Lightning Sets Fire.

SPRING

Posted By: Judy Kelley, volunteer (email)
Date: 4/19/2010 at 18:08:35

Source: LCHS scrapbook; Muscatine Journal newspaper clipping with handwritten date of April 2, 1911

To experience a snow storm in April and to have it accompanied by thunder and lightning is unusal, but the destruction of a farm house through fire started by lightning, which struck while a heavy snow storm was raging, is almost unbelievable. Nevertheless this very thing did occur early Sunday morning on Muscatine Island, and the farm house of C.C. Spring was destroyed by the flames during the progress of the storm. The lightning struck a telephone pole near the house and ran into the dwelling, setting fire to the upper part of the building. Mr. and Mrs. Spring and three children were up at the time, but the flames spread so rapidly that it was possible to save only a very small part of the furniture. The building burned to the ground. The loss was partly covered by insurance.