The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-31
FEARFUL EXPERIENCE
! ON The MOOSlCS
Party Of Huckleberry Pickers from
Honesdale Undergo the Fright and
Peril of a Lightning Storm Near
: the Clouds.

Peril Of a Lightning storm Near
the Clouds.
The Wayne Independent of yesterday
contained the following story OF the
terrifying experience of a party OF
huckleberry pickers, who were caught
In storm cloud on the top of the
,Moosics, few days ago:
"A number of Honesdale people went
huckleberrying on the Moosic moun-
tain about a mile from Farview, where
they had an experience UP among the
clouds in an electrical storm that Will
long be remembered by them.
1.-THE party consisted OF Mrs. John
Allenbacher and two sons, Albert and
Willie, Mrs. L. LaPoint, Mrs. Fred
Herbst and Mrs. John Allenbacher. sr.
About Il 80 o'clock a terrific electrical
storm was seen to be approaching and
an effort was made by the women to
get out of the woods into the open. The
rain began to pour down, accompanied
with hailstones which were very large.
Mrs. Allenba cher says: We had just
crossed barbed wire fence into a road,
where we were nearly free from the
trees. All OF the women except myself
were kneeling on the ground protect
ing themselves as best they could from
the beating hailstones, which were fully
as large as walnuts. They fell fast and
thick. and hurt us considerably. I was
standing between my boys, with my
dress wrapped about them to shelter
them from the storm and pelting hail.
After several loud peals of thunder, a
ball of lightning, accompanied with a
tremendous crash, seemed to descend
in our midst. We were greatly fright
ened and thought we would all be
killed. ] was thrown violently to the
ground near the fence and when ] re-
covered from the shock, one of my boys
was ten or more feet to the left Of me
and the other boy was an equal dis
tance away in an opposite direction. I
soon found that l had received an in
jury to my right wrist. A piece OF flesh
was torn out, leaving a place large
enough to admit the end of .ny thumb.
j did not see any sharp stones or sticks
lying about upon which I might have
fallen. The wound did not bleed at all
and there was no blood noticeable until
after we had walked two or three miles.
Il had wrapped a part of my apron over
the wound and at the first house we
reached the injury was dressed. 1t bled
very little after being tied up. A few
minutes after the loud clap of thunder,
which undoubtedly struck very near
us. Mrs. Allenbacher, seeing me lying
on the ground, thought she would help
me if possible, but she also seemed
paralyzed and was unable to move.
She did not have any use Of her feet,
and Mrs. Herbst, who was nearest me,
could not speak. Several minutes
elapsed and we had walked some dis
tance before she could utter word
My straw hat was torn in shreds by
the hail, as was also those worn by the
other members of the party
THE presumption is that Mrs. Allen
bacher's wound was caused by the de-
scending bolt of lightning. The whole
party was terribly shocked by the cur
rent of electricity that came in contact
with the earth near them and so thor
oughly frightened that their limbs be-
came paralyzed and their tongues
speechless They made all possible
haste off the mountain