New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-20
4 WIDESPREAD TEMPEST.
LAST NIGHTS STORM CAUSED DAMAGE IN
COUNTRY TOWNS.
NEW BRUNSWICK. n. j., FLOODED-T TELEGRAPH
AND TELEPHONE WIRES DOwN-PART OF
BROOKLYN IN DARKNEss-LONG ISLAND
TOWNS DEENCHED WITH RAIN.
TOWNS DRENCHED WITH RAIN.

AND TELEPHONE WIRES DOwN-PART OF
BROOKLYN IN DARKNEsS-LoNG ISLAND
TOWNS DRENCHED WITH RAIN.
One Of the most terrific storms Of electricity
anI rain on record struck New Brunswick, n. j.;
M i 30 last night Sharp flashes of lightning
continually lit the sky and the thunder was so
close. rapid and sharp that it sounded like the
rapid firing of heavy battery of artillery. a
strong wind accompanied the storm, and the ram
fell in torrents The Weather Bureau reports
three inches on the level, which is more than
has fallen before In long time
The streets were flooded from gutter 10 gutter,
and tine low lying sections We're almost impossible
The volume of water was equal 10 that which
would be- precipitatcd by cloudburst.
Telephone and telegraph wires suffered So
vcrclv. the former service being completely par
aIyzcd in and near Ncw-lirunswick Most of the
wires are not only down, but are burned out, ano
telegraph wires to points between New-Brunswlch
and Trenton are down.
The house of William Henderson, in Highland
Park. was struck by lightning during the height
of the storm. The damage was slight.
The Postal Telegraph Company had no wires
leading ont of the city in working order
Every person who was in this city last night
knows that it raincd ana that along with thr
rain there was a beautiful and dazzling display
of lfchtring. Late in the afternoon, when the
Anarchists and the unemployed were getting reaay
far , biz evening demonstration in Union
sou,r. word came over the telephone and tee-
,,,rb wires that rain was falling away up above
,h. Anrcxcd District And the dispatches said
chat th. storm was headed straight for this
citv II cot here about 30 o'clock, coming
first ocntlv and without any indication OF the
rud,uc.s and hoisterousncss that 1t displayed
few hour, later.
soon after 0 o'clock the rain fell in large
quantities The wind helped it to get beneath
umbrellas and into corners and doorways where
rain does not lccitimatcly belong.
Tmbrclla or no umbrella, if one were out on
tLe streets he got wet. But those who were
Obliged TO go ont into the storm were not the
onlv ones who were mconvenienced.
Those who had occasion to Use their telephones
,.o,,. at first puzzled, and tnen deeply panied by
thc uncertain. rambling, ana bu2zng talk of those
with whom they We're trying to speak. Let no
ono hastily jump 10 the conclusion that the
friend h" spoke with over the telephone was III
toxicatcd last evening. 1t was the electric storm
\n: tlcr, was no duel or other shooting affair
: At smiths house last night. 1t was the electric
storm. -, -, ,
scrihnr asked at o o'clock last night
Bang. Bang. Ru2z-z-z-z-z.' was the only
reply.
horn hurt \ few tcmpers dsturbcd-that
WAS all
between Ncw-Nork and nearly all other cities in
the country. il had the effect of closing and ther
opening the circuits. In other words. the service
wa, slower than usual. I'm New-Jcrsey the effect
were. moro serious than in other parts of the coun
try J. L. Robinson. the assistant night manager
of the Western Union Telegraph Company, tod d
Tribune reporter last night that the wires
bad Hin & pT"Sifn1''d n"rtn rrcn,op point This aG9a
about the only serious break i'll the service re-
portcd last evening As the Western Union has
az least six different routes to Philadelphia, the
break mentioned did not seriously affect the
service to that city The difficulty with the
wires was, Mr.. Robinson said, first noticed about
: o'clock last evening. Every flash of lightning
affected every wire The main effect of the
Storm however. was TO merely hamper the service,
not TO destroy 1t.
The portion of BROOKLYN supplied by electric
Citizens Electric Iisht and Power Company. at
reKalb and Hudson aves.. was plunged into dark
t' last evening. The heavy rainfall over
moved the receiving basin at the corner and
run into the engine room in such volume that
the fires were eNtncuishcd. No other damage
was done. and ~ soon ~ the water can be
pumped ont the engines will start again.
The storm broke ont with raging fury just be-
fore midnight at Flushing, l.. l.. Brilliant light
ming lit up the surrounding country, followed by
terrific crashes of thunder, the rain coming down
into rivers of mud, and the cellars of houses in
the thicklv settled portions of the towns were
Hooded. Many buildings in the toyns Of Flat
bush, New trecht (iravesend and Canarsic are
in course of erection, and il s feared they are
undermined by the floods and much damage done.
In many instances the wind and lightning damaged
the private telephone and district wires.
which have been torn down and tangled in the
streets.
A STANDARD OIL TANK STRUCK BY LIGHT
Lightning struck Standard oil tank at Caven
Point near Jersey City, last night. The explosion
like an earthquake. About 10000 gallons OF oil
were burned
TO GRADE NEW MILITARY PARADE GRoCND.
Michael :. Coleman. brother OF exCommlssioner
james ;. Coleman. OF the street Cleaning Depart
ment has secured the $4,000 contract br grad
ing and enlargng the military parade ground
aesiC