Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-28

remained standing as IL alive. Even their
clothes seemed an intact, but when
touched the three forms pulverized into
as many heaps of ashes. This case. or
one very similar. doubtless inspired the
scene in one Of Kipling's stories where
lightning STRUCK fugitive fell to ashes
when seized by his discoveries. And here
we have but another instance were truth
is even stranger than fiction. Such COM
plete incineration OF human bodies by
thunderbolts has been offered as an eX-
PLANTATION of some mysterious disappear
ances.
The fallacy OF the Old saw which say
eth that lightning never strikes twice
in the same place may be illustrated by
many cases locally well known. On Sep
TENDER 2. 1909. NJ. e. Snyder. a farmer
Of Roanoke county. Va, suffered the de-
struction of his barn by q stroke OF light
ming. AS he had taken out an insurance
policy only a few days before. he prompt
~ rebuilt upon the same spot. Remark
able to relate. on the exact anniversary
of this confiagration, September 2. 1917,
and at the same hour Of the afternoon.
4 o'clock. the second barn was destroyed
by a thunderbOlt.
The Methodist Church OF Bridgeville,
Del had already been struck twice IN
the summer of 1909 and workrnen had
hardly finished repairing the damage
early in July when 1t was struck the
third time. After that the pastor had to
adjourn the services when fourth storm
found the worshipers IN their pews. Other
wise he would have preached to empty
benches.
About the same time the house of W. f.
Rail. a homesteader Of Chaves county, n
Mex, was struck dozen times during a
single storm. Each stroke hitting the
house shocked a separate member of the
family, which numbered thirteen people
in this case. surely. unlucky, especially
inasmuch as one Of the inmates was
killed The last dozen bolts hitting the
house fell about a minute apart and the
last one set the building on fire, although
the flames were eXtinguished before great
damage was done.
In Genoa there is a church, st. Mary's.
which has been struck by lightning scores
of times, frequently twice in the same
year. and 1t was discovered that the light
ming after hitting the spire always FOL
lowed the same track, where the walls
were clamped with iron.
But we do not have to go abroad in
search of such edifices highly preferred
by Jove as target for his fiery darts II
Washington there are the Capitol and
Washington Monument. each Of which is
commonly struck several times each sum
mer.
In front of the entrance to the House
of Representatives is stately old linden
tree. which upon five distinct occasions
has been struck by lightning glancing OF
the Capitol dome Well dehned grooves
in the trunk Of the tree AL that II
displays as evidence OF its ill-fortune
Some years ago a thunderbolt that struck
the great dome ricocheted to the plaza
below hitting a cab The horse was felleo
Il, h,,..l lad -
feet from the vehicle. but neither vas
seriously injured.
Five times in twenty minutes i'm
mense bolt of li...tn'ng was seen to fasf
between the Washington Monument and
a thunder cloud overhead April >. 1883
And, having escaped this severe lombard
ment unscathed. the great obelisk va:
damaged by a single bolt descending june
u of the same year.
Such instances where tall buildings are
often struck are not SO remarkable. how
ever In comparison with those in which
particular localities are repeatedly bonn
barded by the celestial artillery. Thus
on the outskirts of Minneapolis is what Is
locally called the lightning road Sc
termed because Of the frequency witt
which trees, cattle. horses and people
upon it have been struck by thunderbolts
A more famous case is that of Vega d.
Supia. in New Grenada, where no one car
be induced to build house. this prejudic.
being due to fear Of the lightning which
has assailed the region SO persstently
year after year, that the rocks have beer
converted into magnets
People as we'll as buildings and trees
have defied this same old proverb about
lightning's not striking twice in the same
place. Charles Hines. a farmer Of Dutch
Neck, N. J., is reported to have been hi
by six distinct thunderbolts. The frs
struck him when he was a lad OF fifteer
and while he was sitting in the stern Of
a rowb0at fishing, with his feet dangling
in the water The boat was reduced Il
scraps, but he was unscathed. A few
years later while walking a railroad
track thunderbolt hurled him into tn
air and left him hanging over a stone