The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-02
LIGHTNING STRUCK,
Awful Experience of Work
men at CommunipaW
Drydock.
FIVE BADLY INJURED.
st. Peters Bell Rang Yesterday
Without Human Hands---"Talk
Of Electric Killingr'
FIVE BADLY INJURED.


On the streets yesterday many persons
were heard to exclaim, "What peculiar
atmospherer' It was as sultry as hot
midsummer day. Men drew off their
spring oyercoats and carried them on
their arms. With already moistened
handkerchiefs they mopped the perspira-
ton from their brows
Then the sky began to I'LL up with
clouds and huge drops Of water fell and
splashed the pavements
A small group Of pedestrians who
sought shelter from the rain under an
awning in the vicinity of st. Peters
Church on Grand street, were amused by
a corruscating fash of sheet lightning
followed by several fierce flashes that
zigzagged in close proximity to the tower
on St. Peters Church. The great bell
chimed forth a few strokes without the
aid of the sexton.
1t was an unusual occurrence, yet while
the awe struck pedestrians were discuss
ing the probability of the tower having
heen shaken by an electric shock, a scene
was being enacted at McWilliams' Com
munipaw dry dock, just across the gap,
ON THE DOCK.
When the storm broke and the rain be-
gan TO splash the work of the painters
and caulkers on the steam lighter Lin
coln." Captain Charles Brown, which had
been placed on the docks for a general
oyerhauiing, the group of men on the
outside sought shelter from the pelting
rain drops beneath the bows of the
lighter. There they sat laughing and
chatting.
Suddenly bolt of lightning, directly
above their heads, blinded them for the
instant. This was closely followed by a
second bolt that struck the bow of the
lighter, splintering a portion of the orna-
mental work and glancing along the sides
of the bow passed over the heads of the
group, but in such close proximity as to
stun and send the members rolling insen-
sible on the floor Of the dock.
In the group were Philip Holden, Of
No, 24S York street; Joe DINNERS, who
iues. at the corner of Fourteenth and
Washington streets, Hoboken; Henry
Miller, OF Laidlaw avenue; Thomas Wat
son, OF No. 40 Willow Terrace, Hoboken;
William Schields, of No. 27e Twelfth
street.
Foreman Nelson Doty, with Frank
Best had taken refuge in the little box
Office on the shore. Mr.. Doty was light
ing cigar. He looked out the window
and saw the mon lying on the floor Of the
dock.
.Great Godi'' he said, 'look at the
scared fools.
Mr.. Nelson kept on looking.
BADLY HURT.
"They don't seem TO be moving he
resumed, with solemn look creeping in
to HIS face; THAT bolt has done 'em up,
Best, and he Immediately hastened down
to the dock, closely followed by the
frightened Best. A number Of scared
faces We're seen peering from the windows
of the lighter, and several very frightened
individuals commenced to crawl up from
the engine room and came tumbling over
the blackened sides of the vessels hull.
Knud johnson, q caulker, came rush
ing around from Sheltered spot q short
distance away. His face was streaming
with blood. He ran hfther and thither,
screaming What's the matter? What's
the matters" Several of the unhurt
workman came rushing upon the scene.
DIR. Craven, the nearest physician, was
Immediately summoned. BY rubbing
and other processes some of the men
were brought to nearly an hour after
ward.
Joe DINNERS, Of Hoboken, big strap
ping fellow. was scarcely brought to, but
showed some signs of life. He was placed
in stretcher procured from the Central
Depot, conveyed across the gap and sent
home in cab. Neither he nor Henry
Miller, whose right side was blackened
by the bolt, showed up for work this
morning.
All the men have marks OF the bolt
Phil Holden, who came to about fifty
minutes after the shock, made his way
home, where he lay down on lounge,
became unconscious and remained in
that staUe for several hours. He said he
felt ss though big block had dropped
upon his head.
Shields said he felt as though he had
been sandbagged. Talk about death by
electricity. It's the easiest death in the
world,,' he said. ''At least | think so
after my experience yesterday"
FELT IN THE HOLD.
The men at work among the machinery
appliances below did not escape the shock.
Engineer B. Murphy had a coal chisel
and hammer sent flying from his hands,
tearing small portion of the skin there
from.
The shock knocked him silly. Tommy
Farrell and Patrick O'Neill, two boiler
makers, claim they. were knocked
ame same rsn als0 ali y ths the wsy sS0ok along
this big steel shaft, . said one of them.
land felt as If l had hold Of an electric
battery. 1t went all through my BODY
s.My experience" said Steward Charles
Robinson, was ludicrous can tell you.
had pan in my hands that was just
removing from the furnace in
which I had built a fire. When
the shock came / dropped the pan. /
trembled in every portion of my body
skylight," pointing to the object in
question, "fell and struck me over the
head. It frightened the life out of me.
I've had such experiences at sea before;
but nothing like that. i can assure yol. =
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