Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-05
FREAKS OF LIGHTNING.
Singular Antics Cut by Electricity
From the Skies in Maine
From the New York Sun,

PlTTSF1ELD, Ne, July 2s-Tales of
narrow escapes and strange adventures ex-
perienced by the farmers and woodsmen of
eastern Maine are growoing more plentiful
as the season advances and summer WISH
tors begin to hang hammocks and Chinese
lanterns on the piazzas of their cottages
during one short thunder shower last week
more than twenty persons were knocked
down and rendered insensible but among
them all there was not one who was killed
or seriously injured. DIR. Partridge of Stet-
son, who was riding home when the sky
was raining thunderbolts, met shaft of
lightning on top of Bensons hill The
horse fell dead in the shafts and the steel
llres were peeled off from the buggy wheels
as II they mad been ribbons of paper but
the doctor came out unframed, never skip
ping pun from his cigar from the time
the accident happened until he had reached
shelter in the house of a neighbor
Charles Curtis of Springfield assisted by
small dog, was driving his cows home
from pasture when an angry belt lighted
until long past milking time When he re-
covered he found that three of his five cows
had been killed and the dog converted into
aoi Sihapeless mass of cinders. The metal
collar about the dogs neck had been melted
and lay in the dust in the form of beads
and buttons. The next day Mr. Curtis was
able to go out and buy cows to fill the va
cahcieS which lightning had made in his
nero; Three men We're piling hemlock bark
in the woods back of Amherst when the
shower struck with fury. Two of them
wanted to run to camp a half mile away
Fred Archer piled some bark sIantuyiSe
against an overturned tree and persuaded
ms companions to crowd in out OF the wet
" me they were smoking their pipes in
salety lightning broke into the empty camp
ana scattered the log walls over an acre
lot, throwing the camp stove into a enIIv
ten rods away. In Dedham lightning struck
d pine STUB containing a swarm of bees
The honey beds melted and ran down 10
the ground, leaving the empty combs n
tact. Every bee was killed.
Inc weather has wed with electricity in
cutting up queer pranks among the resi-
dents On the night of July 81 a frost killed
al the Deans and other tender yepefa hlaS
IN northern Aroostook county. In the town
OF Blame, where the farmers raise Iarre
quantities of late Strawberries for the Rrs
ton markets, the pickers had TO wear Over
coats ana gloves to keep out the cold The
r VINO are steering the west
branch drive to the Bangor saWmilIs U,0ra
oVefcCats and mittens for three DAYS At
the root OF Hines pond in Owington the
Weatherwise muskrats began to conetr'Int
thelF cohlcai mud houses, convinced beyond
coupt That winter was near at hand
t 1oia weather and erratic thunderbolts en-
tefto INTO partnership for the purpose of
making trouble for James Pascal Ed
uliS Ton, lie mad finished haying before the
coIa snap came on, and had gone to a camp
~ otuiilpioW to cut a little cordwoad for
the early winter market The can1n sim
on the division lire between three towns
ana TWO counties. Two days after Pascai's
arrival IN camp the town constable of Un,-
cen came up to the chopping with a letter
in his hand. < e''ei
NO, you don't said Pascal. 81 know
you. Ihen he walked oyerinto Bucksp1rt
Two rods away, and kept ON with his chou
ping. Inc following afternoon the consta-
bie or Holden returned in company with me
night watch from Bucksport Pascal saw
them coming and walked slowly into ned
nam making sarcastic remarks to his cali
efs. shortly after this q deputy sheriff
from Penoescot county came out to see
rascal, but didn't reach the camp soon
enough to prevent him from straddline over
a leg INTO Hancock county. Later when a
ceputy from Hancock county came alone
rascal was piing wood in Penobscot cor,
". AFTER week of lodging about the OFF,
GERS told Pascal that he had been drawn RI
serve on the jury at term of court ia he
heid IN bangor in August, and that tbev
had come out for the purpose of giving hin,
legal notice, owns iiiih
AS Pascal could earn twice as much serv-
lhS on the jury IS 4-e could cutting cord
WOOD, he Is sorry he put the officers to en-
much trouble, particularly so because all
thelr time, fees and travelling expenses will
be taken out of his pay. On reaching home
he had further reasons for regret. bririnp
his absence in the woods lightning baS5
struck his house and burned It to the nv
derpinning. " III