The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-24
CITY DELUGDD
The Severest Thunder Storm
Known in Years Visited
Jersey City Last
Night.
FRANKS OF THE LIGHTNING
Flag Poles Split in Twain and
Other Damages-Sewers Chok-
ed and Streets Flooded.

The severest rain storm in many years
visited this city last night and for up
wards of an hour the heavens were the
scene of a grand battle OF the elements
The rain fell in sheets, which blown by
the rushing wind. quickly flooded many
of the public streets. Thunder and
lightning bombarded the city and a more
vivid electrical display has not been seen
for years. The air grew dark and at
four o'clock, when the storm began, one
would have thought it was midnight.
The storm played havoc in the lower
section of the city yesterday afternoon.
Telephone and telegraph wires became
crossed and burned out, crippling the ser
vice to considerable extent. Police and
Fire Department wires were burned out,
rendering them useless for an hour or
more. Lightning burned out the receiv-
ers of the American District Telegraph
Company, on Montgomery street.
The greatest damage was done on the
second floor. The operator received a se-
we're shock, while the messenger boys fed
from the building in alarm.
A flag pole on the building, No. So New
ark avenue, was shattered by lightning.
No damage was done the building. A
flag pole, at Railroad avenue and War
.ren street. was also struck by lightning
and wrecked. Trees in the parks We're
blown down and limbs ripped off. Hun
dreds of sparrows were killed by the
storm. They were gathered up after the
storm passed by Italians.
The heavy rain washed out streets
which were in course of repair, causing
heavy losses 10 the contractors. In the
lower section of the city, sewers were
overlooked, causing the surface water to
back up and flood cellars and easements.
In Morris, Essex and Sussex streets,
where the Easements are occupied by
poor families. they were driven upstairs,
their apartments being filed with water
to the depth of three feet in some in
stances Considerable damage was done
household furniture.
Along the piers. merchandise ready for
shipment was damaged owing to the in
ability of the workmen to get it under
cover or covered before the storm broke.
The Montgomery street meadows were
covered to the depth of two and three
feet with water. The Seventeenth street
meadows were also flooded and it was
with difficulty that the Summit avenue
trolley cars were run. The water was
up to the front platform and washed in
the doors. causing the passengers to get
up on the seats TO escape a ducking.
Pavonia avenue, near the ferry. was, as
usual inundated and passengers were
compelled to walk through the Erie Rail
road trainshed to reach the ferryboats.
Reports were received by the police
from all parts of the city of windows be-
ing wrecked and shutters being blown
away. Skylights were blown off, and in
afr nor wi
capped being injured by one.
The Bay street sewer was overtaxed
and the lower end of it caved in. It will
cost $500 or more TO repair it.
The storm has created dangerous hole
in the street at Bramhall avenue and Van
Horn street The Montgomery street sew
er burst last night flooding the ground
west of Henry Byrne's stables, and COW
ering Cornelison avenue for block with
water nearly one foot deep. Lightning
drove the telegraph operator in Foun-
tain's drug store from the instruments;
but did no damage.
The shade trees on Crescent avenue
we're damaged by the storm
At half past four o'clock while the,
storm was at its height, bolt of light
ming created great havoc with the New
York and New Jersey Telephone subway
at Bergen and Communipaw avenues. It
struck the cover of the naanhole splitting
it in two and tore up the ground for
distance of ten feet all around the open
ing. It also destroyed the underpinning
and played havoc with the wires,
The lightning set fire to the lace cur
tains Of the windows OF the Columbia
ice cream store, on Jersey avenue and
taa Third street It split Jacob RingIe,s flag
to The butt. while at the Jersey City
Electric Light Company's place ten men
were. kept very busy putting in circuit
prevent an overflow of. the electric cum
rent reaching the dynamo
Old ST. Swithin visited the Greenville
section of this city yesterday afternoon.
about four O'Clock and for about an hour
he made things hum. His hurricane
breath, made trees bend and quake and
in nervous state for an hour. Scarcely
a street in Greenville escaped the terrible
deluge, which left behind it startling
record. A lightning bolt struck one of the
sewer manhole heads on Ocean avenue,
near Dwight street, about half past four
and for a mile down Ocean avenue every
one of the manhole heads was set jump
ing up and down as though it were dane
ing. This continued for about five min
utes. Several caveins We're the result of
the storm and one in front of Hegewald's
bakery, on Ocean avenue, near Dwight
street: was twenty feet long and about
four feet deep There was also a cavein
in front of Chinese laundry, at No 453
Ocean avenue.
The sidewalks all along Ocean avenue.
from McAdoo avenue to Gator avenue are
in a dangerous condition. rendered SO. by
the heavy rain of yesterday. The sewer
at McAdoo and Ocean avenues vas food
trians having to walk twenty feet out Of
the way Danforth avenue, from Old
Bergen Road to the Boulevard. is also in
paved and is mostly sand, which has
eunken~ bout foot, and in some places