The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-13
LIVES LOST IN STORM
Nine Persons Killed and Several
Injured at New York.
Lightning Strikes N Picnic Party and
Five of the Pleasure Seekers May
Started by II ThuudcrbOIt-Yach
Cnpsixed and Couple Drowned.

NEW YORK, Aug. 12.-Nine persons in
this vicinity lest their lives in the ter
rife storm which today put an end to the
hot weather for the time and nine others
were hurt, FIVE of whom, it is thought,
/ will die. During the storm, while the
! flashes of lightning were almost incessant
the wind attained velocity of seventy
/ six miles an hour and within ten minutes
of the first rumble of thunder the ther-
mometer dropped 25 degrees.
! The family of James Brown, a tailor
of 127 Goerck Street, and two young girls
| of the same neighborhood, nine persons in
all, were struck by lightning at High
Bridge, and were taken to Fordham Hos
pital, all seriously injured. The surg
eCns there say that several of them will
die. The party went to High Bridge today
to have picnic They chose a spot under
big oak On Lind Avenue about 100 feet
north Of Birch Street
About O'Clock, just as they had dinner
spread, The storm broke over them They
ran for shelter behind a big pile OF stones
near the tree, but had barely reached the
shelter When there was a dazzling fash
Of lightning. About four minutes later
Policeman Hunt OF the High Bridge sta
tic1. who lives at 1133 Ogden Avenue.
walked down a path near by on his way
home, and came upon the party. All were
unconscious and the clothing of most of
them was afire. He put out the flames and
carried three Of the children to his house
When he returned he found that Police
men Price and Mccormick had sent the
other victims to Fordham Hospital. Brown
was badly burned about the right leg and
on the right side. His wife was burned
about the body. but especially on the left
side. Her clothing had been destroyed
by the FIRE and her hair was burned of.
She will die.
Rose Brown was burned about the body
and legs. Her clothing. even 10 her Shoes
was burned to ashes. She will die. Eta
Brown was partly blinded by the lightning.
She win probably recover. Martha, the
two-year-old baby, was burned about the
body and face, but the surgeons say she
has an even chance for life. Louis and
Emmett were not burned at all. They suf-
fered only from shock
Bertha Lefkowitz will die. Her clothing
and her shoes had been burned OF and
her body was painfully burned. Sophie
SiIyerman was so badly burned about the
lower part of the body that there is no
hope for her recovery. The flesh Of all the
victims turned black around the burns,
even where it had not been charred by the
flames.
Chauncey Lay, fifteen years old. OF s97
Even Street, Brooklyn. was instantly
killed by a broken electric-light wire in
Corona, l.. l., this afternoon. The boy was
hurrying along Union Street with his faith
er. They were trying to reach a place OF
shelter from the storm. Without warning
a blazing electric-light wire came sizzling
through the trees toward father and son.
1t struck the boy a hard blow on the side
OF the head and he fell dead. the heavy
current having passed through his body
to TIE ground.
Two men were burned to death in fire
near Flushing. L. l., this afternoon. which
was started by bolt OF lightning during |
the storm. The victims were Frank Val I
entine, twenty-nine years old, farmer I
and milknan living with his sisters on
farm near Broadway, station about hall
way between Flushing and Bays.Ge. aad !
Clarence Weeks, twenty-seven years o d. I
a farmland employed by Valentine. These +
men and Frank Morecraft twenty-four /
years old, another farmland, were in the |
barn preparing to milk the ccwS owned by |
Valentine. Mcreeraft was in a stall milk |
ing COW when lightning struck the roof |
Of the barn. The bolt divided after enter |
ing the building and one fork went down |
in the stall ard struck Moreeraft The |
other men carried Morecraft out of the /
barn, which was on fire in several places !
ard left him in the farmhouse where VAL |
entines sisters started to render him aid. |
Valentine and Wesks returned to try to |
rescue the cows. They entered the build |
ing. and that was the iast sen OF them |
alive.
The bodies were found near th2 main
entrance Of the barn. ard those who took |
them out think they were crushed by the |
cattle they had released.
Herman Meyer. a machine manufacturer. |
was out in a sailhoat with his son Emil, !
aged twenty and his daughter Agatha, |
eyed twenty-five. When near Hell Gate. /
in TIE East River the storm struck the /
boat, capsizing her. Meyer, who could /
swim attempted to save his daughter. |
She grabbed him about the neck and arms
and both were drowned. The son was res
cuef.
There were several rescues by steamboat 1
and tugboat men of yachtsmen whose boats
were capsized in the bay.
When the storm was worst lightning !
struck the flagstaff Of the Gilsey House. |
split it the whole length, and pitched one
half through the railing that surrounds
the hotel roof into the middle Of Broadway.
1t came down with a crash, but fortunately
the rain. which was then falling in tor
rects, had driven all pedestrians from the
street. No one was hurt.
Sixteen deaths were reported to the
Office as due to the heat. There
were-seyenteen deaths from heat in Brook.
lyn.
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