A NARROW ESCAPE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2516, 25 August 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

A NARROW ESCAPE.

A Man Struck by Lightning and not Killed. The narrowest escape from death b; lightning of which I have ever hearc came to my knowledge while lecturing i few weeks ago at the Florida Chauta<pa The drug store, which is used as a post office by the good people of Do Fnnlak stands between the railroad station an< their beautiful little lake. At the tiim to which I refer it was ' protected ' by i common-sized twisted copper band light ning rod, with iron core, fastened to tin house by glass insulators in the old fash ioned way. Several other housesin towi were ' rodded ' in the same way, bu after this one was badly shattered the; were torn off by their owners ' to lessei their chances of getting struck, yoi know,' they explained. About 100 feel back of the post-office stood two fint specimens of the tall pines which grow s< abundantly iu that region. On the after noon of the 18th of last August, at aboul 1 o'clock, a number of boys and men hac collected under the post-office porch thinking, on account of the lightning rod, that they would be safe from tin lighting, which was playing rather freely from an only cloudcovcred sky. Among them was John Chisholm, a merchant ol De Funlak, who was silting about hall way between the coruer-post of the porch and the nearest window. The lighting struck the two high pines, and after shattering their tops, leaped to the rod, completely melting its points, and then running along the comb of the rooi to the gable and down a corner. Mr Chisholm's only recollection of the stroke is a sensation like that of a heavy blast ol hot air striking him between the shoulders. He was thrown forward upon his face, and taken up for dead. His shoes were new, and his trousers nearly so, yet they were leftlooking very much as if they had been attacked by an army of hungry rats. How a man could have his clothes chewed oft from him by lightning in that style, and still live, is a mystery. His shirt was torn eutirely in two. His body was badly blistered, especially from the knees down. Becoming conscious he experienced a terrible feeling of suffocation and ' headache, as though it would burst.' He remained helpless for four months, suffering terribly from aching in the bones and a stinging sensation 1 as though a thousand needles were being stuck all over my body.' Now, after a lapse of over nine months, Mr Cliisholin has gradually recovered the use of his limbs, only suffering from an occasional violent involuntary jerk in the back. He attends to business and has recovered much of his former health. Several otherssitting near were, of course, more or less shaken up. Dr Alfred caught a part of Mr Chisholm's charge in his foot, and went on crutches for some days. The jeweller, Mr Cochran, who was at work iu the window nearest the corner, had his hair and breast badly singed, and the artist had his pipe knocked out of his mouth and broken to pieces.— I'mtessor Demotte in the Scientific American.