The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-02
LIGHTNING IN MAINE.
Singular Antics Of the ElectTo.Fluld
in Recent Storm
Or. Parindge's Horse Killed and Buggy
Wrecked, but He Escaped.

Pittsfeld. Me. Aug. 2.-Tales OF mar
row escapes and strange adventures
experienced by the farmers and woods
men of Eastern Maine are growing
more plentiful as the season advances
and summer visitors begin h nang
hamno,ks and Chinese La terhs on The
piazzas of their cottages. during one
short thunder shower last week more
than twenty persons were knocked
down and rendered ins :ns bic. but
among them all there was not one who
was killed or seriously injured Dr.
Partridge of StetsOn, who was riding
home when he sky was rai9'ns lhlb-
darboIts. ncr shaft OF lsghtnlng on
TOO of I,1son's Hill. The horse fen
dead i'm the shafts and the steel tires
vfcf. rerlcd om from the buggy wheels
as IL they had been ribbons of paper,
fut the decor came out unhaiinec,
never skipping pun from his cigar
from the time the accident happened
until ne had reached shelter In the
house of a neighDOf.
Charles Curtis of Spr,ngiisii assist
ed by a small dog, was driving his
cows home from pasture w1en an an
CRY bolt lighted on tree above his
head stInn ne him until long past
milking time When he recovered ne
found that three OF his five COWS had
been killed and the dog converted INTO
a shameless mass Of cinders. Tn met
al collar about the dogs neck hai Deen
melted and lay i'm the dust I'm the form
OF beads M 4 buttons. The Ee't DAY
MIR Curtis was able TO go out ana Duy
COWS 10 hl the vacancies which light
ming had made I'm his nerd. Three men
were piling hemlock bark I'm the woods
back of Amherst when the shower
struck with fury Two OF tnen wanted
To run to camp a half mile away.
Fred Archer piled some bark slantwise
against an overturned tree and per-
suaded his companions TO crowd In out
OF the wet. While they were smoking
their pipes i'm safety lightning broke in
To the empty camp and scattered the
log walls over an acre lot, throwing
the camp stove into a gully ten rods
away In Dedham lightning struck
pine stub containing "A swarm II bees.
The honey beds melted and ran down
10 the ground leaving the empty combs
intact. Every bee was killed.
The weather has We'd With electric
ity i'm cutting up queer pranks among
the residents. on the nignt of July "a
a frost killed all the beans and "ther
tender vegetables in Northern Aroo-
where the farmers raise large quanti-
ties OF Strawberries for the Boston
markets. the pickers had to wear over
coats and gloves to keep out the cold.
The sixty booted and spurred anphibl-
)us woodsmen who are steering the
West Branch drive 10 the Bangor Saw
Mills wore overcoats and mittens for
hree days. At the foot of Hines rOnd
n Owington the weatherwise muskrats
beyond doubt that winter
vas near at hand.
Cold weather and erratic thunder
bolts entered into partnership for the
purpose of making trouble for James
Pascal of Eddington. He had finished
haying before the cold snap came on,
and had gone To a camp in S,umblow
To cut little cordwood for the early
winter r'arket. The camp stands on
the division line between three towns
md two counties. Two days after Pas
'afs arrival i'm camp the town con-
stable % Holden came ~ IN the cnop-
'er wit ha letter i'm his hand.
mo, you don't" said Pascal. II
now you" Then he walked over into
'ucksport two rods away, and kept |
n with his chopping. The following |
ft"rnoon the constable Of VI )lden re- |
urned i'm company with night watch |
rom Bucksport. Pascal saw |
hein coming and walked SLOWLY into |
,eGham making sarcastic reniarks 90 |
is callers. Shortly after this n de,nty |
herin from Penobscot county came
ut To see Pascal. but didn't reach the
amp soon enough to prevent him from
traddling over log into Hancock
ounty. Later when deputy from
hancock came along. Pascal was pill
~ wood I'm Penobscot county Aft,r a
eek of lodging about the officers told
ascal that he had been drawn to serve |
n the jury at a term of court to be
eld In Bangor in August. and that
hey had come out for the purpose of
living him legal notice.
AS Pascal could earn twice as much
erving on the jury as he could cutting
rood, he is sorry he put the officers TO
O much trouble. particularly so be-
ause all their time, fees and travel
ng expenses will be taken out OF his
ay. ON reaching home he had further
sasons for regret. During his absence
n the woods lightning had struck his
ouse and burned il to the urderpin-
ing.