Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-22
A LIGHTNING FLASH.
Its After Effects for Two Massachu
 SettS Men.


 It's After-Effects for Two Massachu-
 setts Men.
 Few persons who have been struck by lightning have lived to tell the tale, but John Meade, B years old married, and living at 132 Garden street, Cambridge, had such an exper- fence at Jamaica Plains, about 4:45 yesterday afternoon. and is expected to recover from the shock.
 Meade, with a companion named Arthur Stratton, 42 years old married and living on Barnes street, Waver- ly, quit work at the new Faulkner hos pital building, Center and Allen streets, Jamaica Plain, before the Sc were thunderstorm that passed over that section of the city in the later af- ternoon broke with violence. They were walking down Center street tow ard the Adams Neryine hospital, when it began to rain hard, and they both jumped ove1s a low fence on the front of the William H. Goodwin estate, near Center and May streets, and took shelter under a tree.
 They had not been there long when the heavens were rent by vivid flash of lightning, there was an awful roar of thunder, and Stratton, who was standing not far from his friend, saw Meade pitch headlong to the ground with his clothing on fire.
 Although not shocked himself, Strat- ton realized that his friend had been struck by lightning and ran to him to extinguish the fire in his clothing. So fully charged was Meade's body with the electric current that no sooner had Stratton placed his hands on Meade's body when he too received a severe shock which completely paralyzed him below the waist. Having the use of his hands and not losing consciousness Stratton beat out the fire in Meade's clothing.
 Meade was like one dead The had struck him in the back, had slit open his coat, vest and shirts, setting them on fire and then struck the back part of his rubber-soled sneakers and tore open that on the left foot, and also ripped the cloth at the bottom of the left leg of the trousers.
 Under his right shoulder blade Meade's body showed a spot about the size of a mans hand, where the skin was burned off, and the flesh was bad ly discolored. On the inside of both his knees and just above the left ankle the lightning had burned and the flesh.
 Stratton, although able to speak and use his hands had no use of his legs,
 III Sls ynI by Stephen Fallon, an expressman, who happened to drive past the Good win place, holding Meade's head in his. ap and trying to revive him. Fallon. jumped out of his wagon, over the fence, and learned from Stratton what had happened. Meade was then beginning to revive, and opened his eyes, and could talk and partially use lis hands. Both men complained of in intense prickling sensation in the lffected portion of their bodies.
 Fallon was unable to do much for either man, as neither was able. to lelp himself in the least, but before ong two employees of the street depart nent happened along, and with their assistance Fallon managed to place
  md drove with them to station 13. The police had learned of the happen ng, and Lieutenant Chase and Lieu enant Sullivan hurried the1 patrol wagon toward the scene, but met Fal- on's wagon with Meade and Stratton n their way to the police station.
 Arriving at the station house the nen had to be carried into the build ng. Dr Woodworth administered requent doses of brandy to stimulate he heart action, and it was not long before Stratton was greatly improved nd Meade also grew better. Meade's ondition was such however, that Dr Voodworth ordered his removal to the Jity hospital Late last night it was aid at the hospital that Meade was esting comfortably and would re- over. 4*
 Both men say that they were not eaning against the tree, but were tanding at a little distance from the runk, under the branches, and they were not leaning against each other, 'he lightning apparently did not trike the tree, as not a branch or leaf vas injured, and the ground about it s said not to have been disturbed by he bolt.
 Meades body below the waist was 0 affected that it was possible to stick 'ins into the flesh to a depth of quar- CT of an inch and he would not feel 'ain.
 Dr Woodwork said it is the strang- st case of its kind he has ever ob- erved, and that he does not under tand how Meade escaped death.- Boston Herald.