The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-07-05
THE LIGHTNING STRIKES IN BELFAST
But, Fortunately, with no Loss of Life and
Little Damage to Property.

But. Fortunately, with no Loss of Life and
Little Damage to Property.
The heaviest thunder shower that has
visited this section for many years occurred
Wednesday afternoon, June 9th. Rain be.
gan falling about 3 o'clock and there was
some hail at the first. About O'Clock
heavy thunder began, with sharp lightning,
and kept up for nearly an hour, the rain
falling in torrents. The rain gauge of Mr..
| L. II. Murch showed fall of 222 inches in
the first shower, a period of about two
| hours. The rain continued at intervals
until about o'clock, with an additional
rain fall of 80 inch, making a total for the
day of 2.72 inches. Lightning struck in
several places, though comparatively little
were the following:
| Sch. Annie Lord lying at Swan 4 Sibley
| Co.'S wharf, was struck on the mizzen mast
| and the ball on the top was shattered. Her
| standing rigging is of wire, which served as
| a conductor, and as there were six backstays
and the top-mast and op-gallant stays to
divide the charge it passed off without do
| ing any damage below the eyes Of the rig
ging.
| The barn of Augustus Clark on North
port avenue was struck, some clapbOards
and shingles were torn off and timbers split.
The hay was set on fire, but it was put out
by neighbors.
A large juniper tree near the house OF
Frank S. COombs was shattered, large
splinters being thrown several rods One
piece about feet long was thrown about
five rods and stuck up in the earth.
The house of Amasa S. Heal on Cedar
street showed singular freaks of lightning.
A bolt struck the chimney in the main
house, tearing away about one-half of the
top and throwing the bricks in all directions.
The charge entered the attic, where it tore
up the floor, splintered the floor timbers
and set fire to the contents of a box of mis-
cellaneous articles. 1t divided at the attic
floor, apparently into several branches, and
went out through number of places. There
is gable window built out on the north
side of the roof, and the cutters were torn
off at each side of it. Clapboards were torn
off around the back chamber window on the
south side. The wire Of window and door
screens was torn off and the frames scorch-
ed. A section of sheathing was torn off
above kitchen shelf, one drawer in the
closet was shattered and its contents set on
fire. The walls and ceilings had small holes
broken in them in several places. The fam
lily kept their matches in a tin coffee pot on
top shelf in a cupboard. The cover was
torn from this pot and the hinge broken, but
| the matches were not ignited, while the fire
| in the closet drawer was barely three feet be-
low. Mr.. Heals daughter Lora had a very
narrow escape. She was standing in door
way between the kitchen and dining room
and picture hanging within two feet of her
head fell, its cord being burned off. A ball
into the room, then tore about and passed
out through the door where she stood, be-
tween her and p. &. CoOmbs, who was
painting on the other side of the door. Sew
eral pieces of silver ware We're damaged by
small spots being melted around the edges.
Mr.. Heal was away and Mrs. Heal, Miss
Lora and Mr. Coombs did good work in
stopping the two fires and saving the house
The house of Edgar VI. Cunningham un
the Belmont road was struck and damaged
about the same as Mr. Heals except
that there was no fire The tluid seemed 10
penetrate every part Of the house doing
small damage is dozens of different places.
Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham were down town
at the time and the house was closed.
The barn on Henry Davidsons farm was
badly damaged. and showed another of the
lightning'> singular freaks. The bolt en-
tered through the roof, tore of a section of
shingles, and shattered several timbers.
one of the timbers extended through a
NOW of loose hay and while the timber was
split into kindling wood the hay was not set
afre.
\ chimney on Capt. 7. &. Bartlett's house
on Primrose Hill was struck and some
bricks knocked off, but no other damage
was done.
Lightning was seen to strike the earth,
trees, etc., in many places. In some in
stances great holes were bored in the
ground and dirt thrown over considerable
area.
The water ran down the hills in torrents
and all the loose material in the roads and
highways was washed away. In places
where loan was used in repairing the roads
| they are in bad condition, being worn
down to the loose stones. The streets which
| have been repaired thi., spring with gravel
| stood the test well and needed but little
| smoothing up to make them as good as be-
| fore.
A trench was open on Main street to re-
pair water pipe, and when the shower
struck was nearly ready for the work on the
pipe When the shower was over the trench
was full of mud and it was necessary to dig
it all out again.
The storm was general throughout the
State, the lightning striking in many places,
but without very serious damage
| A hay barn in Thorndke, owned by Charles
Sampson o. Freedom, was struck by light
ming and burned with 40 tons of hay In.
sured for $500.
The storm at Palermo, Wednesday after
noon, was terrific, the immense hail stones
doing considerable damage, much glass be
ing broken. c. G. Dinsmore's new barn OF
Parmenter hill was struck by lightning an(
badly damaged.