The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-13
STORMS FRANKS
Thunder Bolt Struck Tele-
phone Distributing
Pole.
SENT COBBLEs FLYING
Lightning Broke Branches
and Rain Beat Byrnes
Counts.


| the peals of thunder and crashes of light
ming were rending the heavens last even
| ing about half past eight strong bolt
/ looking for place to land and tear things
up finally found a resting place at Bergen
and Communipaw avenues The result Of
4 Its visit was most unpleasant. Besides
/ doing considerable damage, the shock
scared at least a dozen people out Of
\ their wits for few seconds.
This particular bolt landed on the dis
tributing pole, which stands on the
western corner, towering far above the
surrounding buildings. Located at the
4 very top. is the box containing the
mechanism which regulates the wires. All
the wires on that district pass through
| that cable.
When the lightning hit the box it passed
on. down the cable to the subway, where
the cable runs along Bergen avenue. Here
it spent It's force in tearing up the iron
| cover over the subway and with It about
two hundred paving stones, which covered
a space of about five square yards.
The stones were hurled over the street.
They blocked the east bound Newark troll
ley cars until they were removed.
The cable struck contains about one
hundred pairs OF wire or two hundred
wires in all. On this cable there abous
two hundred subscribers and these were
cut off without communication for about
an hour and a half
AT the Bergen exchange on Bergen near
Fairview avenue, the operators we're hav-
ing merry time of it Blue jets of flame
were shooting from the complicated dis
tributing board every few seconds This
costly piece Of mechanism which holds
wires for the entire hill top service was
in danger of being destroyed.
When the bolt landed at Bergen and
Communipaw avenues every call number
in the exchange, dropped instantly. The
lights went out and the operator was In
an awful dilemma. All he could see was
the blue flames shooting back and forth
for several minutes over the board in the
rear.
When the lights belched forth their well
come rays again, 1t was found that every
wire was rendered useless. This informa-
tion was communicated to the down town
office Men were dispatched to the scene
of the trouble Immediately. Some re-
pairs were made and wires were straight
ened out AT midnight all but two of the
three hundred subscribers were with per-
fectly working telephones again.
The damage to the cable Is great. 1t
may be necessary to diseonnect the whole
district and put in new cable It was
said that young lady operator at the
Bergen exchange tainted dead away when
the force of the Bergen avenue shock
reached the exchange.
The saloon at the scene of the accident
~
beer which were standing on the bar were
dumped over when the bolt struck and
number of glasses were knocked from the
shelf behind the bar. Some customers
were also badly shaken UP by the force of
the shock.
Red lights were put on the huge pile
of stones to warn drivers. Repairs are
being made today.
Never was the need of clean receiving
basins more unpleasantly demonstrated
than last evening when the heavy thun-
der storm was at its height. Catch bas-
ins on the Heights were in deplorable
condition. At Jewett and Bergen avenues
a raft would have been just the thing,
and at Kensington avenue large log was
used to secure dry passage across that
thoroughfare because of the depths of
the water which flowed over the curo-
on the sidewalks
All along Communipaw avenue from
Bergen to Pacific avenue, one or more
basins were stopped up At Halliday
street three were useless because of the
amount of debris allowed to accumulate
in front of them. Water in ali cases
flowed over the walks.
There was practically no damage in the
Bergen section from the storm save the
breaking off of a number of small
branches on trees along Bergen avenue
There is at any rate something tobe thank
full for and that Is the clean state OF the
streets today. Never did Henry Byrne's
Counts clean so much refuse from the
public thoroughfares.
A large oak tree in Winfield avenue
near Ocean avenue, was struck by light
ing last night, and several branches were
torn from the trunk Of the tree. The
storm played havoc with the trees in the
Greenyille section and as result the
streets were strewn with dead branches.
The streets were flooded and pedestrians
had a hard time of 1t wading through
miniature lakes and ponds.
The fierce storm did not cause much
damage in lower Jersey City. No cases
of accidents were reported to the police.
When the dark clouds which came from
the northwest became visible people walk
ing along the streets quickened their
PAGES, hoping to reach their homes before
the rain began to fall. They, however.
did not get very far before drops as big
as silver dollars began falling. Shelter
was sought in stores, doorways and UNI