The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-13
DEADLY BOLTATTHE CAMP.
LIGHTNING KILLS ooRPoRAL JAMES
y. M,DoNNELL.

seated IN the Y. NJ. y. n. Tent writing 70 Ms
B~etrothod-He Had written the words
"Ysurs TN Dcath,r when the Bolt Struck
the Encanpnent-Nine Others Are Shocked.
STATE CAMP, PEEKsKILI, N. Y, July l2.-For
the fret time In the history Of tho State camp
hero the flag is flying at half mast for the death
Of q man in the camp. Corporal James ].
Mcdonnell Of Company A, Twenty-second
ReRiment, was killed this afternoon by
q stroke Of lightning. and this I'M
precedented mark of mourning 10 In his honor.
Some years ago one Of the mon jumped over
board from a boat when the troops were landing
OF Roa Hook for tho encampment, and his body
was found next day. But the death Of Corporal
Mcdonnell was the first that had ever occurred
in the e~noampment.
He was sitting In the tont Of the Y. NJ. O. A.,
which faces the parade ground, shortly after 2
o'clock. There had been q slight shower O few
minutes before. the sky had cleared, and al.
though there wero clouds about Dunderbcrg
which indicated that another shower might be
expected, the sun was then shining brightly
over the enoampment.
Corporal Mcdonnell was seated ct q table
which is stretched across the floor Of tho toni,
writing a letter. Near him wero about fifteen
| other men, some seated at the table writing and
others scattered about the forward part Of the
tent. Mcdonnell was the second man from the
right side OF the tent. Tho sides were UP. and
the nearest object to him outside the tent was
an apple tree about six feet from his chair.
As the sun broke fully over the encampment
and the last traces Of the previous shower dis.
appeared. . loud clap of thunder was heard. A
tree about a hundred yards from the tent was
struck. The lightning travelled toward tho
tent, striking three trees before It settled on tho
apple tree near which Corporal Mcdonnell sat.
Then 1t tore up tho few feet Of ground between
the tree and the floor Of tho tent, struck
q board in tho floor. tearing and splintering IL in
o half dozen places % It travelled across the
twenty feet Of the tents floor. There It struck
q negro man seated in q chair with such force
that he was thrown several feet.
Every man at the table felt the shock to some
extent, and 1t is believed that Corporal Melon
noll was instantly killed. He was never con-
scious after the sound of the thunder was heard.
Even tho men seated farthest from tho table fel.
stunned and dazed by the shock. and the FIRST
of these to recover himself was Secretary shef.
field, who is in charge of the Y. N. Q.
A. tent. He rushed. out on to, the parade
ssns9iir rsn af FOR called The a taf aflp; some and 0S SsiorPs ,i K aS
mon who had recovered began 70 work oyer
not recovered. But nine in ali were sent to the
1 Rfsss q t aaehS Sospit Sr,y a nnbsH nssae All iH Of i thc
men were discharged last night
been fatally iSI iniar saIt and Il Is thought that bis
death was Immediate. although every possible
effort WAS made t9 restore him to Conscious.
Ieotiy under his chair: his body. was
The shoe on this foot was partly torn away. al.
though in other rsspscts hts elothhinN was not
for Sa% more than HaS an hour Ssn owe over Mspon melt be SSss 10
was pronounced dead, and Chaplain Dunnell Of
1 Sls ,seFsht% Elm sarr rsaa the Esr SrH %ysrli fer s sss d' Ing
The dead man was engaged 70 be married on
s Bolt n sslsse Sllm wh ae mae Ssa Il six 1 9 fSaii Il, n amen s sai
s %S.ss.. "" st 9 c am ass't q. had AID w vi; sad thss n sas
was after finishing the letter n" that his pen
He was q clerk in the Offices of the West Shore
Railroad at Thirty-sixth street and North RIVER.
Thirty.fourth street. Corporal R w. schuester.
who was 70 have been big best man on SUNDAY.
T "a placed n guard OF the tent In which tho
Corporal Mcdonnell Joined the regiment in
May. $685. u and Sdsv was %,,I made I. es q GOrpSpr9l about |. a
death had been caused q, lightning: and Tho
reached the encampment last night.
TT, The ,S other so.h injured ID. men Sia were =. all Md dis Sf 1S,
I WSs t auffe nSspl'Ai fr ,aS' n ANYTHING GS nome more o. i tban
the Sixteenth Separate Company, who was
slightly injured in tho right side; Private J. W.
Crawford. who sat next. to. Mcdonnell. and
suffered 2 general shocki Private F.
whose right Lex was burned and half OF his shoe
torn away; Sergeant. Major Haieht Of tho First
Battalion. whose. left foot was Injured Private
clothing was burned in one spot and whose left
leg was blistered: Private @. g. Perkins, Thirty.
| AtYfh aanaPafA Cnnnanv who waa ahnrkAa ard
one or two others, who recovered after . short
time in the hospital.