The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-08-29
LIGHTNING AND Rain
Make Things Lively in the Oily for
a Little While,
THE LANCE BUILDING IS STRUCK
As arc Also Some Trees out ut Mt do
ohantal-A Few Telephones burned
sHs-ssEse's Flooded Clear onto tho
Sidewalks In u Few MInutos-A
Regular old.TlmO Storm.

q regular oldla'hiOnsd storm came up,
It was one OF those dNshlng, drenchiuG
rains, which mako tho beholder think
tho hoodGates Of heaven have been
opened all at once, and such as used to
occur frequently In this part Of tho
Ohio Valley, but for tho past two or
three years have been notable mostly
for their iRfEequeRcy, The Fsia began
gently enough, but increased steadily
until regular torrent was falling In
all tho rain fell only about half an hour
aud tho hardest storm did not continue
over ten minutes. 1t was accompanied
by lightning and thunder, ut lrss dim
and distant, but coming nearer and
growing moro terrific,
There were two great Clashes Of light
ming that seemed like rivers Of FIRE
through tho air. The Grst struck a
cIump OF trees at Mt. do Chanlul. toar.
lug them little 1t was followed by a
loud crash, aud in not more than min'
ute vivid bolt descended on tho pin.
nRClo OF tho LANCE building, at tho cor.
nor Of Market and Fourteenth streets.
This pyramidi4 covered with slate, and
vas surmounted by q terra Gotta orna'
rnDnt. Fhet Of tho latter was broknn
oil, and the Lightning descended the
west and north side, tearing OF about u
lbfHl nF lka alaNn fratn tka tnnl
The electricity evidently descended to
tho network OF wiro, on both streets
there. 1t ran into tho Nhws office, on
tho opposite corner, and filled tho
rooms with fire. The telephones in tho
lNTELLIGEScER Office also cracked like a
vollay OF miniature uiuskOtTy. Six aud
eight squares away the flash flew out Of
tho Telephones at a lively rate, and in
buildings near by tho shock was dis
lluctly folt.
Dense smoke followed tho stroke, and
fro alarm was rung in, II was found
thGrs was no fro, however The alarm
registered all right in the engine houses,
but tho big bell on tho city hall ~ usual
kept changing away 1t a rate that kept
everybody guessing.
In the Western Union telegraph
Office, when the crash came, tho scene
was ono such as tho oldest veteran
present had never seen before Tue
lightning flashed In on Overy wire. Tho
Jacks" which break the connection at
tia lightning aFFe,tsF, all fell down, and
balls Of fire issued from every one with
cracking sound that vas very oml.
nous For q moment tho whole Office
seemed to DO full OF fire, but nobody
was hurt II was pronounced the most
terrific stroke ever experienced hore.
The rain was the heaviest that has
fallen here for several years. The hill.
side streets sent down streams OF thin
yOlow mud, which joined with the
blacker diluted dirt Of the downtown
streets, flooded the streets from curb to
curb in u few minutes. In many
places, especially at cross streets, the
water encroachGd on tho sidewalks. At
Chapline and Sixteenth streets, Main
and Fourteenth, and more particularly
at tho posto1ico corner, this was the
worst. Attic poItotlice Market street
was converted into q lake which re-
malned after the rain ceased, and tho
street was impossible for half a square.
When tho waters did run off the flood.
cd streets they left q sticky clay sedi.
mont from an inch to four inches deep.
A few cellars got water In them, but no
damage by the rain worth mentioning
was heard OF.
The day was excessively hot proceed.
ing the storm, the thermometer getting
rs high as so in tho shade at Schnopfs.
Tho rain was much needed, and will do
great good, especially IN the country.
The rainfall as indicated By the gauge
at SChnoprS drug store was .65 Of an
inch. Considering the short time tho
hardest rain lasted that Is an unusual
record. In August preceding there was
but LA inch in all.
II was evident that the rain WaS har.
der up on the hillside than down
town. Byron and Jacob aud Twelfth
and Thirteenth streets were flooded
from house to houIO, aud tho
muddy water got into several Gel.
lars and few low kitchens. Tenth
and Eleventh streets came down solid
streams OF water, which tho sewers
could not begin to carry OF, and those
torrents did much TO flood tho streets
below.
Ntrcc on tho hill back Of sOibert's. at
Pleasant Valley, was struck BY light
ming aud sOt on fre. n was still burn.
Ing NitOr dark last night.
Wheeling creek did not run out
strongly, hOd tHerc evidently was not u
worry heavy rain up tho valley. At
Moundsvllo there was an exceedingly
heavy windatorm, but only n light
sprinkle of rain. At Bonwood, how.
over, and in South Wheeling, tho rain
seemed particularly severe. Tho Balti.
moro & Ohio track was flooded ut Ford's
crossing, and down along the hills 80
much debris washed down on tho track
that trains wcro delayed until the mud
was cleaned oil,
Last night about o o'clock another
worry hoavy shower Toll, IN fact almost
a1 heavy fora short time as that Of tho
afternoon. TITO BtrOots wOrO again
flooded for timo, and tho rainfall
wuntd probably inrrDnou tho amount
for tho day to at ORsL an even inch,
ROpOrtq from OvOr tho rlvOr WGro to
tho elect tnRt tho wind, which was
pretty hrisl; horc. was wOra0 than tho
rain thOre. Trees wGrO blown down and
corn luvclo1,
Tho rain did not materially cool tho
atmosphere. Last night tho tompur.
nluro was almost rs high Rs any night
this summer, registering W At DARK.
-.-o-.----------
"Ths White Squadron"
For lhrco nighls. commanding 10.