Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-28
LIGHTNING'S LONG LEAP.
Two and One-HaIf Miles Across n
Clear Sky.
From the Lewiston Evening Journal.

From the Lewiston Evening Journal.
\ singular phenomenon was witnessed by
party of Waterville people yesterday fore
noon while on the way to East Pond. Over
the north of Rome and across Smithfald a
thunderstorm was in progress. In that
section where the party was at the time
the phenomenon occurred the sun was
shining brightly and the southern edge of
the rain bet was afterward determined as
three and half miles away.
The party was just driving down a. hill
and the country for several miles was
stretching before the party and in plain
view. The rain fell in torrents along the
ridge three miles away and the lightning
flashed every few seconds. To the eastward
are the farm buildings of Howard Smith,
on the ridge across the valley and in the
sunshine at the time. The buildings are
one mile north of where the party was rid
ing A bolt of lightning seen to leave
ene heavy bank of clouds at the top Of the
hill ridge which was being delugei by
the storm. and, zgzagging its course across
the clear space for distance of at least
two and half miles. strike the barn of the
Smith place. cloud of what was supposed
al the time tc be smoke, but what after
ward proved to have been nothing but dust.
arose and the ladies and gentlemen in the
carriage supposed that the great barn
would be destroyed by fire.
The party at once changed its course for
the purpose of going to the assistance of th.
farmer When the Smith home was reached
1t was seen the bolt had torn an irregular
course from one end of the ridgepole dag
ondlly down the roof to the over corner
at the farther end of the barn. thence to a
fence. splitting rails and posts: bouncing
over to the well curb and upsetting that:
finally spending itself along the ground in
the direction of the highway. Mr. Smiths
damage will amount to not more than 81
and that Will be taken IN entirely I'm 70
placing shingles.
a visit was paid to the barn, in which
there were two horses, the rest of the stock
beng III the pasture. The horses We're
trembling with fear and when spoken to
by the owner did not appear to notice him
Tests We're made and it was determined
that the horses were still stunned from the
shock, and that their hearing had been
affected. Mr.. Smith unhitched both horses
ana by Speaking to them tried to drive them
from their stalls. but it was in vain the
horses paying no attention to him. The
horses We're at last led out of the barn and
walked about for time. Then Mr. Smith
stepped behind them some distance and
spoke to them. The animals at once turned
around and went to him. Chickens that
We're about the yard at the time the holt
leli were rendered unconscious, and for
more than an hour, although alone and
wandering about, were still so dazed that
they would run against obstacles in the
yard. The trail of the bolt in the earth
was not wider than two inches and did not
penetrate the ground at greater depth
When the bolt arrived at the highway II
must have taken a flight into space. as the
trai. stops suddenly with no indications of
the bolt having gone into the ground.
MIR. Smith said that at the time the bolt
struck his barn he was observing the prog
ress of the storm west and north, and that
the eastern edge of the cloud, near the
northern extremity, seemed to be afire with
lightning, and that the thin streaks of fire
darted out of the edge of the cloud far into
the clear section every few seconds.