Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1901-01-24
LIGHTNING'S LONG LEAP.


Sky.
A singular phenomenon was wit
messed by party of Waterville people
while on the way to East. Pond, says
the Lewiston (Me) journal. Over the
north of Rome and across Smithfeld
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 belt 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 be-
fore 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 tie party was riding. A bolt
of lightning was seen to leave the
heavy bank of clouds at the top OF
the hill or ridge which was being
deluged by the storm, and. zigzagging
its course across the clear space for a
distance of at least two and half
miles, strike the barn of the Smith
place. A cloud of what was supposed
at the time to be smoke, but what
afterward proved to have been nothing
but dust. arose and the ladies and
gentlemen in the carriage supposed
that the great barn would be de-
stroyed by fire. The party at once
changed its course for the purpose OF
going to the assistance of the farmer.
When the Smith home was reached it
was seen the bolt had torn an irregu-
lar course from one end of the ridge
pole diagonally down the roof to the
lower corner at the farther end of the
barn, thence to n fence. splitting rails
and posts; bouncing over to the well
curb and upsetting that; finally spend
ing itself along the ground in the di-
rection of the highway. Mr.. Smiths
damage will amount to not more than
s., and that will be taken up entirely
in replacing shingles. A visit was
paid to the barn, in which there were
two horses, the rest of the stock being
in the pasture. The horses were
trembling with fear and when spoken
to by the owner did not appear to no.
tice him. Tests were 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 and by speak
ing to them tried to drive them from
their stalls. but it was in vain. the
horses were at last led out of the barn
and walked about for time. Then Mr..
Smith stopped behind them some dis
lance and spoke to them. The animals
at once turned around and went to
him. Chickens that were about the
yard at the time the bolt fell 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 holt in
the earth was not wider than two
inches and did not penetrate the
ground at a greater depth. When the
bolt arrived at the highway 1t must
have taken flight into space, as the
trail stops suddenly with no indica-
tons of the bolt having gone into the
ground. Mr.. Smith said that at the
time the bolt struck his barn he was
observing the progress of the storm
west and north, and that the eastern
edge of the cloud near the northern
extremity, seemed to be aire. 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.