Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

Thunderstorms, Indian graves, dead cows, and mystery metals.  Now, this is what I call a busy day.  The “Inter Ocean,” July 12, 1907:

PORT JERVIS, N. Y., July 9.-In a thunderstorm late yesterday afternoon lightning struck a tree on the bank of the Neversink river two miles north of here and toppled it over, carrying a large amount of earth with it. Two boys seeking shelter came near being buried by the earth.

In examining the bank the boys discovered that the cave-in had opened two Indian graves. The bodies were buried in a sitting position facing the west, with the knees drawn up toward the head. The clay deposit surrounding the skeletons contained exquisitely formed arrow heads and beads made of shells. A little iron box the size of a snuff box and several stone tomahawks were also found. Among the latter was an iron tomahawk, which had apparently been hammered out by hand, as it bore the marks of the hammer and was beautifully shaped with a curved top. Lightning also melted a barbed wire fence dividing a pasture lot and potato patch, and cattle getting in the potatoes ate the tops, which had been sprinkled with paris green. Two died. Many bolts struck the razor edge of the rocks on the mountain across the state line in New Jersey, and investigation this morning found the cause to be mineral. Along the seams in the rocks where the lightning had struck it had melted a great quantity of metal which resembles brass.

Other metal looked like lead. In some instances it reflected a greenish color. What the metal is, no one seems to know.