The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-18
Eight Houses and Barns We're
Struck by Lightning.
TWO BARNS ARE BURNT
The Rainfall Measures Nearly
Three Inches
And Covered the Eastern Fourth
of Kansas.

Topeka and the eastern one-fourth of
Kansas was soaked last night with an
other three inches of rain.
Following the intense heat of yester-
day the rain could scarcely have been
more welcome than it was
The first rain fell about 1890 o'clock
last night. and it kept up an almost
steady down pour until about O'Clock
! this morning.
Weather Observer Jennings gives the
exact measurement of the rainfall up to
Z o'clock this morning at 2:9S inches.
The railroads report everything
drenched in eastern Kansas. The re-
| ports received at the Santa Fe general
offices say that the rain was general all
over the eastern division between Kan
sas City and Emporia and was accom-
panied by high wind at Leavenworth.
! The storm seemed to center about Tope- I.
ka aud Burlingame Mr. McLellau's M,
! A. s. B. road suffered again in the matter
of submerged track about the two
/ bridges at Harveyville that were recent
! ly washed out The trains were delayed
there about three hours.
There was hard rain at Opie on the
Howard branch. Showers at Winfield
and hard rain on the southern Kansas
division between Baldwin aud Garnett
On the Rock Island hard rains are re-
ported all the way between St. Joseph
and Herington.
Stations in the southern and western
part of the state reported the weather as
being very hot, and it is possible rain has
fallen more generally over the state
since the morning reports were sent in.
The rain in Topeka and vicinity was
accompanied by one of the most terrific
electrical storms for years.
The railroad and telegraph companies
have had trouble in getting their lines IN
operation today, and while many houses
were struck by lightning, no very great
damage was done and fortunately no one
was killed
The large, very much ornamented
house about a mile west of Washburn
college known as the Stone property was
struck by lightning and tho large cupola
was completely demolished
The house is occupied by. E. Cook and
Mr.. Cooks 15-year- old daughter Pearl
was severely stunned by the lightning,
although she has recovered to day.
The fire department only received one
call and that was by telephone. They
went out in the hardest of the storm as
far as Fifteenth and Topeka avenue,
when the flames which were southwest
of Washbu college disappeared and
they returned to the station. The fire
was in a barn belonging to George
Woods, near Hayes greenhouse, and it
is supposed that it caught by the cleo
} tricity running into the barn from wire
fence. The horses were out in the pas
ture.
1t is reported that two houses were
burned several miles west of LOwman
Hill but the names of the people living
in them conld not be learned. It is
doubtful if the rumor is true.
A barn belonging to J. Shaw also near
Hayes greenhouse was struck by light
ming and was burned
The house belonging to R. ], Margan,
a colored man, who lives near the.Shun-
ganunga on Kansas avenue was struck
during the storm but was not seriously
damaged.
The house of another colored man who
lives at the corner of Nineteenth and
Van Buren was struck but only a few
r shingles were knocked from the roof.
) Capt Kilmer's house at 1900 Buchanan
street was struck by lightning early this
morning, but aside from shocking the in
mates and tearing off part of the roof no
damage was done. Some time later the
house was again struck, this time on the
: porch.
During the heavy lightning at about
. 5 o'clock the house of P. NJ. Lillis, a
blacksmith, at III Adams street was
! struck by lightning. But little damage
was done. A large patch of shingles was
torn off near the chimney and the chin
ney itself crippledI Plastering was
: knocked off in a room up stairs. The
house was not set on fire. There was no
one in the house at the time but Mrs.
= Lillis who is not very we'll and two
: young daughters. They were consider
ably frightened. The house contained
five rooms.
About 4:3O o'clock this morning light
y ming struck the flag staff on Grant school
t, in North Topeka and shivered it to
j. pieces. The building did not show any
n trace of having been struck. Janitor
g Dake. who lives in the basement, did not
O know of it until he went out this morn
d ing and saw the wreck Of the staff. There
d was terrible crash about this time,
Y however, which awakened people for
:. blocks around and this must have been
a the bolt that struck the staff.