Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 107, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1912 — Barns Struck by Lightning to Thursday Morning Storm. [ARTICLE]

Barns Struck by Lightning to Thursday Morning Storm.

A good barn on the Simon Cook farm, in Hanging Grove township, was struck by lightning during the heavy tain and electrical storm Thursday morning. A strip of shingles two feet wide was torn from the roof of the barn and the siding and studding on cue side was splintered. The barn fortcnately did not catch on fire. T’’loss was covered by insurance in G. H. McLain’s agency. A large barn on the F. M. Parker farm, northeast of town, was also struck by lightning during the same storm. Luckily Garry Snedeker, the farm tenant, heard the crash and hastened to the barn and with the aid of a farm hand succeeded in putting out the fire which was started by the light ’ning. The main lightning seemed to strike on the north side of the barn. The bolt ran down the rafters and also the full length of the barn, apparently following the hay carrier. It then ran down the south end and splintered the siding and pne or two rafters on the east side. When Mr. Snedeker reached the barn be found a blaze in a sparrow’s nest in the roof of the barn and directly over the hay. It was blazing rapidly and in a very little bit would have set fire to the hay and doubtless have destroyed the entire building. No stock was injured and Mr. Parker thinks the loss will probably not exceed $25, which is covered by insurance in C. B. Steward’s agency, with the Ohio Farmer’s Co.