The evening world., 1894-07-06
|.4| INCHES Of RAIN.
Big Downpour Attends To-Day's
Electrical Storm.
Ferry.Boat and Schooner Struck
by Lightning.
Electricity Also Plays Franks in
Electricity Also Plays Franks in
Ncighboring Towns.

When the thunder began to peal and
the big raindrops to splash down shortly
after 10 o'clock this morning every New
Yorker who wasn't employed in n cold
storage warehouse said THANK good
ness"
Mr.. Dunn, OF the Equitable Building,
had said earlier in the morning that he
had his eye on nice little thunder
storm which he was trying to induce to
come this way from the Southeast. 1t
came. and for an hour or so there was u
rafting Of natures artillery which made
nervous people jump.
1t was. however, just what was needed
to clear the excessive humidity from
the air and make life more bearable.
me Storm according to Mr.. Dunn.
extended along, the. entire New Jersey
coast, and reached inland as far as the
lower lakes. With the exception of this
storm and little rain in the Tennessee
valley and Northern Michigan It was
There was little change in the tenn
perature, except In the upper Mississippi
valley, where it was a little cooler than
=, At l.20 this afternoon Mr.. Dunn said
that thunder-storms would probably con-
tinue all through the day. BY this even
ing or late tonight he thought the
weather would clear.
Three hours after the shower began
1.4l inches rain had fallen. This is more
than the entire rainfall for last month";
when SO inches fell.
And the chances are" added Mr.
Dunn, that another inch will be added
to the record to-day unless all the indi-
cations fail"
:, At $50 the temperature had fallen to
20 degrees, a drop of 9 points since 3
O'Clock in the morning.
Mr. Dunns humidity machine showed
this morning that the moisture in the
II had 1x.,I MI.
with the thermometer ut "A at o'clock,
was what made everybody 80 uncom-
Portable.
At 9 o'clock the temperature had gone
up to 70. but the thunder shower brought
thing to be thankful for. A ten-mile
breeze, too, from the southeast, helped
TO make 1t pleasanter.
The Weather bureau reports frcrn 81.
Vincent. Mimi. show that the tempera-
ture was only eight degrees above freez-
which is very nice to think about. At
that time 1t was hottest at Galveston,
TeX., with SO degrees.
Mr.. Dunn promises that cool wave
from the Northwest will get here this
evening. and that we Will have a cool
night and very comfortable day OF it
tomorrow.
The storm seemed to concentrate most
or Its force on the upper bay just off
the Battery wall. Flash after flash OF
lightning streake through the black
clouds oyerheadand the laundering re-
ports followed almost instantaneously,
denoting that the lightning could not
be many yards away.
This was proven concluSively when
the loudest peal OF all was heard and
jagged streak caught the fiag-pole
poised on the end of the pavilion of the
Staten Island ferry-house.
The pole is about thirty feet high, but
only ragged stump, not more than a
foot long, was left on the roof when
the lightning got through its play. The
splinters Of the remainder of the staff
were scattered about in the water.
wait Ing passengers fled from the build
Ing in alarm. No one was reported in
jured although many said they had felt
the sensation of an electric shock per-
office who had been sitting in the open
doorways at the rear OF the building
watching the storm. hurriedly closed up
every aperture and remained housed un-
til the storm had passed.
Just as the Staten Island ferry-boat
Westfeld was entering her slip a. the
Battery on her 1870 trip from st. George
lightning struck her forward flag staff
splintering II in big pieces. which fell
on the deck with a crash.
There was large crowd of passengers
on board; ana most Of them We're women
ened, and when the boat was made fast
to the slip many of them rushed ashore
without waiting for the gang p.anks to
be run out.
A schooner under bare poles was seen
about 1890 A.. NJ. going up the East
River in tow Of a tug. When at a point
opposite the Thlrty-ninth street South
struck her top-mast, shivering it and
sending 1t to the deck In a shower of
splinters. The name of the schooner
could not be learned.
During the storm a bolt OF lightning
struck the Flagstaff on the roof OF the
building at 81 Cliff street and damaged
&c considerably without destroying II,
The pole is sixty feet long. with gilded
twelve inches in diameter at the base
and four inches at the top,
The lightning knocked the, ball OF,
and then cut out silver OF the pole
about an inch deep for twenty feet,
then partially circlins the pole cut out
another big piece about three inches
deep and six feet long. The pole seemed
this damage. The hallards were not
injured, and where the lightning es-
capped to after coquettins with the
The buildings s., 81 and 50 CllT street
are occupied by John Chatillon & Sons.
manufacturers OF scales and butchers
implements. The employees in the
buildings were greatly alarmed for a
few moments after the bolt struck the
LOUIS j. Gray who was painting the
flagstaff a few minutes before the bolt
struck, said to an Evening Wofid re-
porter:
TT is fortunate that no more serious
damage was done. when | went on the
roof after the bolt struck there. was a
smell as II some one had been burning
sulphur, but beyond the damage done
to the pole there was not trace left
OF the lightning"
A Hash of lightning Is also blamed Tor
a false fire alarm, which was rung up at
10 20 this morning. from AL Broadway.
The alarm was turned in by an auto
matte fire signal, located outside that
building. the wires OF which are sup
posed TO have been struck during the
b p, Griffith, Wire Chief OF the West
ern Union Telegraph Company, stated
this afternoon that no serious trouble
had been caused by the storm to-day.
lie said the wires were naturally n
tribe heavy, but otherwise business was
not suffering any delay.
| weather Forecast.