After looking into deadly bee stings, I had to ask myself what other things frighten people. Well, lightning, of course. Some people love the storms and some people, not so much.
In today’s article we are going to look at a few people who were struck by lightning.
1. Was Standing Outside His Door
First, we are going to check out this article from New Mexico, 1907:
“Last Sunday at noon, at his home…, Teodorio Casias was instantly killed by lightning. He had only been home a little while… and was standing outside the door of his residence looking up at the clouds, which were threatening rain, when a bolt of lightning descended, killing him instantly. The unfortunate man was 26 years of age, leaving a young wife, father and mother and several brothers and sisters to mourn his untimely death.” [Source]
2. Perched in a Tree
While the first safety rule for thunderstorms is to go inside, the second safety rule is to not go under or into a tree. Out of Kentucky, 1955:
“Three of four caddies perched in a tree to escape rain were killed by lightning Monday.
“The fourth, acting on impulse, jumped as the bolt struck and escaped injury. All were attending a watermelon party for caddies at [a country club.]
“It was the second such tragedy in less than 24 hours. Two members of the Kentucky National Guard were killed by lightning Sunday while standing under a tree.” [Source]
3. Lightning’s Queer Pranks
This next article was titled “Lightning’s Queer Pranks,” but what happened was hardly funny. From Georgia, 1908:
“Joe Turner, a young man…, was killed by lightning Tuesday night, at his home. He and his brother were lying across a bed when lightning struck the house. He was instantly killed. His brother, who was lying by him, was unhurt.
“Lightning [also] struck a tenant house… Monday afternoon. On the floor several children were playing. The lightning tore out a window frame and the sash, breaking every light in the window. The sash was thrown over the children on the floor, but all escaped unhurt.” [Source]
4. Licking County Children’s Home
Joe’s brother narrowly escaped death. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about young Carl, a boy who was placed in a Children’s Home. From Ohio, 1920:
“Carl Joseph Rowe, aged 15 years, an inmate of the Licking County Children’s Home, was instantly killed by lightning while in the garden Saturday morning. He, together with a number of other boys, was assisting an employee in the garden, and to escape a sudden storm the party started to take shelter in a nearby tool house, which most of them reached in safety. While still some distance from the house little Carl was struck by lightning and killed. In January, 1919, Carl and his 12 year old sister Mary were placed in the home by their mother… at that time a widow but since remarried, and whose present place of residence is unknown, and efforts are being made by the superintendent to locate her.” [Source]
5. Lightning Baby
And finally, I wanted to end this video with a story of a survivor from out of Georgia, 1924:
“The Lightning Baby. Superintendent Elder, of the Georgia Baptist Hospital, Atlanta, holding baby George Sweet, whose father and mother were killed by lightning last summer. One of the babe’s feet was burned off by the bolt, and the toes of the other destroyed. The baby is now offered for adoption with the proviso that the applicant must have at least $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in love. [Source]
