The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-09-19

tremendous shower was approaching. 1t
was very dark, but at the same time the
clouds didn't present an unbroken appear
ance, but seemed to be somewhat detached.
By half past six the first rain drops began 10
fall. and for twenty minutes there was a
lively battle Of the elements. The lightning
flashed wildly and constantly. The peaIs,
however, did not come very close on to the
flashes Of lightning, showing that the weight
OF the storm was elsewhere.
The streets ran rivers for few moments,
and the dead leaves in the cutters, borne
along damned the culverts In many places
and transformed some crossings into broad
lakes. Patriotic citizens donned rubber
coats and boots. and armed with rakes boxed
the distractions away so that the floods SUBJ
sided before any lives were lost. A section
OF the sand bank at the East End, where the
Portland and Rochester Is at work with a
steam shovel, caved In but did no damage.
Many Of the side hill streets were badly
quilted and many culverts filed with gravel
wash.
The observer at the weather bureau stated
that 1t was not a very great disturbance,
either electrical or In the form of rain. There
was about twenty-five hundredths of an
inch OF rain fell In twenty minutes, and the
| highest velocity the wind attained was twen-
| ty-three miles an hour for a few moments.
| The storm divided before bursting over this
city.
During the shower lightning struck a te,e-
graph wire close by Kenneth McDohald's on
MuDjoy street. and thence ran to a gaspipe
In his house. and out again by the pipe. 1t
set the gas on fire in the pipe, but the flames
were quickly extinguished with little dam
age.
The lightning entered the patrolmen's
room at the police station by the electric
wire. Deputy Sterling said he saw a great
globe OF fire enter and 1t burned out all but
one of the electric lights in the room. The
electric light station was notified and their
men repaired the damages. Fortunately no
one was hurt.
The bright light of fire was seen appar-
emily on one of the islands at the head of
Casco Bay.
A barn belonging to George Pride, stood
on Stroudwater street, .Westbrook. 1t was
quite large structure and contained ten
tons of hay. A bolt struck the barn, and in
!" A~v"Shb Az Woo Al ndulco, IL was TOTALLY
consumed as well as all the hay.
At South Portland the lightning struck the
Good Templars' hall on Preble street. The
bolt went down through the chimney
throwing the plastering about, and thence
into an ante-room long distance off and
came out the back door Of the stove, at the
foot of the funnel. 1t ripped up the zinc
on the floor, took piece of board out of
| the upper flooring, disturbed the plaster
| ing and broke the stove funnel in the store
underneath. The damage was considerable.
The lightning set fire to barn. as report
ed by the conductor of the Stroudwater
horse car. some distance beyond that vii
lage. 1t was evidently consumed, Judging
by the bright light seen from the city In that
vicinity. This may have been the light of
the fire which destroyed Mr.. Pride's barn
mentioned above.
house and stable somewhere near Cash's
Corner In Cape Elizabeth, had been de-
| stroyed.
The Grand Trunk train was delayed some
whatiowing to the lightning affecting their
| railway wire seriously.
This was the first severe storm that the
electric railroad line has encountered, and It
came through the conflict with flying lcolors.
| The cars ran regularly and on good schedule
time, the lights were bright. the motors
hummed and sang merrily and everybody on
board was happy. There might have been a
timid few who were afraid to go near the
broom stick train. but they kept out of sight
| OF the officers of the road. In the express
L tua Ian ro NJ
| was as nice as cotton hat"
The telephone people suspended business
| promptly when the thunder began to roll
| and. as general thing, no amount of ring
| Ing could produce an an answer until about
O'Clock, when the service was resumed.
Several persons got an earful of lightning
| while ringing up, but the wires all came out
| OF the shower in good shape.
The Electric Light Company did business
at the old stand all through the display and
nobody was any the worse for 1t.
Mr.. Cummings galvanometers In the fire
alarm room were agitated somewhat more
than usual but there was no break In the
lines. The Williston bell was struck dumb
early In the day, but the shower had no eff
feet on it.
The Western Union was the principal suf-
ferer. Forty-seyen "snappers" or wires
running to the switch board went out at a
Hash. The local signal and district messen-
ger service, and numerous spider wires on
short lines were knocked out In less than no
time. For about two hours there was no
business done, but soon after O'Clock the
service was resumed. and is now in its usual
satisfactory condition.
Blue fire played around the switchboard
In the Commercial Union office during the
shower In an interesting but not reassuring
fashion, but when the melee was all over
and the dead and wounded were counted ND
only two wires were found to be disabled.
These were eastern wires and were crossed.
not burned out.
By 80 o'clock the skies were clear and
the moon was shining on the muddy streets.
fro noffu 80