The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-04
|LGHTNINd'S FRANKS
Last Nights Storm the
Seyerest This City Has
Seen in Years.
DAMAGE IN GREENVILLE
Trees and Poles Demolished and
Trolley Cars Shattered
Much Rain Fell.


It is many years since this vicinity was
visited by such severe thunder ana
lightning storm as that which broke over
| the city about seven o'clock last evening.
For nearly an hour vivid streaks of light
ming illuminated the heavens. followed by
short Duck elaps Of thunder. SO loul
that they drove the blood from the faces
Of the tinid and caused even The stout
hearted TO blink The rain descended in
torrents, oyeraowins sewers and cellars.
Whlle the storm was at its height.
lightning struck an electric wire in front
Of the Court House and burned it COM
pleteiy in two. The live wire swung 70
and fro. one end nearly touching the
dewalk- Word was sent to the Electric
Light Company and worknen were de-
spatched to the scene Of the. accident psst
haste It was repaired in less than half
an hour
While The Wire was down all the lights
on that circuit were out and the streets
and stores which are lighted by electricity
We're in darkness. There was great
S5ssfy S9s16yitlg g Iof amps, candles and other
means OF hgnt Ter a few moments No
9ther Damage is known to have been
done m that section of the city
Darlng the storm the residents Of lay
nlng more vivid than the others followed
py very sharp clap af thunder S3
little was the interval between Inc fash
and the crash that il seemed Ses il both
occurred at the same iastant 15rhar, fi,s
storm had abatsd somewhat 1t ygss found
that Inc ilash Of lightning had strlet q
telegEaph pole on Johnston avenue, be-
tween Grand street and the railroad
bridge. On this pole wss S gnal box MO-
y OF the Fourth precinct station house
me pole in failing dragged three Others
e3ma lf, MIte =, the Jour wing across the
street blocking traffic. a force OF work.
men appeared on the scene and Ii a
SPORT time the street had been cleared.
The signal box was smashed
4ae streets of G4reenvnie, which are
undergoing Improvements. suffered mUca
from the detuse OF rain Whsch fell R.ts
view avenue- IS ii an almost iragsssahss
condition. At Ocean and Bay iess ave.
nue., where the corner sewers have flaan
Joined with the main sewer is a trap
which caught a few unwaEy pedestrians
The place was Undetermined lsad several
passers-by stepped en- the apparently
solid surface and sunk nearly waist eeep
in hole.
The Italians were awake and the storm
had hardly ceased before they we're
securing the town. seeking drowned
SpaFroWs Their Spoils were not IS
great as after the last heavy downpour.
but were sufficient to perfume the. italian
colony with fumes Of sparrow soup
for several days.
Many young trees suffered. They were
SAt4AEt DIGhEA OI UEI0OlGtt-
The lightning during the storm played
some fierce pranks with the trolley cars
Of the North Hudson line. Two cars
were struck and one had its fuse burned
out, as a result Of the unusual increase
of electricity. One car was struck in
Union Hill. The occupants Were badly
shaken UP and stunned. and two women
tainted. The bolt seems to have struck
the pole which was. shattered. No great
damage was done 10 the car.
Another car Of the Fort Lee line was
struck with the same results There was
u binding flash and those in the car ex-
perienced q decided shock. Women
tainted and everybody was dazed for q
moment. The cars were disabled for a
time. The Rutherford Road stopped run
ming for fifty minutes during the storm.
At Police Headquarters. Hoboken. one
of the incidents of the storm was the
appearance of a snow bird, which was
blown into the station house and hutter-
ed about the Sergeants desk. 1t was
caught by Detective Nelson. who now has
the Waif in a cage. 1t has a beautiful
white breast. Where it came from is q
mystery.