The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-04
MANY FIRES RESULTED,
Barns in Leicester and Millbury Were
Burned to theGround and Buildings in
Charlton and Paxton Damaged
Electric, Telephone and Tele-
graph Lines Disabled.

Worcester was visited by one of the
most severe and destructive storms of
years last night.
1t came, too, without warning. The
thunder reared, the lightning flashed
and tJle rain came down in torrents. 1t
was as if the bottom had fallen out of
the reservoir of the heavens.
1t was wild, magnificent sight, ri
yallag in grandeur and display the
rage of the ocean in a storm.
The black leaden clouds were silhou-
cited into fantastic shapes by the
lightning which cut capers through the
sky. Watched from point of vantage,
ii made a picture never to be y gotten
1t was an exhibition of pyrotecnnlc DIS
play such as the genius of Paine coula
but feebly initiate.
The zolr of the storm was not con-
fined to the limit of the city Reports
that reached The Spy by wire last nlgnt
Indicate that it was more destrucllVe
if ANYTHING in the county Not only
did the LIGHTNING play pranks in the
sky, cutting assures through giganue
llDQiiAdlIs9 VI piehNA 1AO0ANt
struck buildings in many places, ana
entailed losses upon property that
couldn't be even estimated last night
Umbrellas were of little practical use
TO pedestrians. The force of the storm
was such that even the stoutest OIL
these were soaked through and 1t was
eornmon sight TO see people with pois-
ed umbrellas scurrying for shelter IN
the wake oil less fortunate brothers and
sisters VINO We're without protection.
Hacknen experienced almost as mucn
difficulty is ascending billy sections OF
the town as they would had the sIteets
been blocked with snow. On Norman
and Dungarven hills, especially me
roadteds are soft and the wheels would
sink several inches in the yleldlng hluu;
Cellars in the valley were hooued anu
considerable damage will be caused tLle
city by reason of assures in the streFts.
Service en- the suburban llnes was
badly crippled and the fire department
forces were kept on the qui vive during
the duration of the storm. The wires
became tangled and number OIL Or
ratio alarms were turned in.
The Western Union wires too were
damaged to some extent particularly
between Springfield and Boston, ana 'op-
orators on the railroads say that nasliea
Of the death light could be occasionally
seen sputtering at the receiver
People attending divine services were
detained in some instances an hour IN
the churches. waiting for the storm 20
abate in violence.
Aluost continually, from oclock
until 1890. the rain came down me
another Niagara. The lightning Went
On a cross country run and there was
an almost continuous performance IN
the natural electrical line that dWarleu
anything ever seen at an eXhlpltloll'
If the Paris exposition which is sup
posed to have planned the finest electri-
cal show the world has ever seen,
comes anywhere near equalling thaI
seen in the heavens last night, 1t VIII
be well worth a trip across the ocean
to witness.
Reports received at midnight from
the county towns by The Spy indicate
that Millbury Leicester, Charlton anu
Paxton suffered damages well into the
thousands.
Lightning got its work in on the Wor-
eester fire department wires last nlgnt.
An auxiliary wire running into the lIe
department. headquarters was stIuch
by lightning about 8 o'clock ana an
alarm was rung in from box 43 az tne
SulAslgdm0nQ WOThS VI lilS " 49,, = =
y Moen department of the American
Steel & Wire Company. The IRE de-
partment had a long, hard run IN me
middle of the storm to the box, out
found no fire.
The wires of the New England Tele--
phone & Telegraph Company suffered
slightly from the lightning. ana the
Wires of the Western Union Telegraph
Company suffered considerable during
the storm. The wire between Spring
held and Boston was knocked out py
the lightning, but shortly after the ram
ceased the wire was again working,
The biggest damage was done IN tne
county, where the lightning got IN US
work, In Leicester a barn owned py
A. B. Davidson was struck by llgnt-