” ‘On Sunday morning, May 25, 1823, at 5 o’clock, a chimney in the dwelling-house of Jason Ware was struck by lightning.  The chimney and house were injured, and a brick was removed from the hearth.  Mrs. Ware and a son, though sitting one in each corner of the fireplace, were not hurt.  Mr. Ware, being in the act of placing a backlog, was struck on the head with the fluid, which burnt and broke the thick woollen coat on his right shoulder and arm, destroying the principal part of the sleeve above the elbow, setting on fire his cotton shirt, burning his flannel waistcoat, ripping both seams in the leg of the boot, and breaking and burning the foot of it.  His hair and eyebrows were singed; and the injury, which was of the compound nature of a bruise and a burn, extended down the right side of the neck, over the shoulder and arm, and down the thigh, leg, and foot [and perforated his boot near the heel].  He fell instantly, and was apparently dead.  Cold water was thrown into his face [friction was resorted to], and he exhibited signs of life.  He was then held erect, and cold water poured upon him profusely.  Applications of poultices, and subsequently of plasters, were made to the wounded parts; and shortly the skin, which to a considerable extent was entirely dead and black, was removed in large pieces.  In a fortnight he was able to walk, and in a reasonable time recovered a comfortable state of health, though not so good as before.  The shock appeared to add something to the infirmities of age.’ ”

Reference Data:

A History of the Town of Union, in the County of Lincoln, Maine, by John Langdon Sibley, 1851, page 15