![]() “Haunted Talladega County”, by Kim Johnston and Shane Busby, reveals that Cosper was a simple man, not known for much until after his death. People from all over frequently stop by to see the grave and connect to the man known as “the human lightning rod.” To this day, Cosper’s final resting place is still marked by rubble.Ĭosper’s story has been covered by Ripley’s Believe It or Not and is mentioned in Roadside America’s map of strange things. “And that’s what we get a lot of around here in the summertime.” “That’s what we’re talking about with this gentleman, is cloud-to-ground lightning,” Dice said. “It would be interesting to look into to see if this area is more prone to more lightning strikes.”ĭice said the southeast does have a lot of cloud-to-ground lightning. “I have heard people talk about it,” said Pody. “That’s how I know of them and that’s been back in the 70s.”Īlthough she has never visited the grave herself, she said she wants to go see what the fuss is all about. “My dad used to rent pasture land for our cattle and he leased the property from them,” said Pody. She said she has always heard about William Cosper, his story, and his family that still lives in Childersburg. Lisa Pody, who works at The Print Shop in Childersburg, has lived in the area all her life. ![]() “Getting struck by lightning one time is a fairly low chance, depending on where you live but twice is about a one in nine or 10 million chance of having that happening and then having the grave struck by lightning is certainly very interesting.” “It would be incredibly rare to get struck by lightning twice,” said Dice. Bricks were placed on the grave but those, too, have been struck by lightning.ĭice said what happened with Cosper is rare and unlikely to happen again. However, the grave was struck again, leaving the marker in crumbles. It didn’t take long for the family to respond by putting up another tombstone. Not long after his burial, his tombstone was struck by lightning and was destroyed. Photo: Erica Thomas.īut it wasn’t over yet for Cosper. He was 74 or 75 years old.Ĭosper’s body was brought back to where he was born and he was buried in the Childersburg Cemetery.Ĭhildersburg Cemetery. According to death records, Cosper died in 1919. Historical accounts do not reveal exactly where Cosper was in the house but this time, he would not survive the lightning strike. It’s not impossible but not common…Houses that have metal plumbing, it’s possible that lighting could strike something and it run in on you if you’re in a bathtub or something like that.” “I mean almost to the point you just don’t hear about that. “Inside a building would not be very common at all,” Dice said. Perhaps Cosper was near an open window or door. Not long after recovering from the shocking event, Cosper was inside his home in Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, when it happened again.ĭice said it is extremely rare for someone to get struck while inside their home. There are no details on what Cosper’s injuries were, but he is thought to have had a short recovery. That’s hotter than the surface of the sun.” A bolt of lightning can be over 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, when they are struck by lightning, there can be severe burns. “They can be revived by CPR in some cases. “You can see someone’s heart stop because of the disruption of the electrical signals that drive the heart,” Dice said. A lightning bolt struck the wool, setting it on fire.Ĭertified Broadcast Meteorologist JP Dice said when a person is struck by lightning, injuries can vary. ![]() A month prior to the strike that hit him, he and Martha were sitting in the front room of their house, spinning wool. However, he had already had a close call before. According to gravesite records, his wife, Martha Carolina Butts Cosper, helped nurse him back to health. He was injured and it took time for him to recover. He was sitting on his front porch at the time. Rumor has it that Cosper survived being struck by lighting the first time. ![]() Dejournett Cosper in 1844, Cosper would live for over seven decades before succumbing to his fate. However, two of those times were after death.īorn to the Rev. William Yeldell Cosper was struck by lightning at least five times. Legends and lore have passed through generations over the years, but one story, in particular, is a bit shocking. The city, which sits just 37 miles southeast of Birmingham was settled in 1540.
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