Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-24
STORM SWEPT OVER.
RICHMOND VISITED BY THUNDER,
LIGHTNING, AND RAIN.
BROAD-ST. CHURCH STEEPLE AFIRE.
The Blaze Is Soon Detected and En-
tinguished Before Much Damage
In Doue-soIdiers' Monument Re-
ported to Have Been Struck.

riilc. the lightning naSnlfS was FlNit'
and the rainfall for half an hour was
very heavy.
The weather had been more or less
threatening throughout the entire day,
There was a nice shower in Ne early
afternoon, and as nightfall approached
the clouds became more ominous. The
storm reached its height soon after Z
o'clock. and ragged for nearly an hour.
Two or three Of the peals Of thunder
were very loud. One OF the flashes OF
lightning struck the steeple Of the Broad
Street Methodist church, setting it on
fire. but the blaze was soon extinguished.
although some of the firemen placed
themselves in very perilous positions
while engaged in fighting the blaze
1t was reported that the Confederate
Sailors and Soldiers monument. on Lib
bv Hill. had been injured by the light
Ming but this could not be verified. There
was some excitement occasioned at
Ford's Hotel by a fash on one Of the
electric wires in the house. but no DAM
age was done. The same thing was expe-
rienced in many offices.
NATURE OF THE STORM.
Clouds began to gather over the city
before o'clock last evening, and the
atmospheric conditions indicated that a
storm of considerable proportions was
risirg. Half an hour later the peals OF
thunder and the glare of the lightning
became alarming to pedestrians. For a
considerable while the rain poured in tor
rents. and the lightning and thunder Kept
M their work necessarily. Accompanying
all was a strong gale, blowing from the
southeast. Tree-limbs and loose debris
from the streets were blown hither and
thither. and it was for time considered
dangerous for persons TO be on the
streets.
The rain subsided soon after o'clock,
and IL was then reported that the light
ming had struck the First African
church. at the corner Of Broad and Col
lege streets This information was com
municated to the Fire-Alarm office, and
uuon investigation II was ascertained that
II the structure had been struck by lighi-
ming there was no fire there, as what ap-
neared to be a small blaze on the roof
" the building proved to be only the re-
Election from one of the arc-lghts on the
streets.
RROAD-STREET CHURCH ON FIRE.
The most mysterious feature of the
storm was the way I'm which lightning
fired the Broad-Street Methodist church.
This house Of worship is situated at the
northeast corner of Tenth and Broad
streets. directly opposite the city Han.
While the tempest abated before S:3O
o'clock. the cupola was discovered an
hour and a half later TO be abaze, just
where the steeple is joined to the church
on the west side A meeting OF the
Board of Fire Commissioners had Just
adjourned, and Captains Charles +. ray
lnr and l.. G. jenkins, members OF that
oody: Chief Puller, Observation-Disclosures
Alarm Thompson, and a Dispatch man
had lust come out of the City Hall. cap
tain Taylor, glanclng up. said; Il wonder
that the lightning tonight did not strike
the steeple Of that church a second
later some one across the street crled
ont. "The steeple of the church IS burn
ing" II was then about five minutes
mast 10 o'clock and the fire had just
worked its way out Of a smOuldering con-
dltion into a sheet Of flame about three
or four feet long and a couple or feet
high. and il was located near the cor
nice which joins the steeple and the
church
chief Puller directed an alarm 80 be
turned I'm from the Broad-street engine
house. but even while the bells were
ringing the apparatus began TO arrive.
In an instant Il was observed that the
fire would be difficult to reach Ihe
Uaves truck. for the first time in ten
vearst was i'm the repair-shop, ana only
the ordinary hOOk-and-ladder trucks
were available. Ladders were soon ad-
iusted to the front OF the church-one
extending to the caves of the VestlDule
and another from this point TO the IoOt
Of the building. where the cupola joins
The latter ladder slanted angularly to-
ward the earth. but was held by two
men on the caves Of the yestibule, while
two other Rremen. taking their lives in
their own hands, scaled the upper lad
der. and were then in a few feet OF
the flames. In the mean time the
steamer from the Third-street engine
house had a stream on the fire, and.
with the assistance from the chemical
engine. which was operated by running
a hose through the church, soon eX-
tlnguished the blaze. a close eXamlha-
tion of the part Of the steeple burned
showed that ii had evidently been fred
bv lightning early in the night, ana
that the fire had remained in smOuideI-
ing condition until after 10 o'clock, when
II broke through the timbers and could
be seen by people on the streets below.
The damage hardly exceeded $40 or
az and will be repaired at once. IL
was fortunate that the blaze was so To-
Gated as not TO necessitate the puttihs
OF much water in the church-Duildlhg'
The large and handsome organ, Delns
almost directly under the fire, might
have been ruined had great quantity
of water been poured into 1t.
The church is insured in Mutual AS
surance Society OF Virginia and the Nlr-
ginia State Insurance Company ior
$50, ,Oo0
OTHER NEWS FROM THE STORM.
During the height of the storm the
lightning struck one Of the lightning
rods on Ford's Hotel and produced quite
shock 10 the guests Many persons
who were I'm the supper-IoOm at the
time started 10 leave their taDles' pu1
on being assured that they were safe
returned 10 the enjoyment OF their eve
ming meal.
A number Of wires OF the telephone
companies and the fire-alaru system
were blown down, but special forces
were put 30 work as soon as the storm
had abated. and 1t was found that no
serious damage or incoh'eNieheo hau
! been caused by this.
The storm seems TO have started OFT
the coast OF Southern Georgia, and
moved rapidly up the coast during the
afternoon. The Postal Telegraph Com
pany here reported that all Of It's wires
| North were in good condition, but that
| il had had trouble at Augusta Al the
Western Union Office here a Dispatch
| man VAS informed that that company
had three wires down north OF mere ana
two down south OF Richmond.
THE railroads entering Richmond re-
norted last night that the storm had
been general, but had in no wise in
terfered with their business. The rain
too seems TO have been general through
the State. and TO have been sufficient
| to help the crops. which were beginning