Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-07-01
A BIG STORM.
AN ELECTRICAL DISPLAY SUCH AS THE OLD
EST INHABITANT
Never Saw Excellsd-The Peoples Bank Building
Struck by Lightning-Other Damages
by the Storm.

by the Storm.
One of the greatest electrical storms
ever occurring in this vicinity dropped in
on US yesterday afternoon about $50
o'clock, and there followed for couple of
hours the most startling and vivid display
of electrical pyrotechnics that the Oldest
inhabitants ever saw here or anywhere
Sharp, zig-zag streaks Of lightning We're
of very frequent occurrence, seeming to
split the dark and lowering heavens in
their mad capers The thunder rolled and
pealed in all the force of its mighty power
and if all the firearms and cannOns in the
world had been divided into two grand ar
mics and were cOntendng against each
other. the noise,of battle would not have
been greater than that made by the thun
der of last evening Now
RATTLE or MUsKETRY
could be heard close by; then in the dis
lance, as if the firing was passing down the
line Next a terrific report, as If of a hun
bred cannon being fired simultane-
ously, shook the very earth with its grand
crash. The cannonading was constant,
and between the lightning aud thunder
people We're kept in quite "A bewlderod
state of mind, sort of wondering where IL
would strike next, as the discharges were
SO close, apparently, that every minute 1t
seemed rs if something had been struck IN
the city. And several places were struck.
Perhaps the most serious incident OF this
kind occurred about fifteen minutes past
six o'clock. when there WAS very vivid
fash of lightning. Immediately followed by
terrific crash of thunder. y moment
later people in the vicinity noticed smoke
pouring from the tower on top OF thc
Peoples Bank building, at Main and
Twelfth streets. An attempt was made to
send in an alarm of tire, but the wires
were so
CHARGED WITH ELECTRICITY
that the gongs in the engine houses were
kept almost constantly ringing, and the
alarm was very unintclligible, but the de-
partment arrived on the scene in good time
anyway.
1t seems bolt of lightning struck top
of the tower. which is built of wood and
rises sixteen feet above the top of the
building. This tower is used TO shelter the
cables of the telephone company. The wires
| from all the telephones converge into this
tower, where they are formed into cables Of
| fifty wires each, which are covered with
gum, and are carried down conductor
through the third story Of the building into
the central Offices Of the company, located
| in the second story The wood work Of the
tower was ignitcd by the bolt, and WAS
soon on fire inside, and the flames commu-
nicating with covering on the cables caused
| "A heavy volume of smoke 10 pour forth,
giving the appearance Of big fire. But
! the fact is the tower does not communicate
with the building at all except through the
opening made for the cables.
The tower was kept closed and no air
could get in to
FAN THE FLAMES
until the department arrived and the feat
Of drowning out the fire was the work Of
but Il short time.
Hundreds of excited people, covered by
as many umbrellas, assembled in the vicin
! ity to see what they could see They waded
through water up to their knees, as the
water ut that time was pouring down
Twelfth and Market streets in "a perfect
volume. If il had been up to their necks
men, women and children would no doubt
have waded through it.
All was state of excitement in the vi
cinity. while the lightning continued to
! flash, the thunder tn roar, and the rain To
fall. But there was u fire, and people were /
determined to get there. and they got.
There was little or no damage done to /
the building. except what little water |
seaped through from the roof. but the Tel |
ephOnc Company's loss is quite large |
reaching, according TO Manager VOLTS |
statement, from
$1,000 to 2,C0O.
There were 90 wires running into the |
building and they were all burnt out, so |
that the Central Office was compelled 10 at |
once close down business and all the girls
were sent home.
Mr. Wolf states that never in his expert
ence in the business did he see such an
electrical storm, and the electrical dis
charges from the wires during its progress
came one after the other in rapid success
sion. He says it will require at
least six days before sub
scribers can be connected up temporarily, |
and perhaps two months before the ncces- |
sary changes can be made. it being the in !
tention 10 run the wires directly into the |
office instead of down through the roof of |
the building. Parties desiring 10 commu- |
nicate with people from out of town can do |
So from the Central Office after 10 o'clock |
this morning
People who have been using telephones
in their business for so long will be greatly /
Inconvenience by the loss of their use
now Perhaps no other loss would be so
greatly felt by the business community
generally.
The lightning also struck the chimney of
the summer kitchen of Fifteenth street
residence, knocked it down and tore
HOLE THROUGH THE ROOF.
No one was hurt and no other damage was
done
At the Office Of the Globe Contract Com
pany, on Fourteenth street, some damage
was done by the lightning. II is supposed |
10 have slid down the Spouting on the house /
and caught onto the wires running into the |
office being carried from the electrical /
motors used in propelling fans, into the |
ground \ good many wires are running /
into the Office, ana the electrical display |
was something startling 10 behold. One of /
the inmates Of the ONCE did some lofty |
and ground tumbling in attempting 10 |
ret out of the building, taking header |
across two desks 10 the door. The boxes /
was burnt out. which was about all the
damage done.
The rain was very heavy aud number
Of cellars got Il dose of water. Stanton &
Daypuporr's cellar was one that suffered,
the high brick crossing AT that point dump
inc the water right into the cellar grating.
There was quite a washout reported To
have occurred ON the Pan Handle road al
Short Creek. and the excursion train could
not leave last night. Al the people who
could get in from the park in time were as
scmb!ed at the depot. wet and weary, and
when they found the train would not leave
until in the morning they were mad as
well. and they dispersed 10 hunt places 10
rest with no pleasant feeling toward the
weather
OTHER DAMAGES.
The Panhandle train got away for PITTS
burg about one o'clock this morning. and 1t
was crowded Many of the people who
went out to the Park did not get in until
midnight. II was reported that there were
several washouts along the road, but the
only trouble. rs far as could be learned,
was AT several places whore mud and stones
had washed down over the track, when
had to be sh0yeled of.
II was understood that eXOhiccr Frank
Grublers residence. in the Sixth ward,
was struck by lightning, but the damage
was small if any.
There were some other smaller damages
about the city. but none Of particular note.
Seaside and Country.
Readers of the REGISTER leaving the city
for their summer vacations can have ii
mailed to any address within the United