A Close Call in Colfax
A dramatic report of a lightning strike on the Sexton farm, featuring early electrical-medical treatment.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Three men were struck by lightning on the old Sexton farm, now occupied by George McGuire, during a thunder storm between 6 and 7 o'clock. The three men prostrated by the stroke were J. Wright, W. E. Grant and George McGuire. Wright received a heavy shock and was unconscious for about three-quarters of an hour. Dr. Harvey, who was called, had Wright laid on the ground and several buckets of lukewarm water were dashed over him. Wright was ordered raised from the ground and laid upon the porch, where negative connection with the earth was made by laying the body on a wet strip of cloth and running it to the ground, thus drawing the electricity from Wright's prostrate form and running it into the earth.
“He will be a lucky man if he ever thoroughly recovers the nervous temperament and condition enjoyed before the stroke.”
This story highlights the rudimentary, almost experimental medical responses to industrial and natural hazards in the 1890s. The 'wet cloth grounding' technique serves as a fascinating snapshot of Victorian-era scientific understanding of electricity.
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