with
cooking stoves. dressing case, mirror and
lamps in his brothers tenement and In
that of the other tenant, Winifred John.
son. He first attacked a table on which
was basket with a small baby In 1t, but
the mother of the child rescued 1t before
it suffered any harm. Finally he was
placed under arrest by Officers c. C. CLARK
and j. H. Ridder. When brought before
Justice Edward Titus on Monday he plead
guilty to the charge of disturbing the
peace, and was held in $500 bonds for ap.
pearance at County Court. and in default
of bail was committed to Newfane jail.
j. r. Preston of Vergennes. deputy FISH
warden, arrested George Montana of Put
nam, N. Y, at Benson Friday with Ave
pike nets in his possession.
The reception committee of the Young
Mems Christian association OF Rutland
Is making preparations for a May music
festival, to be held in the city hall Wed
nesday evening, May 49, There will be
chorus Of fifty voices, under the direc
ton of Charles V. II. Coan. organist OF
Trinity church. The chorus will be as
sisted by the mixed quartette of the Fifth
Avenue Presbyterian church of Troy, N
Y, as well as Henry Doring, cornetlst
Robert E. Foot, violtnist, and Mrs. Eulia
Gay Rushmore, elocutionist, all of Troy
n. Y. The quartette is composed of the
foliiwing members: Miss Mabel Ten Eych
soprano; Miss Mary LennoX Crawford
Alto James Kimberley, tenor: Fred c.
Comstock baritone and Miss Clara
Stearns, accompanst.
Robert Foster of Wilmington. dumb
painter who has been working for David
HON for the past FIVE weeks, suddenly
regalned the gift of speech Wednesday OF
last week and can now speak as huently
as anyone. Mr.. Foster fell from the side
l - .,,,t 81 l..
years and seven months ago and has not
spoken a word since that date unit! We'd
nesday. Wednesday he had a dull head
ache and stopped work trihe before