Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

They say lightning never strikes the same place twice. If only that were true.

The John Long home, 5 miles from Grangeville, Idaho, had been hit by lightning several years earlier, with only minor damage.

Then, lightning struck again, this time burning the house to the ground. The lightning hit the chimney and traveled into the kitchen, blew apart the kitchen range and set the kitchen on fire.

A 12-year-old boy was partially stunned by the blast, but he was able to awaken his father and brother. They all escaped unscathed, but the 12-room house was a total loss.

From the pageant beat: The students at Brunot Hall, a private Spokane academy for girls, staged a “gorgeous outdoor pageant” on the school’s lawn.

They dressed in classical costumes and presented a series of dances and brief excerpts from Shakespeare. For instance, girls in Grecian-style robes and garlands of flowers presented the “Dance of the Nymphs” from “The Tempest.”

“The entire entertainment was rich in color effects and constituted one of the best and most artistic offerings the students of Brunot Hall have ever attempted,” according to a feature story accompanying a page of photographs.