Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-09-06
LIGHTNING STRUCK CHURCH.
Spirc of Congregational Church, Ellis
worth, Destroyed.

Spirc of Congregational Church, Ellis
worth, Destroyed.
During short, sharp thunder shower
Sunday evening, lightning struck the
spre OF the First Congregational church,
Ellsworth, setting it on fire. The flames
destroyed the spire, but the iremen saved
the church and neighboring buildings.
1t was just at dark Sunday evening
when another of those sharp thunder
showers which have made this summer
notable struck Ellsworth. At 645 O'Clock
there was binding flash of lightning
and at the same moment terrific crash.
Several saw the bolt strike the spire OF the
Congregational church. Several in he
vicinity received slight shocks. Sheriff
Hooper had just stepped to his telephone
when the crash came, and received quite
a severe shock in the hand which held the
receiver.
1t was several minutes after the bolt
struck that those watching the spire saw
II mint lllihtI VI liS III yhsl dDpNt thS
belfry, and realized that the spire was
burning. The firemen were soon at the
fire, but worked at great disadvantage,
the fire being above the reach OF water
from the street. The men were also
working at considerable risk, as large
pieces of burning wood soon began to
fall, and as the flames ran up the spire,
l,svt I.r,rF ,.t,
OF falling.
The tiremen finally succeeded in run
ming line OF hose up through the church
to the belfry, and from this point of
vantage prevented the spread OF the
flames.
1t was a scene of terrible spiendor as the
flames, gaining full possession of the spire,
mounted upward to the weather-vane,
and the crowd, fascinated by the sight,
watched for the spire to fall.
At 7.15 the spire swsyed slightly, sank
over toward the east, and then fell with Il
crash, landing in the narrow space be-
tween the church and chapel. To one
near at hand it appeared to strike the
roofs of both church and chapel, but only
II slhhCluS bION' III II IIOlHtill the me-
men had water on the burning mass, and
the greatest danger was past.
The spire could not have fallen in a
more fortunate place. Had it fallen full
on the roof OF the church, it would surely
have crashed through and started fire in
the attic of the church. AS it was, the
roof of the chapel was only slightly dam
aged three small holes being broken
through it, and one pane OF glass broken
in The side.
\ two-inch iron rod, about twenty feet
long, surmounted by the weather-vane,
ran down into the spire; the whole
structure weighed several hundred
pounds. The rod was red hot when it
fell, and was twisted into fantastic
shapes. The weat her-vane was destroyed.
The vane and top work of the spire were
replaced only three years ago, after being
blown off in gale.
After the spire had fallen, the firemen
soon extinguished the fire in what re-
mained OF the spire. The fire did not
reach quite down to the bell.
1t was feared the clock, which stopped
when the lightning struck, might have
been ruined by being magnetized, but
this fear proved to be unfounded. The
only damage was to the cylinder running
to the south face of the clock, which was
damaged by being stepped upon. The