Fair play., 1898-10-15
Some Of LiEhtnlng's Freaks.

Some Of Lightnlns's Freaks.
| William b. Renick, who was one
Of Union rivers heaviest lumber OPP
orators few years ago and is now a
resident OF MariaY il'p, wiinesre ed Il
startling natural phenomenon short
time ago while returning from the
hea Of FlOods pond to the settlement.
! lie saw thunder storm gathering i'll
n clear sky and watched it roll OF
| ahead Of him with ever iucreasiu =
| force aud de-iruc,iveness Unit! i,
swept nearly all OF Hancock count !
aud lief, IL score OF fire. in It's wake.
Some OF the freaks of the lightning
were marvellous AT IianscUme'., i'll
MariaviIIe, two families occupied ihe
house. LII the front part was an aged
gentleman seated in all armchair,
reading the Bible. A bali OF fire
rolled isZily in the window, daucrd
along the window ledge second or
two and then rolled into the Old gcn-
tleman'. lap and across the open Bible
in his hanhs. He experienced no
shock whatever. except n binding
sensation. but the metal clasps %! the
book were melted and ran 20 the
floor, while across the pages OF the
book was stamped iuhelib.y minia-
ture photograph OF large apple tree
that stood in the door-yaId close by
the window Some minutes after it
had passed the old man made an
effort TO rise, but was firmly held TO
his chair by some mysterious force.
After an hour or more of effort on the
part of members OF the household,
with liberal battiug of vinegar and
other remedies, the chair finally
lonseucd iia hold and he WAS able TO
ri-e. There was NO i...eftect felt by
him.
The bali of fire after dropping from
the book had struck the floor and
bounded To the ceiling, passing
through the cracks III the top of the
partition INTO the apartments OF The
Iauscomcs, where young Mrs. Hans
comes was seated with her baby in her
arms 1t came towards her from the
ceiling. swaying bail, rocking hack
aud forth until it struck her toll in the
face and disappeared. Eight of Mrs.
iIanscome's front teeth disappeared
with il aud were meyer foaud. Her
chair was tipped forward, with her in
il g, and she WAS found unconscious,
her head aud feet resting ON the floor,
still retaining her position in the chair
as if il were uprig.i, instead OF resting
upon her. The baby was clasred close
to her bosom, uniujured and Growing
as il greatly delighted ty .he event.
|, " as several hours before Mrs. Hans
come. arms could be made to unfold
aud release the baby aud before the
chair could be removed from her.
When she recovered consciousness she
vonited large quantity of black mat
ter, like charcoal, which gave out Il
strong odor Of sulphur, and it was a
long time before she fully recovered
from the shock.
On the " all where the electric mass
passed from one apartment TO the
other we're streaks of soo,y blackness,
ms if blown through by n strong blast.
The marks could not bc washed off.
aud still work thraugh the coat OF !
" hite"a.h pu, on to cover them.
The lightning struck the barn of
Thomas Farusw Or,h near Beddington,
aud passed disgonaIiy through the |
building, through partitions aud
stored crops, leaving hole large !
enough 10 pass n barrel through. IT
eutered the north END of the basement !
and laid the UNDERMINING fiat for
fifty feet along the entire house. The /
people in the house felt no shock what
ever aud were astGnishcd after the /
storm to discover the damage that
WAS done.
One OF the stransest freaks was the
OF q henuery and the killing
IF seyera! hens. Some of the hens
'rsted on the ronsts as if asleep.
others were standing upon the ground
u AN attitude of listening. Pre-, iuus
n this hen was supposed TO he |
ightning proof, her feathers forming
tie protective armOr.-rhe Lewiston |
Innrnnl