Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-06-04
onroAeo,s rERRIFIo sroRM.
Five Persons Killed by lightning
A FearfuIIy High Wind.

| Associated Press Dispatch by Special " ires
CHICAGO, June 3.-As far as has been
learned the number of persons killed by
lightning in last nights storm is Eve. The
name of one man killed on Blue Island
avenue has not yet been ascertained. The
others are John Montague, Mrs. Annie
Anderson, Charles Wahlforth and John
Rathke.
The last named were laborers employed
in lumber yard. The first nun was a
watchman and Mrs. Anderson was the
wife of mechanic. While leaning over
a stove preparing supper, the bolt came
down the chimney, knocking her senseless
and tearing up the floor. During the
storm the wind blew gale and loaded
street cur was forced to stop on bridge
or be blown from the track. A sudden gust
wrenched the bridge from its fastenings
whirling it lengthwise to the stream.
fortunately no one was hurt.
BLINDING SHEETS OF LIGHTNNG-voIcEs
FROM THE LAKE-sTRENuoUs EFFORTS TO
SAVE LIFE.
CHICAGO, June 3.-During the hight of
the storm last night switchmen working
near the Illinois Central round-house at
the foot of Sixteenth street heard men
shouting for help. The switchmen went
down to the breakwater and hnlloed. They
were answered by chorus of shouts
which seemed to come from men out in
the lake. The railroad men continued to
call. The answersgr gradually became fainter.
Shortly afterward Waterman heard
the cries at the foot of Eighteenth street.
He rushed down to the breakwater and
called again, and was answered by the
voices of several men. The Waterman
thought the men were drifting south. He
tried to call the police through the
patrol box, but was driven away by the
sheets of lightning which leaped
from the telephone instrument
whenever he touched it. When
the police finally learned of
men being out in the lake, patrol wagon
was sent to the foot of Eighteenth street.
The officers took lanterns and patroled
the bench, but they could not see out 60
yards on the lake. When they first came
the officers heard the cries, but the voices
were very faint and seemed II long way
out. II is thought vessel may have
been struck by lightning and that the
crew had been forced to take a boat or a
raft.
HEROIC PRESENCE OF MIND.
During the storm Henry Carmody,
| bridge tender ut the Halstead street
bridge, was the hero of performance
hat probably saved the lives of several
people. In the midst of the binding
| wind and rain he had closed the bridge
| through which vessel had passed. and
stepped into his shanty. street car
bound north dashed upon the bridge, and
| rs it neared the centre of the structure
Carmody glanced out of the window and
was Mortified to see the bridge slowly
swinging open. The driver had his
head ducked down TO ward off the force
of the storm and was apparently unaware
| of the fearful consequences of his neglect
and the danger ahead. Carmody took in
the situation at glance, dashed out of
the bridge house and ran at the
top of his speed across the bridge
toward the car. Reaching the adj
vancing team he grabbed the horses by
the bits and sang out to the driver to put
on the brake The car was stopped about
10 feet from the end of the rails and over
the muddy waters of the river. The
driver in his haste to get across allowed
the team to travel at n rapid gait and a
horrible catastrophe and loss of life was
only prevented by Carmody's nerve and
presence of mind.
The steeple of the Polish Catholic
Church on Thirty third street was struck
and completely wrecked