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Courtroom Lightning
Mon Feb 07, 2003
Listen in RealAudio 
Hi, I'm Bryan Yeaton and this is The Weather Notebook. Today we have the true story about a
lawsuit over lightning. It happened in New York State during a prolonged drought in the mid
1880s. On a hot, cloudless August afternoon a Presbyterian minister named Duncan McLeod
organized a meeting to pray for rain. Most of the local residents showed up to help as did
all of the local farmers, save one.
Phinneas Dodd, a firm believer that nature would take its own course was the lone holdout.
Three hours after the prayer meeting ended a line of severe thunder showers rumbled across the
county bringing rain at last. During the storm, lightning struck farmer Dodd's barn and it
burned to the ground. Farmer Dodd took the Reverend McLeod to court and sued for damages,
arguing that the thunderstorm that caused the destruction of his barn was a direct result of
the prayer service.
In court, the minister was in a difficult position. Hadn't he been praised for causing the
rain? How could he now deny a direct cause and effect relationship between the prayer service
and the thunderstorm that evening?
Fortunately for McLeod, his clever lawyer pointed out to the judge that the minister had only
prayed for rain and not for thunderstorms. Thus, McLeod was not responsible for the lightning
that had destroyed Dodd's barn. On this argument the case was dismissed. If floods instead
of lightning had caused the damage, perhaps McLeod would not have fared so well in
court.
Thanks to writer James Fleming, a weather historian and author from Colby College in Maine.
The Weather Notebook is underwritten by Subaru of America with major support provided by the
National Science Foundation. Thanks today to Assistant Producer Doug Sanborn.
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