Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1890 — A TERRIBLE TEMPEST. [ARTICLE]

A TERRIBLE TEMPEST.

RENSSELAER IS YISITED BY AN UNPRECEDENTED ELECTRICAL STORM. Last Thursday night, about 10 o’clock, following a day of excessive heat and sultriness, a thunder storm which had been growling and threatrning in the west for several hours, broke over Rensselaer, and from that time until midnight orc-urred one of the most tremendous thunder storms in the recollection of the oldest inhabitants. The lightning flashes following one another in countless rapidity, the thunder rolled and and crashed in deafening peals on peals, while the rain poured in torrents upon the already sodden earth until the amount of five inches had fallen, as reported by a careful and reliable ~

A peculiarity of the electrical display was that a very large proportion of the lightning strokes, instead of passing from one cloud to another, as is usually the case, passed from the clouds to the earth, thus making an unprecedented record of strikes for a single storm, and also causing a proportionate number of near and appalling thunder claps. Not less than four times during the night did the lightning strike inside the limits of the town. Berry Paris’ bam was struck and burned; two or three hundred yards further north a large tree was tom and splintered, in M. L. Spider’s premises. In the south part of town die old Methodist church received another stroke, the second within the last few years, and the old spire torn into splinters, and the bolt passed down the wall and split the front door. In the same block with the old church, and not more than 300 feet distant, another bolt struck a low willow at the comer of W. P. Hopkins’house, and also entered and slightly damaged the building. The family was away, attending the commencement exercises. Besides the above known cases, the lightning was believed to have struck again somewhere down the river, within the town or near to it, and one man reported seeing an electrical “fire-ball” in the east part of town. In its immediate vicinity, many strokes were reported, Alfred Thom pson’s brick house near Pleasant Ridge, occupied by A. K. Yeoman, ; was struck and suffered some damage, though not serious. A fine twoI year-old colt in a pasture on the l Rensselaer Stock Farm, belonging to

M. F. Chilcote was struck and killed. Another good horse, belonging to J. 11. Willfey, of Rensselaer, was killed in John Chamberlain’s pasture, two miles south of town. West of town, a mile or two, several porkers were j killed for Andrew Kohler, and some] also for Able Grant. Joseph Putts | in the same neighborhood, had some j turkeys killed. The storm traveled from west to east. It did not cover a very wide scope of country, not more than 15 or 20 miles wide, but had a long, track east and west. At Mt. Ayr the | storm was as severe as here, two j houses being struck there during the, ! storm. One was R. 11. Yeoman’s] ; hardware store, occupied above by | tha manager of the store,. Ira- Veoi man. The house was slightly damj aged, and Mrs. Yeoman quite severe-* | ly shocked. * Mr. Paris’ barn above referred to,

was struck a little after !) o’clock, and was all ablaze, almost immediately. The electric light plant gave the alarm, by loud and frantic tooting and the fire bell was then rang. Enough of the firemen were got to- ‘ get her to pull the little chemical to | the spot, but there was no possibility! of saving the barn, and the deluging rain prevented the fire sheading to! adjacent buildings. Some grain, and a good cutter, corn cultivator <te., were consumed in the bam. As it happened Mr. and Mrs. Paris were at Oxford, with their horse and buggy. The hign school commencement was in progress at the M. E. church, and the terror of the tempest, to- ! gether with the alarm of fire, came

near causing a panic in the crowded audience: As it was, two or three ladies fainted, some frOm ‘flight and othei-3 from the close and stifling air, caused by closing the doors and windows to keep out the driving rain.