Smyrna times., 1904-09-21
LIGHTNING BOLTS SHOCK
SEVERAL AND KILLS ONE
TWO FARM RESIDENCES, MILLARD REEDS
AND BENJAMIN JACKSONS STRUCK
Millard Reed and His Whole Family Badly
Shocked and Mrs. Benjamin Jackson
Was So Severely Stunned She Died

over this section last Wednesday af-
ternoOn the family of Millard F. Reed
had an experience with lightning at
their home on the "Crow Farm" II
miles from town, that they shall never
forget. That they escaped with their
lives Is nothing short of a miracle.
Mr.. Reed was rendered unconscious
for several minutes by the shock.
while Mrs. Reed and daughter Miss
Mary Reed and daughter-in law Mrs
William Reed, of near Blackbird. were
more or less shocked and bruised bv
the terrible force of the bolt. During
the height of the storm thew had re-
paired to the parlor, large room
lSxls feet situated in the east end of
the coplous old farm house. No sooner
had they become comfortably seated
when the angry bolt darted down in a
diagonal direction, entering the north
east corner of the house about mid
way between the caves and the ground
whence 1t split and sent it's destructive
hrey tongues in a dozen directions.
completely dismantIing a bed room
and the parlor. All present were
stunned for moment, Mrs. Reed was
the first to recover and she saws that
balls of fire were chasing around the
room in every direction. She managed
to stagger out of the room and call to
the colored servants for help. The
window curtains and some of the
cushions were ablaze. After ex-
tinguishing the fire attention was
turned to Mr.. Reed who was still un-
conscious. He was carried out in the
air and DIR. J. W. Clifton hastily sum-
mOned. He had been resusticated
however, before the doctor arrived
In speaking of his experience Mr..
Reed said: II had stepped into the
spare room where the women folks
were when they asked me to be seated.
took the morris chair remarking that
1t was about my size. don't remem-
Der any of the family speaking a word
after that. sat there 1 should Judge
not longer than thirty seconds. when
suddenly [ had sensation of suffo-
eating. Something seemed to be
crushing me. 1 smelled the fumes of
sulphur but I never heard a sound of
any kind. L knew nothing more till
after 1 had been carried out. That
morris chair beats any electrical chair
ever heard Of" Mr.. Reed still COM
plains of being very sore.
Destruction Shows Peculiar Lightning Freaks
The destruction wrought is beyond
belief. Not a thing was left unin-
jured in the parlor save the organ, a
stand and a small portrait of the late
president Mckinley. The north bed
window, sash and blinds we're torn
into myriad pieces. One fork followed
the east wall to large old fireplace
chimney, tore a mantle off and hurled
it across the room and knocked the
trebOard out. Going down to the
parlOr it knocked another mantle
across the room and crushed the fire.
board in. Other forks followed around
the walls of the parlor tearing down
and smashing all the pictures and
other things hung with wire fasten-
ings to atoms. A couch was ripped
open to the metal springs by one bol
and then it leaped through the wall
to wire clOthesline that was attached
outside and made its way to earth by
way of post several rods from the
house. Still another inquisitive ball
of fire took the trouble to find the
steel stays in the soles of a pair of
russet shoes in the bedroom. After
exposing the stays thoroughly and in
cldentally taking the heel off of each
shoe it departed by making a hole
through the new brussel carpet and
the floor, and no doubt got into some
mischief in the parlor before making
its final exit. Some idea of the vio-
lence in which things were torn up
can be gotten from the fact that
large pine splinter was found thrust
through a pillow on the bed. The
house was left in it's indescribable
ruin until Saturday and many persons
called through curious interest and
were kindly shown a sight long to be
remembered. The loss and damage to
Mr.. Reeds residence is fully covered
by insurance in the Kent County Mu-
tual and we understand that work will
begin shortly to place the property in
thorough repair.
Storm Results 10 Loss of One Life.
From Dutch Neck comes the report
OF another fearful accident resulting
from the storm of Wednesday night,
In which the residence of BENJAMIN
CONTINUED ON Eoltpru pAne