The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-18
COOLER WEATHER TODAY
THE FIRsT THUNDER STORM or
THE SEASON.

Damage by L;ghtning--A. N. Farnain's
Barn Destroyed-Fire ON View Street.
Flag Pole on Post Office Receives a Bolt
Other Effects of the Lightning.
The temperature which has been ca
vorting about in such unheard Of num-
Der ON the scale of thermometers
took decided slump last evening, and
life, which had been rendered not a
little unpleasant by such freaks. be-
| came much more comfortable. During
the day the figures which marked the
temperature of the day before were APP
preached to within dangerous dist
ance. And up to 5 o'clock D. m, the fall
In the temperature was slight, but by
o'clock the thermometer registered IL
degrees less than during the afternoon.
The change came with the rain which
began about $3.50 o'clock, and continued
until about o'clock
The first sharp lightning Of the year
! made its appearance to the damage OF
several buildings, and the destruction
OF telegraph and telephone poles. The
air was surcharged with electricity and
1T gave the fluid up with an almost
alarming readiness For a short time
there was little communication along
the telephone wires, not however for
the reason that there was an unusual
occurrence along the line but there is
a sort Of feeling among folks who talk
over telephones, that the most propi-
tious time to do so is not when the elec-
trical fluid is playing its antics in pref
erence to doing its legitimate work Of
transmitting messages.
The first warning that the elements
were doing some effectual work was
from box S5, and it came about 6:45
o'clock, occasioned by bolt Of light
ming striking the gable and cornice OF
the house at 146 View street. owned by
the w. H. Fl. Hewitt Co., and occupied
by Seth s. Cook. The damage WIN
amount to about $25
About Z o'clock word came to the
house Of No. 3's engine company that
the barns and outbuildings Of Al N.
Farnam were on fire. The engine re-
sponded to the call to find that
the Westville Hook and Ladder COM
pany had already arrived at the seems
of what promised to be a serious fire.
A bolt of electricity had descended
upon one of the large barns forming q
cluster of buildings used by Mr.. Far
nam in the conduct of his trucking
business. The same bolt had disar-
ranged the telephone conliection and
word had to be sent to the city fire
department by messenger. This took
some time, and the fire was under head
way when No. 3's men arrived
But little time was lost in connecting
the engine with the brook 800 feet
away. The stream played on the build
ing did effective work in that it saved
about one-third of the building and
some of the hay, which was in the up
per portion of the barn. The members
of the hook and ladder company Of
Westville did good work. and the two
organizations succeeded in confinfny
the fire to the barn struck by lightning.
The position of the buildings are such
as to give the opinion that but for the
timely arrival of No. SIS engine all Of
them would have been destroyed.
The lower portion of the barn was used
to stable cattle in. These were all got
out of the building. The damage was
| 81, ,000
The pedestrians along Church street
in the vicinity of the postoffice received
a startling reminded of the storm about
$3.50 o'clock. Those who were looking
in the direction of the postofice saw
a bolt descend the flag pole on the
pcstoff1ce building, splintering 1t from
| the top to the bottom and knocking
about half Of the debris in the street.
The balance hung over the side Of the
building No damage was done to the
| postofflce.
| After laying low the liberty pole on
the postoff1ce the lightning shaped it's
| it's course over Center street and enr
| tered the tonsorfal parlors Of Frolich,
| where it burned out the electric lights
and scared the occupants. In fact, so
much of a scare did it give Joe (Farnia)
that he was found in a shaking condi-'
ton several hours later. He almost
thought he had shaved his last shave
and clipped his last clip.
Late yesterday afternoon, just af-
| ter the lightning began, the air was so
charged with electricity that a bolt
entered the trolley of Whitney avenue
| car and burned out the lights and the
| motor. The caremen and the passen-
gers were greatly startled, and 1t was
| some time before the car could be taken
| to the barn.
MIR. AND MRS. DREW.