The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-01
Much Damage Done by
Yesterdays Storm.
ST. JAMES CHURCH STRUCK
Lightning Set II on Fire, Causing
Loss Of About $4,000.
MANY CELLARS WERE FLOODED

For many days II had been evident
that a thunderstorm might be expected
at almost any time. the close and
| muggy atmosphere presaging a more or
less severe electrical disturbance. but 1t
Is doubtful IL anybody anticipated any
thing quite SO severe as that which did
come yesterday afternoon. The rain
came down I'm torrents, the lightning
flashed almost continuously and the
thunder claps were earsplitting. Flash
bolts struck in many places, and much
damage was done in various portions OF
the city.
Perhaps the worst damage done by
the storm was 10 st. James Episcopal
| church, situated at the corner OF Broad
way and Courtland street, the jagged
bolt striking the church on the cone
of the tower at the northeast corner OF
the building. and II followed the ridge
pole TO the rear end OF the roof, where
the most serious damage was done. Tie
electric fluid entered the church, burned
down the side of the roof and walls
and then attacked the church organ sit
| uated in the southwest corner of the
building and utterly destroyed 1t. Then
| other articles in the chancel were de-
| voured, including the choir stalls, and,
finally. $1,000 painting was blistered
and ruined by the intense heat.
Several fire alarm boxes in the vicin-
| ity having been burned out, there was
some delay in sending in an alarm OF
fire. and finally word was sent to the
Harrison street station, but the delay
| had given the fire a great opportunity
to get good headway. The 1900 pipes
| OF the $500 organ were melted and COM
| pletely disappeared, the fire in that por-
| ton of the church having been greatly
helped by ventilating shaft. The
| painting that was destroyed was one OF
| four copies OF the original Of RaphaePs
'Transfiguration," which rs at Rome.
| 1t was a fine work of art and was
| valued at 1920. II hung In the centre,
| at the extreme back OF the chancel 1t
| had been in the old church, and when
| the new one was built was transferred
| to It,
| AS the church now stands. a new
roof will be needed. and the stalls and
| organ In the chancel, which were only
1 put In about year and half ago. Will
| have TO be rebuilt. All OF this, together
| with broken furniture, demolished win
| dows and other things. will bring the
| loss UP to about $4,000, which. 1t is said,
is fully covered by insurance. IL VIII
probably be some little time before the
church can be used again.
MANY ALARMS OF FIRE.
The first alarm sent in yesterday
afternoon was FOR fire on the roof or
the main building of the Rhode Island
| Locomotive Works, winch was struck
| by lightning, but the blaze was extin-
| guished before any serious damage was
done.
The next alarm was from the private
| box at the Allen Print Works, but there
was no fire, the alarm being caused by
| a crossed wire. On the way back from
| this false alarm. Charles Becker, a
member of Hook and Ladder Company
No. 7, was thrown. from the truck by
| the breaking OF a wheel at the corner OF
| North Main and Jenkins streets, and
ne was badly bruised. but not seriously
| injured.
The third fire caused by lightning was
| in the Lederer building on Mathewson
street. but the damage was very slight.
| The four-tenement house, 64. Preston
street, owned by George Harrington.
was struck. but beyond knocking off
some shingles no harm WAS done. The
| house OF Morris Crane at IL Merchant
street lost a number OF clapboards from
| the outside and lot OF plastering on
| the inside. due to lightning,
The chimney of a house on Potter's
| avenue was struck and several bricks
were thrown down. The house at the
| corner OF Burgess and Cranston streets
was also struck, but not damaged. The
| iron railing on the roof OF the New
| Jerusalem church. corner OF Broad ana
| lightning. and but little OF the railinl
was left after the current had passed.
BECAME UNCONSCIOUS.
No fatalities are known to have oc-
| Cured, the only person to be affected
| being Rogers w. Laren. who has for
some time been a Victim or heart trou-
| ble and he became unconscious on fine
street, through fright at the violence
of the storm. He was taken into the
where he was attended by DIR. Gray.
Later he was taken TO his home, |?
Prairie avenue. in the ambulance. The
electricity caused trouble to several
trolley cars several OF the vehicles be-
ing more or less burned by receiving
balls of fire. Trees were splintered In
several sections of the city.
The wind also played more or less
havoc. and near the corner OF Brook
and wickenden streets large tree was
blown down, and I'm railing crushed two
outbuildings In the yard at the rear or
r. j. Brennan's liquor store. a limb or
the tree crashed through the roof OF an
ell OF the building and badly damaged
two pool tables. The rain then flooded
tho building through the opening and
did considerable damage. The wind
also uprootrd a big tree In the ward OF
| rs sheldon street. but no damage was
| done by its fall.
The rush of waterr which fell from
| the dense clouds did great damage 20
| the new roadbed being built by the
public WORKS department on Pitman
street. and on Academy avenue a hole
about 20 feet long a2d about three feet
deep was washed o,H the water carry
INK stones and dirt over the railroad
tracks the result being that the trolley
cars we're delayed for about one hour.
An electric light pole on Pltman street
was so badly wrenched by the wind
that the police were Obliged 60 take
measures 90 prevent Its fall. Towards
Fox Point and In India and Tockwot 2
ton streets the washouts we're from Is
10 20 feet long and from one 10 three
feet deep. Dean street was washed out
I'm places three fecp derp. and Dale
street was more or less lacking IN solid
ity after the storm had passed away.
THE RECORD BROKEN.
Randall square and Star street have
figured extensively In every storm story
w.itt,n in n good many years. Their
record or yesterday beat everything up
90 date A steam shovel could have
done little more havoc on the street had