The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-22
LIGHTNING STRIKES GAR.
Panic on a Greenville Trolley
During Yesterdays
Storm.
PASSENGERS IN DEEP DARKNESS
tainted and Men
Climbed Over Each Other
mo One Hurt.

Those fifty passengers who happened to
be riding on open trolley ear No. Il of
the Greenvillc line, which was going to-
ward Bayonne, about eight O'Clock last
evening, wiz not forget in some time the
very exciting experience they had and
perhaps some were so badly frightened
that they will never forget it until their
dying day.
It all happened near Kearny avenue,
Greenville. When the car reached the
junction many passengers crowded in,
and there was not room enough for all
to sit down. At least a dozen women were
standing up, among them a few colored
people, who were on their way to a pic
mic in the G%reenville Schuetzen Park.
The conductor had collected the fares by
| the time the car reached the bridge over
the Newark Branch of the Central Rail-
road, and to protect the passengers from
the rain he had pulled down all the
canvas shutters. AS the car neared
| Kearny avenue the motorman, wishing
to reach the stables In Greenville quick
| ~. pulled the lever all the way around,
and the car flew along at a great rate of
speed. AT this time the rain came down
in bucketfuls. The lightning was rend-
ing the heavens, and peals of thunder,
sounding Hike the crash Of the thirteen
inch guns of a man-of-war, served to
frighten the passengers.
When the car had passed Kearny ave-
nue. a bolt struck it. The motorman
jammed down his brake and before the
car had advanced fifteen feet it had
come to a full stop. The shock put out
all the lights.
The sudden stopping of the ear, to-
gether with the report, when the bolt hit
1t served to throw the passengers into a
panic. 1t looked as though some people
would be killed. 50 anxious We're people
to vacate the disabled car. The shades
being down and the lights in the car
out, the passengers We're stepping on
each other In their frenzy. Women
were knocked down and two tainted.
Some screamed at the top of their voices,
while others climbed over seats and
squeezed under the car railing in their
anxiety to get away. TIL scene for about
five minutes was a terrible one. The
motorman and conductor did their best
to quiet the people by telling them that
the car had been struck and disabled blu
that no other damage had been done.
There was scarcely any need to tell the
passengers that the car had been hit, for
nearly every passenger openly declared
that he or she had received a severe
shock. Some of the passengers thought
their time had come when the bolt hit
the car and the excitement was intense.
Investigation showed that the motors
beneath the car had been struck and the
wires completely burned off. rendering
them useless for the time. The wires
which light the car were also burnt out,
and some of the passengers claim that
for a minute or two jets of blue fame
came through the floor and ran along
the brass work. Many We're under the
impression that the car was on fire,
which caused them to so quickly vacate
it. Others aid that they felt a shock,
lightning when it hit made a very loud
report. The next car that came along
vas hooked to the disabled car and
pushed it into the stable at the Green
Vile terminal A few men, who wanted
to show that they were Drawer than the
rest, rode on the disabled car, but the
more timid people took the next one.
The lighting did a great damage to the
police signal system. Superintendent
Foley has a corps OF men at work today
repairing the police lines throughout the
4 LA Liz l. Ill hlOtlA-
gomery street station, several boxes
boxes were disabled.
For several hours and until Superin-
dent Foley made some slight repairs the
entire system in that section of the
heights were rendered useless. None of
the signals would register properly at the
police station. The box at Sip and Fer
guson avenue was entirely wrecked by
the lighting and will have te-be replaced
by a new one as will also the one on
the Boulevard. near Paramount avenue.
The storm did no damage in Greeaville
last evening except at the police station
on Ocean avenue. Here the lightning
played the mischief with the telegraph
indicator, and up to ten O'Clock this morn
ing all messages and reports of post
the rear of the telegraph indicator is 4
lightning arrestor which saves the entire
signal system from being destroyed.
When the lightning struck the arrestor
wire it burned out, thus saving the tele-
graph indicator.
The electric display during the shove
Of last evening was something terrific.
In the vicinity of the Court House there
were quite a number of frightened peo-
pie. A terrible bolt flashed simultane-
1t seemed that whole section of the Hill
had been struck. People in doors. recov-
ering from the shock, rushed into the
street to see what damage had been
done. A eut-out box on a pole of the
New York and New Jersey Telephone
Company was set on fire and set the
pole afre. 1t was taken down by one OF
the company's linemen. Many of the
electrical fans in the various cafes stop
ned running just a few moments before
Hill. the patrons ran out almost expect
ing to see ShA Fame Park obliterated.
CipcMEM FAIL INTO MEtic