When a violent summer storm swept across the countryside near Starkweather, North Dakota, in 1905, Burt Martin was asleep in an upstairs room of a barn.
At some point during the night, the farmhand rose from his bed and made his way to the doorway. Perhaps he feared the wind might bring the barn down. Perhaps he simply wanted to watch the storm rolling across the dark fields.
Then lightning struck the cupola above him.
The bolt traveled down the barn’s timbers and passed through Martin, killing him instantly. He was found soon afterward near the doorway, still dressed in his nightclothes, while the barn itself had suffered only minor damage.
Man Killed By Lightning
STARKWEATHER, North Dakota. — Burt Martin who was employed by MiloJones on his farm near Starkweather, was killed by lightning during the storm last Friday night.
Martin slept in a room in the upper story of the barn, and from appearances it would seem he either became fearful that the barn would be blown over, or got up to look at the storm. He was standing in the doorway of the barn when the lightning bolt struck the cupola of the barn, ran down an upright directly over the door and struck him.
He was found shortly afterward lying near the door dead. He was dressed in his night clothes. The barn was only slightly damaged. No marks were found on the body except a black streak down the side of the neck and back showing the path of the deadly strike.
Coroner Nimmo held an inquest and a coroner’s jury rendered a verdict in accordance with the facts above stated.
Source: Devils Lake Inter-Ocean. Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota. July 21, 1905.
