The Portland daily press., 1900-07-26

A Bolt Struck an Electric Can
Frightening the Passengers.

noon which was not very severe in Port
land as far as the electrical display went
was one Of the worst storms that has WIS.,
tied Willard on the Cape shore in many
years. No fatalities were reported, but
the lightning cut up some startling
pranks in that vicinity, and frightened q
great many people who have never before
felt much fear during thunder showers.
About half past three o'clock a black
cloud rolled up in the north and ap-
preached Willard with great rapidity. Be
fore the storm broke over that section of
the Cape another shower seemed to be
coming from just the opposite direct1 on
and the two storms met about the center
OF Willard. not far from Fort Preble.
Crash followed crash in binding success
sion, and great many of the bolts struck
trees and buildings, innicting considera-
bic damage There accompanied this
electrical display which was to say the
least very terrifying, great fall of rain,
which turned the dusty roads into
streams of water and found many a leaky
roof in that section of the Cape shore.
The house of John II. Griffin, the boat
builder, stands on Snake Hill in Willard.
Fortunately it was unoccuDied yesterday
afternoon, all of Mr.. Grif1in's family be-
ing at the islands for the day With sew
eraI tremendous crashes which came IN
rapid succession three or four bolts des-
cended upon this house at once. One of
these bolts struck the top of the chimney
on the main part of the house and
knocked a corner of from it. Another
bolt or possibly the same one struck the
side of the chimney and stove a hole some
two or three inches square in it and then
struck the roof just at the foot of the
chimney, tearing a hole some two feet
across. This bolt followed the water
conductors of the house to the ground.
At the foot of this conductor was a bar
rel which was nlIed with water when the
shower came The lightning gOuged a
furrow down on the inside of the barrel
and thence descended into the ground by
boring a ne at little hole through the side
not far from the top. When this barrel
was seen afterwards there W asn't a drop
of water in it and many people would
like to know just what became of the
water, as it could not have leaked out
through the hole near the top. Another
bolt or a section Of the one which struck
the chimney tore its way through the top
of the ell of this house down a stairway
which runs into the kitchen tearing the
plaster1ng and paper of the wall on its
way down, charring the wood and then
tearing out hole in the side of the ell
some two feet wide. Another bolt struck
the main part of Mr.. Griffin's h ouse on
the other side OF the roof from t he CHM
ney, tore some two or three feet across in
this side of the house, followed along the
roof tearing OH shingles until it reached
the ell and thence followed the water
conductor to the ground.
A woman who lives near by and who
was looking out of the window at the
time this house was struck, said that the
entire Griffin house seemed to be sur
rounded by flying bolts of lightning
which enveloped it like a sheet and that
smoke could be seen rising from the
several parts of the house after the light
ming had struck. Somehow the house
was not set on fire, though many places
were found in and about it where the
wood was charrad as though it had been
held close to a red hot stove. The ground
about the dwelling was covered with
splinters, clapboards and shingles, while
some boards which had been torn from
the building were found in field many
hundred feet away
Private Brady of Fort Preb1e who lives
on the Fort road was sitting in the win
dow of his house when the shower came
up. A bolt of lightning struck small
tree not six feet from him, tore the
branches from it and then entered the
ground. Brady was dazed by the shock
and his nerves somewhat shattered for the
time being. He thought that he had had
pretty close call
At this time there was an electric car
running on the road towards Cape Cot
tage. In Willard bolt OF lightning
struck the trolley wire, followed along
1t for some distance and entered the car
by means by the electric light wires.
There were several people in the car at
the time this bolt struck it, They were a
pretty we'll frightened crowd Among
the passengers were seven ladies on their
way to the Cloister from New York. One
OF them named Mrs. johnson had her
hand burned by the lightning which
entered the car, but was not seriously
hurt. All of the passengers were dazed
by the lightning for minute or so and
as soon as they recovered a little from
the shock got out Of the car and went
into the house of James Loveitt where
they staid until the shower was at an end
The car was not injured to any great ex-
tent so it was said.
lightning played some funny tricks