The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-12
DREW LIGHTNING.
Terrible Experience of "A Regiments
March Through "A Storm.


March Through "a Storm.
Tipperary 0reland) Champion.
A more terrible terrifying and trying
experience than that through which the
Second Battalion, Cheshire III Regiment.
passed on Thursday night it would be hard
to imagine The march from Newport to
Upper Church was a long one, the dis
lance between the two places being TWEEN
ty-one and half miles, and Col. Curteis,
commanding the Cheshires, determined, on
account of the heat, to do ii at night. Ac-
cordingly the camp was truck at Newport
at about p. M. and the regiment started
al D. m. When they reached Kilcom-
mon rain began to fan, and a halt was
made to put on overcoats. This done,
they proceeded. The road here was a
pretty steep hill, and they had not gone
far when the first flash of lightning burst
upon them, and the electric fluid appeared
to run along the whole line from front 70
rear.
The second fash which was more in
tense, gathered us greater force around
the Maxim gun, struck down Lieut. Coop
err and six men in charge, and overturned
the gun. For time these men lay pros
trate on the ground and were quite blind.
They recovered however, and were able
were very bad, the lightning racing along
the rifles Corpl. Caleys rifle became red
hot. and he dropped il, while Lance Cor
poral Mows rife was torn from his hand
Matters were now getting so bad and
dangerous that the regiment was halted
ard drawn up in line, instead of being in
tours.
All the rifles were then put down on the
Ground fiat. as 1t was thought that the
rain. which was falling in a perfect del
uee and the water which was running
down the hill like a river, would tend to
keep electricity away. This, however, did
not happen. the storm, in fact increasing
in force Darkness of inky blackness pre-
vailed. and no officer or man who had
served in the tropics ever experienced any
thing like the rain. It was while stand
ing Still under these conditions, in an open,
barren country, far from any shelter, that
the most trying ordeal for the men took
place. Every flash of lightning struck
down one or more men, and the doctors
hands were soon fun. The police sergeant
and his men at Red Cross turned out and
rendered most valuable assistance in car
rying the injured 20 a couple Of poor Ia
borers' cottages close by.
The two cottages were like cockpits.
Some of the victims vomited violently, a
large fumber had one leg paralyzed. 9th
ers had two. and some had their arms,
while one man was STRUCK Dilhh' ana II
was only after long time that he recov-
cred the sight of one eye. During this
terrible ordeal the men behaved most
bravely. They went with alacrity to a
fallen comrade, assisted In carrying him
TO the cottages, and in some cases were
struck down on the way themselves. There
was not a man in the regiment who did
not feel the effects more or less. as the
electricity regularly played about each
man. giving him the appearance of being
phosp horescent.
sergt. Mai. Foley, who felt terrible
shock on his left side when ono Of the
flashes came found on examining his
sword in the daylight that the scabbard
was badly burnt. The woodwork OF
nearly every rifle was burnt to a greater
or less degree. and the only explanation as
to why men were not killed IS that the
number Of rifles was so great that. while
attracting the lightning, they distributed
its power over a large area, splitting II
up and thereby weakening its force.