Trinidad Silvas was most likely born in Mexico around 1866. In the summer of 1911, she and her long-time partner, José Alvarez, were working for a local rancher and temporarily living in a tent on his property about four miles northeast of the Phoenix townsite.
During the night of July 16th, a terrific thunderstorm blew up. Alvarez had been lying awake on his cot and listening to the roar of the thunder for quite a while. Then, all of a sudden, he saw a bright flash of lightning and heard a loud thunderclap. It seemed to him that a ball of fire rolled into the tent!
Alvarez was tossed across the floor of the tent and lost unconsciousness for a few minutes. When he came to, he ascertained that his thirteen-year-old daughter, who was lying on a pallet, had not been harmed—in fact, she had not even awakened. Trinidad, however, had died instantly, the hair on one side of her head burned away.
Alvarez ran to the nearest habitation and poured out the tragic news. Coroner Johnstone was summoned and ordered that the body not be moved pending an inquest on the following day. The investigation revealed a small hole with charred edges, burned in the tent canvas. It was speculated that the tragic event had been an example of a rare phenomenon known as ‘ball lightning’.
In the same neighborhood—and almost at the same time-- a valuable gray horse belonging to W. Bivins was also struck and killed by lightning.
Trinidad was buried in City/Loosley Cemetery. It is not known what became of José Alvarez and the couple’s young daughter.
-By Debe B.
