The Portland daily press., 1881-07-01
AN ELECTRIC BOLT
STRIKES E. M..LANG'S SOLDER FAC
TORY.
Two Mon Injured.

Yesterday afternoon at o'clock a very wild,
black looking cloud came up and overspread
the heavens 1t moved slowly and it was a
half hour before its full effects were felt in the
City, although during that time there was
some rain and the wind whisked round from
the southwest to the northeast and then to the
south. BY $50 the clouds broke into tre-
mondous shower followed by fash of light
ming and accompanying clap of thunder that
startled people down town.
Tho lightning struck the solder factory of E.
Nj. Lang, situated on tho dump at the foot of
Chestnut street The factory is two and
half story brick building running parallel with
Kennebec street, for some distance. There
are chiInneys at either end, and two in the
middle, one on either side Of the caves. The
solder room is located in the second story in the
middle of the building and the office in the first
story just under the solder room. The latter
connects with another room situated in the
southwesterly end Of the second story, and off
this second room ii tho westerly corner is the
furnace room located directly under the Chin
ney.
The lightning evidently struck the building
in two places, probably at the same instant by
the same flash. AT the westerly corner it
passed in through the roof and wall to piece
ofempty steam pipe standing against the wall
The lower end of this pipe rested on the attic
floor very near belt, and quite near shaft.
Below in the furnace room this shaft is con-
nected By an iron rod to the boiler feed pump
and so to the water pipe. The current left the
lntva 1nfft
its passage to the shaft. From the shaft it
went silently to the earth through the con-
tinuous metallic connections.
AT the northerly edge the current followed
metallic chimney to the solder room and
thence through the brick chimney to the
earth, scattering SCOT and metal, and part of
this current doubtless followed the edge of the
roof to the telephone wire and thence to the
earth through the wire and instrument. At
the instrument it melted few inches OF the
Office wire and scattered it forcibly about the
room and leaving marks on the wall near
Evidently the ground wire took off all the cur
rent that came in on the wire. The telephone
and transmitter were spoiled by the wire burn
ing off.
Several great holes were torn in the roof by
the fluid and the workmen had to work lively
to extinguish the flames. In the solder room
when the bolt descended, Isaiah Beasley was
at work at the forge, or small furnace. The
shock affected him but not enough to PROSTATE
him at the time. He managed to get to the
next room when he fell unconscious. DR.. B.
B. Foster was called but could not decide
whether he was seriously hurt at present. He
thought the man was only suffering from the
conclusion. Still he may have received a
touch from the fluid. He was taken home. In
the Office Mr.. Lang and Mr.. A. 8. Winslow
were sitting talking and the book-keeper was
at his desk A report like a field piece was
heard. A little piece of the telephone wire
was driven through Mr.. Lang's boot into his
foot but did not inhict any serious injury. All
the men employed in the room next to the
solder room were more or less affected by the
shock except two
In the police Office the telephone and fire
alarm were full of electricity and tho sparks
flew lively.
Messrs. Cook and Thurston, the engineer
and fireman Of City Building, were passing
through the tunnel in the cellar which is filled
with steam pipes when q bali of fire appar-
emily passed through the tunnel, like ten-pin
ball, going out Of a window in another room.