Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-08-06

PUBLIC BUILDING STRUCK BY ]IldIITSiNd--
STRANGE FREAKS OF TIE ELECTRIC ILClD'-
Daring the storm yesterday afternoon inc meu''
bers Of the County School boaro' VINO were
waiting 10 the City Board room, IN feaoooy
building, for the rain to cease, we're 5taf|ieu
by sudden flash and simultaneous report,
and Messrs. Febrey, Slater and Gross VINO
1rere IN king towards the back windows,
declared that the building had been struck.
They had all, however, seen tue hight
ming differently. Ooe thought it descended
between the northwest corner Of the main
building and a tall chimney on MIR. John Wen.
Ze's back building to the west another had
seen it flashing from two iron clamps on the
wall CT the main bulldog, whilst to the third
it had seemed to divide above the corner of the
building and 70 north and south. No damage
was apparent but, in few moments the jan
ilor canoe in. aud calling out Superintendent
Caruc. cxpresseg his apprehension that tho
building was on fire. as ho had seen some little
smoke and smelt fire on opening tho door OF
room No. 5, at the corner in the third story
The Superintendent thought he detected q
smell OF fire. but as there was no smoke, for
bore giving an alarm, aud had tho room care
fully watched duriog tho evening. It IL prob
able that the lightning descended through the
ventilator, passed down the ventllatOr pipe OF
tin and set fire to some ittlo rubbish Which
may have collected at tho bottom OF it, below
the floor Of that room. Meanwhile, MIR.
John Y. Gibson, who keeps tho drug store
in tho west end of the main building, aud his
nephew, Alexander Gibsou, who were in the
front part of the store, we're startled by
noso like the firing OF gun ia the room Just
back OF them, aud the latter, turning suddenly,
saw & hight playing among some glass ais on
the shelves. MIR. Gibson at first thought it
chemical explosion Of some sort, but soon dis
covered the water bursting from the pipe, and
. und, on examination, that the electric nud
had come 10 along the leaden discharge Pipe,
which was melted at its mouth, passed up to
the cast iron sink, which it broke in its pas
sage, and then, tearing off wooden strip, had
bored hole 10 the water pipe and escaped
lie thinks that the lightning first struck the
rod on the back building, which has been dis
by the boys at the second story, and
either leaped, or passed up the gutter, to tho
waste pipe, but Dir. Carne is of opinion that q
porton OF the ioil diifused itself over the tia
roof, sorno passing down through the vcntila-
tor, while the rest went down by the waerspout
ami !caped thence two or three inches back to
the discharge pipe. 10 either case it is snsu
lar that the ilud, when SO near tue ground,
only some throc inches. should have eapcd that
distance to lead pipe and gone up again,
while it WIS raining very heavily. Mr.. Cole,
the jlpitor, detects holes in tho watcrspout
above, which he says wero not there before,
aud which the lightning must havo made wien
MIR. Slater saw it plaping along the iron clamps
70 tho wall. 1t is fortunate that no ono in the
building was irj lred, only Mr.. Gibson aud his
nephew experiencing very slight shocks. Mr..
Arthuc q. Avery, who is q clerk in his brothers.
store opposite, says that he saw ball Of fire
come RAPIDLY across the street, whirl around
several times close to his feet as he stood lean
ne against the counter near tho door, and then
20 out again. His father and other gentlemen
who wcro 10 the store saw the fire, and o round
place iu the wet floor. whore he saw, it, was
ound to be perfectly dry Immediately after
qnraa