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Show TEMPTING MARKS FOR BOLTS Lofty Spires of Churches Are Dan-flerous Dan-flerous Because They Are Often Struck by Lightning. The reaction from tbo Intense beat of the pnat few days, which In various vari-ous sections has taken the form of electrical storms of almost phenomenal phenom-enal destructlveness, has played exceptional ex-ceptional havoc with the churches of New England. A many as a half doxen hjive been struck by lightning In this state alone, and In almost every ev-ery Instance the structure has been of the familiar style of architecture that wa lnstitd by otir forefstb-ers forefstb-ers and has b. en more or ie cher t , lulled ever since Somewhat squarely buf It. with a lofty spire, the New England meeting meet-ing house has been a familiar feature to the New Knglard worshiper wherever wher-ever h might find jlmself, and though all else was strange, that made him feel that he was In hi own country. The lofty spire, however, has proved an element of danger according accord-ing to onr recent experience. In almost al-most every Instance, as the report run. the bolt "struck the steeple" and traveled downward. In rural communities, especially where the church rises above most of the surrounding buildings and I crowned by a tapering tower as high as the main structure. It seems to offer a special challenge to the raging rag-ing letnciits, whether they take the form of wind or lightning The "White church" at West Springfield, which suffered yesterday, had been struik twice previously during dur-ing the past ten years, and In.WII-braham, In.WII-braham, Brookfleld and other place It was upon the spires that the destructive de-structive force alighted Boston Transcript. |