Smyrna times., 1902-07-23
LIGHTNING PLAYS FREAKS
IN FEARFUL WIND STORM
STRIKES STABLE AT DENNEY'S MILLS AND
HOME OF MRS. HANNAH SPRUANCE.

Visited This Section Friday and Was Bad at
Townsend aud ThOrOughfare Neck-Auother
Storm Passes Over Smyrna Sunday.
Smyrna was visited by another Sc
we're electric storm on Friday afternoon
last which was accompanied with hail.
heavy winds and vivid flashes of
lightning. During the storm a bolt
OF lightning struck the stable at Den
ney's Mills, Duck Greek, and a pitch
fork which was leaning against the
wall was literally torn to splinters.
The bolt descended into the ground.
Fortunately no damage was done out
side of the knocking off of few
boards. No one was in the stable at
the time. There were two horses, and
one of them became so frightened that
it broke loose.
Residence of Mrs. Spruauce Struck.
Later another bolt of lightning
! struck the vine powered chimney of
the brick building of Mrs. Hannah
! Spruance on east Commerce street
just below the "Four Commerce.
The bolt descended the chimney kill
ing several birds in its course and
tearing through at the second floor,
burned the paper on the ceiling of the
first story. Part of the closet was
entered and l. 'ge hole was made in
a dress suit case Quantities of SCOT
besides the singed birds were blown
into the room. At the time Mrs.
Spruance and her daughters Misses
Mary and Emily were in the second
story bed room next to the chimney
which was struck. They felt the
electricity but were not hurt. Several
in the neighborhood felt the effect of
the strike. During the same storm a
bolt of lightning struck the telephone
line at Smyrna Landing leading to
Prices Phosphate Factory. Mr..
Price and several of his employees
! felt the charge of electricity, but for
tunately no damage was done. In the
country districts corn was blown
down in some places but little or no
damage was done by the hail and
wind.
Hail and Lightning Severe in TbOrOughfare.
Reports come from the vicinity OF
Townsend that the hail was very de-
structive. The ground was complete
ly covered with hailstones some OF
which were nearly the size of ordinary
hens eggs. In many cases window
glasses were broken and some of the
inhabitants used the hail to make ice
cream. The corn crop in that section
is believed to be ruined being stripped
of its blades in many instances.
Other vegetation was chopped to
shreds while the orchards had big
portion of the leaves stripped from
the trees. The course of the storm
covered a narrow strip of territory as
scarcely any hail fell two miles west
of Townsend. Down in Thoroughfare
Neck the stable of Harry Cooper, near
Deakyneville, was struck and dam
aged slightly by lightning.
Another Storm Passes Over Here Sunday.
Sunday afternoon another electrical
storm passed over Smyrna, but this
was slight in comparison with the one
Friday afternoon. There was con-
siderable wind accompanying the
storm and trees we're damaged more
or less in and about town. The Chin
ney on the residence of VIM. B. Me.
gear was blown off into the yard of
James p. Hoffecker. Some corn
fields we're also laid low. The storm
was most severe over in New Castle
county where it blew with hurricane
effect. At Townsend the wind carried
the limb of a tree through the side of
Walter Moneys dwelling, making a
very'curious sight, which since has
been looked upon by many persons.
The barn on the farm tenanted by
George Hurd, at Blackbird, was struck
by lightning, and the building, to-
gether with forty tons of hay, aud all
the harness was burned. The loss is
very heavy, because of the small in
surance on the building. Throughout
that vicinity the wind uprooted many
trees, aud the hail. which fell in many
places, stripped corn of its leaves and
broke hundreds of panes Of glass.
In the neighborhood of Little Greek
and through st. Jones Neck, wind and
lightning did serious damage. The
stables of John Mensch, in which his
farm hands had sought shelter, were
struck by a flash of lightning that temp
orily blinded and almost paraly zed the
men who when they recovered, saw the
whole building enwrapped in flames.
rush was made for the live stock