The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-07-30
WHITELOGWS CHEAP SHOE STORE.
LAST NIGHTS ELECTRICAL STORM.


\ House struck and Two Families stunned
by the shock.
The electrical and thunder storm of last
night is said by experts to have been the
most severe that has visited this region in
many years. such storms have never been so
frequent and severe as during the past three
days and the one of last Monday night was
a shorter, but last nights storm eclipsed it.
The rain also did considerable damage along
the valley by creating washouts and the
electric railways were considerably damaged,
The storm in town was a very severe one.
Lightning struck in several places, but only
in few instances with damage worth speaking
Of. The most severe case was the striking of
a house on North limerick street owned by
the =. & r. c. IL /. Go. and occupied by the
family of William Kreiger. TIL bolt struck
ut ten o'clock and demolished the chimney
and then slashed the weather boards from
the south side of the house from roof to
foundation and about three feet in breadth.
The weather boards fell in Il heap in the yard,
the bricks of the chimney were forced
through the roof and the floor of a bedroom
on the second floor aud the sitting room be-
meath were covered with plaster from the
ceilings. The bolt also ripped considerable
plaster from the south walls Of the rooms.
Picture frames hanging on the south wall Of
the bedroom were thrown to the floor and q
bedstead was displaced and wrcnchod. A
picture frame in the sitting room was ignited,
but il was made Of an enamel preparation
and, after Sizing a few moments, burned it
self out.
Mr.. Kreiger, his wife and 2-year-old son,
Leroy, occupied a bed in a room adjoining
ard to the rear of the bedroom in which the
bolt struck. All were stunned by the shock
..-l -..I.u.I .....--.s-.. g. H.
minutes. The members Of the Townsend
family in the adjoining house suffered in a
similar manner, but all quickly recovered
and none have complained of i'll effects since.
Mr.. Kreiger says that when he recovered his
senses his bedroom was filed with dust from
the plaster in the adjoining room.
The TOWNSEND house was not damaged.
Neighbors who witnessed the striking of the
Kreiger house sounded a fire alarm and all
the companies promptly responded, but their
services were not required.
Almost Immediately after this alarm was
sounded lightning struck the wires Of the
fire alarm system and rendered it useless.
The telegraph wires in the ticket office Of
the Lehigh Valley depot were struck and
burned out. Quite a blaze was created, but
it was promptly extinguished by Night
Waterman Sullivan with IA little water. The
wires were repaired in time for early morn
ing service.
A wire Of the street electric light system
was also struck and all the lights were ex-
tinguished, but the damage was so slight that
the system was in condition again within
fifteen minutes.
Traffic on the |Schuylkill Traction line was
delayed from 5 until 1890 on account of the
storm, When the clouds gathered and the
lightning commenced to flash General Elec-
trician Davis disconnected the cars all along
the line. Wherever cars happened to be
when the storm started they were obliged to
remain until the connections were made
again, with one exception. In this case a
car was stopped at the Lost Creek base ball
grounds and between spurts of the storm
several young men who were passengers eX-
ercised themselves in pushing the car to the
turnout near the Hammond c|olliery.
After the current was turned on this
car ran to the east end of the Hammond
colliery dirt bank and was obliged to stop
there on account of coal dirt having been
washed upon the track. About 200 yards
west was a car held by another washing OF
coal dirt upon the track. The latter car was
sheltered in the power house during the
storm and succeeded in running to the dirt
bank after the current was turned on. The
passengers were transferred and those who
started from Girardville at s o'clock reached
here at 1875.
The roads between town and VAUDEVILLE are
reported as being in very bad condition.
Deep ruts and washouts were formed last
night on many of the roads.
a large window pane in the saloon at the
corner of Centre street and Pear alley was
destroyed by the winds,