BELLIS, Lulu Wasson - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Lulu Wasson Bellis, only child of Howard and Mary Wasson was born near Rockville, Parke County, Ind August 30, 1878. Later she came with her parents to the vicinity of Wallace this county. She was married to Johnnie Bellis of Wallace May 23, 1894. To this union one child, Charles was born who with his father and grandparents survive to mourn her loss together with a host of relatives and friends. She early became a member of the Freedom Christian Church and later when she moved with her husband to Wallace she became a member of the Christian congregation there. She has been a devout christian throughout her entire life, and was actively engaged in preparing an entertainment for church when she received the fatal bolt of lightning which came so near causing the death of so many years. All that medical aid could do was cone to revive her but without avail as the stroke had been instantly fatal. Her death coming so sudden was a terrible shock to her family and parents and the sympathy of the entire community goes out to them.

An Awful Calamity Horrible Accident Happens In Village Of Wallace Lightening’s Peculiar and Dreadful Work Bolt Descends on Church and Kills Mrs. John Bellis

One of the most peculiar, sad and tragic accidents occurred about 2 o’clock Friday afternoon in the pretty little village of Wallace that has ever befallen our duty to chronicle, and that community is shocked as it never was before. Not that there have not been more horrible calamities befallen them but the peculiar nature of Friday afternoon’s tragic event will never efface itself from the memories of they who were witnesses. It was about three o’clock that a message was received at this office that the Christian church in Wallace had been struck by lightening and that it was impossible to ascertain how many of a party of ladies who were in the church had been killed. We hastily secured a verification in part of the report, and were soon upon the scene where we secured the following facts; The Ladies’ Aid Society were arranging to give an entertainment in the near future, and in accordance with previous arrangements a meeting was held in the church Friday afternoon to practice a broom brigade drill which they intended to give. They had hardly begun the practice when a severe electrical and rain storm came up, and although they were badly frightened they continued the drill. There were in the party Mrs. Ira Wilkinson, Mrs. Dee Shoaf, Miss Ura Shoaf, Mrs. Clint Wilkinson, Ada Lowe, Mrs. Clifford Cole, Maggie Bowman, Misses Inez and Annis Starns, Miss Ella Wooley, Mrs. Edgar Shoaf, Mrs. Austin Fine, Mrs. John Bellis and Miss Maud Shoaf a visitor. The party being lead by one of their number was marching around the pulpit in threes when suddenly a terrific crash came, a noise so deafening, the building was filled with bluish flames, timbers and window glasses were hurled in all directions and every member of their party was thrown prostrate to the floor. As some of them who were less shocked than others arose, they said they could hear nothing, but in the mist could see their friends lying as if dead. Soon they who partially revived began calling for help and Dee Shoaf, Lee Philpott and Ira Wilkinson arrived quickly on the scene, as they were confident that lightening had struck in that vicinity and feared it was the church. The feeling of the men cannot be described as all that was dear to them was in the building and it seemed that all had been killed; they rushed inside and found several of the ladies able to stand up. Some of them were so dazed they did not know what they were doing and ran screaming outside into the heavy rain. Mrs. Philpott was found sitting on the edge of the pulpit. She was severely shocked, her right shoe and the foot of her stocking had been torn from her foot and it was some time before she revived. Mrs. Ura Shoaf had received a severe shock. She was thrown quite a distance. Her dress caught fire and a heavy piece of timber off of the window casing had struck her in the head, but she soon revived. Mrs. John Bellis was thrown clear off the platform falling beside the seat. She gave a gasp after they reached her and she was dead. Mrs. Philpott and Miss Shoaf were marching locked arms and while they escaped with severe shocks it is a wonder they were not killed also. The lightening struck in the cone of the roof at the rear end. It seemed to be forked as it evidently hit on two places. The roof and ceiling are supported with iron rods reaching from one to the other and one bolt struck directly on a rod. This rod evidently carried the bolt of lightening to the ceiling where it tore a large hole in the plastering and descended to a spot directly over which the pulpit when in place stands and that was where poor Mrs. Bellis was standing, when the fatal bolt descended and in an instant took the spark of life from her. The other bolt must have jumped to the side of the building and ran down between the weather boarding and plaster going into the ground, although part of one of them tore the facing off of the windows, broke three large panes of glass out of the east and two out of the west side windows, threw the timber and glass all over the rostrum and followed a wire in which was used a curtain for the entertainers across the room from one window to the other. It simply melted the wire into fragments and the particles that fell on the fine pulpit carpet were so hot that they burned holes in it. It was but a few moments after the horrible accident had occurred before there was the wildest confusion in the village. The rain was falling in torrents but people were running in all directions, while the women who had passed through the awful affair were shocked and excited until they could not restrain their screams. Both Drs. Wert and Caplinger arrived promptly on the scene, and they worked with Mrs. Bellis for over an hour, but they could do nothing for her–she was past their medical skills while many were looking after they who were in the church, others ran for ladders, and soon Eston Wilkinson was on top of the church with two fire extinguishers, and it was good that he was prompt as the church was afire; the extinguishers worked well and he soon had the fire out. An examination of the body of Mrs. Bellis did not show any marks except a red one on the right temple and one over the heart, it being the theory that the bolt entered at the temple and passed out of the body and the remnant striking Mrs. Philpott’s shoe. As soon as it was seen that life was extinct her remains were taken to the residence of Dee Shoaf, as her husband was in the country, and kept there until his arrival when they were taken to her home. A peculiar incident in connection when the storm came up, many of the ladies wanted to go to Mr. Shoaf’s residence which is across the street until it subsided, as they said it was dangerous to be in a church during a storm. Mrs. Bellis objected to going as she said that she was afraid of the telephone wires, the exchange being in Mr. Shoaf’s residence. The scene at the church when The News visited it in company with the sorrow stricken citizens almost beggars description. The edifice is a beautiful structure and is the pride of the good people of the county and the awful calamity is the much more keenly felt under the circumstances in which it occurred. It would be impossible to give a reasonable description of the scene of the few horrible seconds when the tongues of lightening were spitting in all directions; the debris glass and timbers falling all around them as they fell prostrate on the rostrum where they have to worship. No pen is able to describe that scene. None but they who passed through it can ever understand the horrors it caused or why the poor unfortunate woman should be chosen to meet such a tragic death. She was marching at the time arm in arm with Mrs. Lee Philpott and Ura Shoaf and as will be noticed they were the greatest suffers, though we are glad to say with no serious results. Mrs. Lula Bellis, wife of John Bellis and daughter of Howard Watson, was 28 years of age. She leaves besides her husband a son, aged 10. She was a good Christian, loved and respected by everyone, and her death in any manner would be sadly mourned. As it is in the county is bowed in grief as it never was before. All the other ladies are greatly shocked, some of them suffered almost nervous prostration and it will be some time before they are fully recovered while time can never efface the horrible memories of the dreadful calamity that befell their village on Friday afternoon, Aug. 17, 1906 .

From Michael Bowman (as is above article about the church fire) -- definition and origin of a “broom brigade drill” “From the day it reopened after the Civil War, in 1867, the University of Minnesota enrolled women in its classes. Only the third state college to admit women, the sexes shared classrooms and college experiences. Men at the University could play football, join the debate club, and enjoy the liberties of youth; women at the U were given "a room of their own," in the form of a ladies' lounge in Old Main, that was strictly off-limits to men. Of course the ladies are entitled to the advantages of military drill and we are glad that they have made known their wishes to the faculty. A 'broom brigade' will doubtless add materially to the value of the University as an educational center." The "broom brigade" made its first public appearance in March 1889 and was quickly adopted by groups of women across the nation. I find it hard to believe two things: 1. I cannot visualize my Grandmother performing close order military drill. 2. That in the 16 years that I knew my Grandmother, she never talked about this event nor did I ever think to ask her. I had heard of a woman being killed in the church.