Sixteenth Annual Meeting. 41 



SOME LIGHTNINC FREAKS IN 1883. 



r.v .1. SAVAGE. 



For thirty years my quarter-section lias been exempt from lightning strokes, with 

 the exception of two holts which came down during a shower on the night of July loth, 

 1883. 



The electrical display on this occasion was of unusual intensity; the holts were very 

 frequent and brilliant, and seemed more like huge balls of red-hot iron than the usual 

 electrical currents. The display was preceded by the usual stillness of the elements, 

 only this was intensified, seemingly, many fold. 



One of the electrical streams before referred to struck an < )sage orange tree, and in- 

 jured it so that its leaves withered and died. 



The other instance was more noticeable and worthy of note. The electrical stream 

 entered the top of a Lombardy poplar tree, following down the body and peeling it to 

 within three or four feet of the ground, where it left the tree and entered a couple of 

 half-round iron rods about the size of a man's finger. On these rods the current distrib- 

 uted itself and entered the ground by way of three cedar posts, to which the rods were 

 attached. The gate pulleys, which rested upon the iron rods, also shared in a smaller 

 degree the passage of the subtle fluid. The poplar tree was peeled by the stroke only to 

 a point on a level with the iron rod, below which it was left whole and unharmed, show- 

 ing that the whole current entered the rods. 



The following is a still more graphic account of "lightning's freaks" during the same 

 shower, written at my request by my neighbor Mr. P. P. Phillips, who resides about four 

 miles from my place. This story goes to disprove the old saying that "lightning never 

 strikes twice in the same place:" 



The night of July 10th, 1883, is one that will be remembered by us while life and 

 reason last. Commencing at dark, there was one continual grand display of electrical 

 phenomena such as is seldom seen. At about midnight a violent storm of wind and 

 rain struck us from the northwest, and with almost incessant peals of thunder. 



We had been up and fastened blinds and made preparations for the storm, and had 

 again retired. Half musing, half asleep, we were suddenly aroused by a terrible shock. 

 Springing to our feet, we found that lightning had struck one of the chimneys, which it 

 had torn almost completely out. The house was also filled with smoke and sulphurous 

 vapors, so that the doors and windows on the leeward side of the house had to be opened 

 to escape suffocation. 



Finding that the family had all escaped injury except being somewhat stunned, we now 

 proceeded to examine as to the possibilities of fire. Entering another room in the 

 chamber, and while near another chimney, we suddenly found ourselves sitting on the 

 floor, (lathering up in an instant, we found this was now struck, brick and mortar fly- 

 ing in all directions, and another charge of the sulphurous vapor. 



Now fully convinced that Lightning might strike in very nearly the same place, and 

 that too within the space of Wvo minutes, we at the instant made no further investiga- 

 tions with regard to the Hues and the upper part of the house. This was about one 

 o'clock, and after another hour the storm had passed. 



In the morning the night's work was examined carefully. The first chimney struck 

 was on the east of the house. This was torn out half-way to the floor. The stoppers to 

 the stovepipe holes, both in the chamber and in the dining-room below, had been driven 

 in an exactly horizontal position across the rooms, fourteen feet, and breaking through 

 the glass in the windows, were lodged in the blinds and just reversed in position. 



A neighbor a short distance away, who was witnessing the storm and saw this ehim- 



