The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-24
FLOATING HOSPITAL HIT.
KILLED By LIGHTNING ON
THE 81. JOHNS GUILD BOAT.
Another Dsrn PremAtureiy AFTER the Same
shock-Both children Marked Very mach
Anke-Hnlr n Hundrod Persons blinded
Tor the Tiuse ana May Thrown TO the Deck.

children MARKED Very much
A~uke-Rnlr n Hundrod Persons Blinded
Tor the Tias and May Thrown to the Deck.
Lightning struck tho Floating Hospital Of 81.
Johns Guild in the storm ut 4 o'clock yesterday
afternoon and killed q child In Its mothers
arms. Tho Same shock caused the premature
birth Of another child not three fect away from
the child that had been killed.
Tho floating hospital was coming up the bay
freighted with women and children. Whom It
ran into tho storm the black clouds seemed to
settle down all around the barge. Tho children
chung tighter to their mothers skirts and the
mothers huddled together in the gloom.
The rain slackened for q moment. Then the
whole cloud blazed and cracked for an instant
like q forest Of burning pine. There was scarcely
any echo Of thunder. The women dropped on
their knees and prayed aloud. The cloud closed
down in gloom again and the rain fell In sheets.
A bolt of the lightning had hit the barge on her
port bow, cut way the storm curtains, ripped o
bundle Of splintcrs from the upper deck, and for
an instant blinded half q hundred persons. DO.
sides throwing many on their faces on the deck.
Close by tho port rail sat Mrs. Amelia Ackerly,
who lives at COZ West Forty-afth street In
her arms she hold her three-months-old baby.
Amelia, while another Of her children chung to
her skirts. When the lightning came It hit the
head Of the baby and passed along Ito back, kill
ing the child and stunning the mother.
Two OF the deck hands on the boat were stand
ing near her. They ran to save the woman
from falling and held her in their arms, while
| one Of the trained nurses on the boat snatched
| the child. The men managed to lay tho woman
on the floor. and when they turned about they
saw another woman who had fallen three feet
away.
| win Leaie, physician in charge Of the boat, ran
| forward. He found that O baby had boon born,
andafter caring for the mother turned his alton
tion to Mrs, Ackerly. He succeeded in r~eviving
Then DR.. Leale,s attention was taken up with
several women who had tainted from fright, and
others who were suffering from the shoek,
dock sao% at t the fo u%' Of pR West tnf FiIty.second m street.
the doctor was busy doing the, work that ordi-
narily would require a dozen PhysieiSns: ,...
fast to the dock, a cab was summoned. Mrs.
Ackley., carrying her dead baby In her arms;
one of the boats deck hands accompanied hor to
East River and was docked at the foot Of East
Twenty eighth street, Just in the rearo Of Bellevue
Hospital. pr, Tealo had In the mean time tele-
Twenty-elghth street dock.
The ambulance was there when. the boat ar
rived. The storm-born babe and its mother
were lifted into the ambulance and taken to
Bellevue Hospital. There the mother said she
On The back acR" Of her baby's head and down its
spine the doctors found q peculiar birthmark, q
streak ofred three inchos In width. This did not
seem strange until the same sort OF n mark was
found upon the head and back Of the child that
had been killed.
Tho mark OF the lightning on the Ackiey child
was discovered by DR.. Medwin Leale'B father,
DIR. Charles A. Leale, who is one Of the former
Presidents OF St Johns Guild.
DR.. Charles Leale went to the Ackley house
and made q careful examination OF the child's
body. Several other physicians were present.
The chiid's frock was Searched In the back a. II
os-sMMIS A. 49, - ..ta n.
Leale, land the lightning passed down the spi'
nal cord, causing instant death.
"a dark red mark three inches wide and fifteen
inches long was loft on the skin over tho spine
with q small blistered spot at tho bottom"