The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-03
She met A SUDDEN death
Mrs. John Gcrrity Killed by Light
ming During the Storm.
THE BOLT ENTERED HER HOME
Other Work OF tho Storm About the City
nnd It's Vicinity-Trce I'm Falling In.
jurcd the House OF John Bcalc.
Oh Main Avenue.

During the rain storm of yesterday
afternoon Mrs. John Gerrity, of Slate
Hill, near the Continental mines, of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
Railroad company, was killed by the
lightning.
She was sitting in the front room of
the house and the bolt struck the ridge
of the roof near, the chimney; it left
no marks on her body. The house was
scarcely damaged by the flash. She Is
survived by her husband and large
family.
The wind was so furious that 1t lifted
the heavy roof off the barn of Henry
Backhorn, n farmer living near the
Continental mines. and carried it 100
feet away on top of culm dump. The
fruit trees in Backhorn's orchard were
all leveled to the ground or utterly
ruined.
At Minooka the storm ragged with
great fury for time. Fruit trees
were blown down and number of
windows broken. Car No. 142 of the
Scranton Traction company received a
charge of electricity from the heavens
which burned out the fuse wires and
ing car had to pull the disabled coach
back to the city.
Damage About the City.
A good deal Of damage was done
in all parts of the city, the hillside
streets suffering greatly. 1t will keep
the street commissioner busy for many
days to get them in shape again. The
water rushed down some OF the West
Side, Sanderson's Hill and North End
streets, tearing great holes wherever
the thoroughfares were unpaved. Great
masses of dirt were forced down to the
intersecting streets at the foot of the
hills. and there piled up in heaps or
swept into the sewers.
At Clark street and Main avenue
North End, lightning struck and felled
n large tree. In its descent the tree
struck the house of John Beale, crush
ing in the side of It,
In the lower end of Minooka very
little rain fell, and the storm did not
reach as far as Old Forge The place
nor the territory below it did not know
its. cooling effects.
Before the Storm.
lHe tluai wave OF neat that swept
over this Vicinity last Thursday and
continued daily since then to roll its
billows along to the great discontinue
of humanity received a check late yes
terday afternoon from the refreshing
but damaging shower. Up to that time
the heat had been most oppressive.
Saturday the thermometer registered
between 80 and 100 from early morning
until nightfall, but yesterday the mer-
curry did not get above So, cool bfeeZes
assisting in tempering the torrid atmo-
sphere.
While men and women perspired they
turned their eyes longingly to the flag
staff on the court house, where the
weather signals are displayed, and there
saw that exasperating white, fair
weather flag, hanging limp and suplne
from its staff. Even when towards 5
o'clock the sky darkened and Old King
Humidity for the moment took control
of the weather bureau and drenched
the parched earth, that white flag re-
manned at its post and refused to go
down.
Then Clear Weather Rcigned Again.
Presently the sky cleared, beautiful
rainbow was seen and the white rag
shook the rain drops from its folds,
seemed to take fiendish delight in pro-
claiming that 1t had won, for was not
the weather again fair?