Year: 1870

very severe thunder storm, says the Pitts
burg Commercial of last evening, passed over
the city yesterday afternoon, resulting in loss of
life and considerable damage to property.


The rain commenced to fall in torrents be-
tween two and three o'clock, and the storm ac-
companied by very vivid flashes of lightning
and terrific peals of thunder, continued for
about an hour and half number of strange
freaks of lightning have already been reported,
and it is probable that more will be brought to
light in the course of a few days, in the city
and vicinity.


A REMARKABLE CASE.


One of the most remarkable cases ever known
in this city occurred at the Pittsburg end of
the Sixteenth street bridge. 1t appears that
Mr.. William Hartle, who was a member of the
firm of Hartje & Grebing, livery stable keepers,
Allegheny, was conveying Mr.. Lewis Kauff-
man and wife and Henry Bother and young
lady of Allegheny to the picnic at Iron City
Park. just as the vehicle reached the Pitts
burg end of the bridge, having crossed from
Allegheny, there came vivid flash of lightning,
and the report that followed shook all the sur
rounding buildings.


Both horses fell to the ground, and eye wit
nesses state that Hartje who was sitting alone
on the drivers box, fell backward on the top of
the hack, and just as parties who were near
reached him he breathed his last. The parties
in the inside of the hack were severely shocked,
but did not become insensible. Kaufman was
so badly frightened that he says he hardly
know how he got out of the hack, and he was
unable to- speak for some moments after.
Bother says the shock threw his hat off and
frightened him badly. All in the inside of the
hack however, recovered in few moments SO
as to be able to walk home.


The near horse of the team picked himself up
soon after and shook his head from one side to
the other and acted as though he were crazy,
but in q short time was taken back to the livery
stable apparently not at all injured.


The place where the lightning struck was
about forty feet from the office of Coleman,
Rahm 81 Co.. 8 rolling mill. Mr.. John s. Slagle,
nhorn fhoG firm ctafa thaf hn ccitt
in the Office, and as the heavy report followed
the vivid flash he jumped to his feet, saying
that must have struck pretty near. He immedi-
ately rushed out, and found HartJe lying on his
back on the cover, gasping and struggling in
the last agonies of death.


THE APPEARANCE OF THE BODY.


With the exception of slight coloring of the
flesh about the neck there were no marks on the
body, and on looking at the corpse, one would
think that it was man who had just fallen
asleep.


SINGULAR FREAKS OF THE LIGHTNING.


The escapes made appear but little short of
the miraculous. The carriage was Just coming
out of the bridge when the horses fell as above
stated, and Immediately after the man dropped.
The carriage was not at all I'M jured by the light
ming, and the glass windows and even the lamps
on either side of the place where the man was sit
ting were not broken. A piece of sheepskin
lying on the foot-board was seorched, the ends
of the wool looking as though 1t had been held
before fire for some minutes and evenly
burned This was the only mark made on the
hack.


The deceased wore soft felt hat, and in the
front of this, just above the rim, was hole
such as would have been made by q bullet, and
on the top of the hat was rip about an inch
and half in length. This was the only mark
of the lightning visible on his clothing.
The only marks on the horse killed were
streaks running from each hind foot up over the
launches the hair being turned the wrong way
as though the lightning had passed up.
STATEMENT BY AN EYEWITNESS.
Mr.. Lewis states that he was coming down the
| street, and at the time of the affair was about
fifty feet distant from the hack. He says that
| when he first saw the lightning it looked like a
| huge bombshell coming down through the air,
and when above the bridge forked off, appear
ing to strike first the hoof of the horse, and after
the animal dropped, passing up and killing the
| man.


OTHER CASES.
The residence of Mr.. George McNulty ALE.
| gheny city, was struck by lightning; the fluid
| passed down the water-spout and entered the
dwelling, shattered the plastering, broke laths
and damaged the premises generally. Fortu
nately none of the inmates of the house were
seriously injured, although all were more oil
| less shocked.


The residence of Mr.. MCGOWAN, on Forty
second street. is also reported as having been
struck, hole being burned in the roof, and the
banisters to the stairs shattered. No one wa:
| seriously injured.


At Hussey, Wells q Co.'S steel works, in tn,
Tenth ward, the lightning danced about tn,
boilers, frightening the engineer badly, anc
making the workmen rather nervous.


In vacant lot on the corner of Third an(
Try streets, and connected with Andersont
steel works, the lightning struck pile of iroI
and made an ugly-looking hole.


Three small boys are reported as having
been severely shocked on Pride street, near
Hutcbinsons glass works. 1t is stated that they
were playing in a doorway, and one of them
| a son of a boss hammerer at Lippincott's mill
was so severely shocked that it was upwards oi
an hour before he recovered his senses.


The lightning played various pranks at the
Fire-Alarm Telegraph office breaking Circui
No. l. and it is supposed burning several mag
nets on the line. Gentlemen seated in the
Office aver that the scene was wonderful, tn,
lightning dancing about wildly, and the shock
being quite perceptible.


At the Western Union Telegraph office, by al
ingenious arrangement the lightning is pre-
vented from entering the room by little piece
of paper serving as interceptors. Each flash a
it sought admittance was compelled TO conten
itself with burning hole in the paper slip Th
Pacific and Atlantic line also state that N
damage was done at their office.