Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1908 — LIGHTNING BOLT STRUCK. BAPTIST CHURCH STEEPLE [ARTICLE]

LIGHTNING BOLT STRUCK. BAPTIST CHURCH STEEPLE

First Baptist Church Building Damaged by Electric Bolt and Several People Receive Shock.

The cupola of the First Baptist church was struck by lightning at about 8:30 o’clock last Friday morning and the north side of the belfry was knocked into splinters and several people who were In the neighborhood received slight shocks and otters some distance away were badly frightened. The electric bolt played along the wires of the telephone and electric light plants and the loud clap of thunder that accompanied the lightning sounded like a cannon discharged in the street Mrs. Zeb Swaim, of near Alx, had Just driven into Levi Banders’ hitch barn, . which Is Just south of tbs

church, and was standing near the door between the barn and the office. Mr. Sanders was standing nearer the door of the bam. He was barely conscious of the shock, but Mrs. Swaim was knocked almost to her knees. As she felt berse.f going down she caught hold of the door and supported herself. Bhe was some little time in regaining herself and a physician waa called. In about half an hour-she was able to leave the stable but she still felt the effects of the shock. Rev. H. L. Kindig, who resides In the M. E. parsonage, also received a slight shock. He was one of the first to see that the church had been struck

and hurried out to see if the bui'ding was on fire. He was joined by others and an entrance was gained to the church through a window. Some one turned in a fire alarm and the department was on the scene in less than five minutes. Before they reach d there, however, Forest Morlan had 1 climbed to the belfry on the bell rope and a bucket of water had h en passed up to him, but he could find no , fire although there was some smoke. As soon as Chief Montgomery and his fire laddies arrived they went into the belfry with chemical hand extinguishers and made a thorough search for fire but did not find any. They traced the course of the lightning and found that it had struck an electric light wire and followed it out of the building and had never passed into the ground at all. This evidently accounted for the blazing along the wiree two or three blocks away. The damage to the church is only •light, probably amounting to from i sls to $25.