The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-06
the electrical systems, though In most
cases the damages were not great.
The copper feed wires of the trolley

cases the damages were not great.
The copper feed wires of the trolley
system took up most of the released
electricity, and inside Of few minutes
there were some dozens of cars dis
abled, or partially so. Most Of the cars
are provided with four fields, and in
most cases only one or two of these
fields were burned out, and the cars
were sent to the barns on the remain
ing motors In some cases all the fields
went out. the passengers were for once
at least enveloped in a blaze of glory,
and then came darkness and an imper-
ative demand that they get out and
walk or wait for a live motor to come
along and push them somewhere. Cars
were stalled on all the lines, and there
were about as many blown out in the
preliminary disturbance as there were
In the eliminating affair. At 2:30 in the
afternoon there was an interurban
struck at the corner OF Sixth and
Wabasha that made a fine display,
scared a half-dozen women into as
many different sorts of Mysteries and
put the car out of the business.
NARROW ESCAPES.
1T was an odd thing that the early
storm did the most damage, being at
Its worst in the suburbs where the
wires were feWeSt. In this disturb
ance there were few narrow escapes
from death, and the electricity from
the clouds played sonic odd pranks
August Wenzel, Of 492 Blair street.
a. car carpenter on the Duluth road,
was doing some odd jobs on some
freight cars at Gladstone when the
storm came up. The lightning scared
him, and he picked out the most ex-
posed place he could get to get out of
the rain. He planted himself under a
car where the rain could not reach him.
He forgot to reckon with the light
ming, though, and he got all the benefit
of a shock that ran along the
rails some distance and caught him.
He was shocked into state of insen-
sibihty, In which he continued 30 long
that the Margaret station wagon was
called for and he was sent to St. Jo-
seph's hospital. His escape was re-
markable from the fact that the cur
rent that struck him left the track
further on and split some ties to
pieces
Mrs. K. Goldblum, of 1411 Ninth
street south, Minneapolis, and her son
Jacob, a lad Of fifteen years, had a
narrow escape at about the same time
The twain were the occupants of a top
buggy, and were on their way to Min
neapOlis via Marshall avenue. Near
the corner of Chatsworth street a bolt
of lightning struck the horse, instantly
killing the animal. The electricity fol-
lowed the reins and severely burned the
hands Of Jacob, who was driving. Mrs.
Goldblum was burned on the left an
kle. Neither was seriously injured.
The lightning tore a part Of the buggy
top and set fire to the lap robe.
Doctors Henderson and Ramsey gave
the occupants of the buggy such atten-
tion as was necessary, and later in the
afternoon they continued their Journey
to Minneapolis, another horse being
procured for them.
At the height of this same storm the
lightning showed it had no respect for
persons or places by striking the ca
thedral. A tremendous shock was felt
In the neighborhood of Sixth and ST.
Peter. and Horace McVicker, who was
standing In front Of the Grand opera
house, saw a ball Of fire leave the roof
of the cathedral, at the end of the cop
ing on the ST. Peter street wing, and
seemingly explode on the asphalt in
the middle Of the street. The asphalt
showed little sign of the explosion, ex-
cept that a spot several yards in di-
| ameter was dried off instantly. The
bolt tore off few dozen shingles from
the roof and ripped away board along
the ridge. The church was closed at
the time.
A two-story frame dwelling at 77S
Wells street was struck by lightning
at 5:45 yesterday afternoon. The light
ming set fire to the structure, and be-
fore the blaze was extinguished the
building was gutted. The house was
owned by John Carlson and occupied
by Andrew Johnson and A. Solberg.
The damage to the building is estimated
at $500, and $500 On the contents. No
insurance.
CARRIED DISMAY.
The later storm was the one that
carried dismay to the people down
town, put out the lights in a number
Of buildings and prevented people from
keeping the appointment they had
with the cook for supper. The stalling
of cars was the worst of the series of
slight accidents. The light wires run
ming into the Globe building were
struck, and the efforts of the street car
people to keep things going on the
orIo
had to be accomplished in darkness.
for the principal feed wires for the
lighting system went out completely
A vagrant bolt struck a wire run
ming into the Northern hotel and jarrad
the boarders to the verge of st. Vitus'
dance, putting the lights out at the
same time. The people in the house
took to the street in the conviction that
the hotel was going to fall down. But
it didn't.
The police patrol system was put out
entirely during this storm, and was
out, in part, all the evening. In a
number Of stores the lights went out,
and the terrified clerks and shoppers
remained in darkness. A thousand wom-
en- and children who had been at a
matinee at the Grand were held pris-
oners for half an hour, but there was
nothing like panic-and very much
less Of that joyous chatter that usually
marks the departure from the play
house of the matinee girl
Up to o'clock in the evening there
had been a rainfall Of 2.53 inches The
fact that this represents one-tenth Of
Int fot ~