The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-08-17
RANCHER KILLED BY LIGHTNING
Amelio Boitano and Two Horses
Fatally Stricken Near Min
eral Hill Wednesday

! While returning to his ranch near
Alpha from a trip to Mineral Hill.
Amelio Bart Boitano was struck by
lightning Wednesday afternoon about
2 o'clock and instantly billed. He was
accompanied from the Hill by Charley
Cerighino. and they were both riding
saddle horses. The two horses were
killed by the bolt of lightning. which
also stunned Cerighino into unconscious
ness. and he thinks it was from 10 to
30 minutes before he recovered his
senses.
When Oerighino regained conscious.
ness he found that he was fast under
his dead horse, and he called to Boitano
for assistance. Receiving no reply, he
struggled for about Is minutes to re.
lease himself. and only succeeded after
working his foot out of the boot that
was holding him. Going to Boitano
after his release he found him dead.
Cerighino at noe started for Mineral
Hill for assistance, but on account OF
his weakened condition the five mile
walk was not accomplished until late
in the evening. AS soon as the news
reached the Hill q team and wagon was
made ready and q party Of seven men
Immediately left for the scene of the
fatality. After stripping the dead horses
OF their saddles and brides, the body of
Boitano was taken to his ranch near
Alpha, a distance of about seven miles.
Boitano was riding a saddle with q
heavy metal horn and steel saddle fork.
The lightning evidently fret struck this
horn and followed down and around the
steel saddle fork. for the seat Of the sad
die is punctured in five places. The
lightning marked and burned his body
in a streak from his groin up the front
Of the chest, and his face and head was
burnt and bruised, but no part Of the
flesh is said to have been broken. The
hair OF the back Of his head, aud his
mustache and eyebrows were partially
burnt of. Half Of the back of his felt
hat was totally destroyed. No trace
could be found of a pair of spectacles he
was wearing.
There had been a heavy thunder
shower at Mineral Hill just before
Boitano and CeriRhino left there, but
it had cleared off before they started.
Just before Boitano was killed the
clouds commenced gathering again, but
Cerighino says only "a few drops of
rain were falling and only a portion of
the sky was overcast when the fatal bolt
of lightning struck them.
A messenger sent to Eureka from the
Boitano ranch for a casket aud the ser.
vices of Undertaken p. II. HUI arrived
here about $50 p. m Thursday and
brought the first particulars Of Mr..
B~oitano's death. From Charles HUI.
who went down to the Boitano ranch in
his auto Thursday evening and pre-
pared the remains for burial, the SEN
TINEL is indebted for the particulars
given above.
Deceased was born in Eureka, Nevada,
and grew to manhood in this County.
living in the vicinity of Cortez. where
he engaged in mining for several years
previous to purchasing the old Boom.
hover ranch near Alpha from A. w.
| Clayton, about three years ago. Be-
sides his wife and two young children
he is survived by a brother who is half
owner of the Alpha ranch. a younger
brother also living at h ranch. and
one sister residing at Oakland, Cali
fornia. He was aged 25 years, 10 months
and l6 days.
The remains were taken to Cortez
aud the burial took place there Friday
afternoon, the body being inferred be-
side his deceased parents and a brother.