New-York tribune., 1900-08-13
BOLT HITS NINE PERSONS.
FOUR VICTIMS MAY DIE AND A FIFTH
MAY BECOME INSANE.
THE PARTY WAS HOLDING A PICNIC NEAR
HIGH BRIDGE-sTEEL ROD UMBRELLAS
APPEAR TO BE RESPONSIBLE.


HIGH BRIDGE-sTEEL ROD UMBRELLAS
APPEAR TO BE RESPONSIBLE
Nine persons who hurriedly sought shelter
under some trees and bushes In the woods
at Lund-ave. and Brch-st., in The Bronx dur
ing the storm of yesterday afternoon were
struck by lightning. The persons injured are as
follows:
BROWN. Emil, four months old; he suffers from shock;
BROWN Eta. eight years old she was burned about the
BROWN. James thirty years cd Hunsarsn, tailor. or, q
Ss M aT o s right shoe s was Pst and %fs %
DiN Brown Hfa her s side %as parayssd clothing
BROWN Louis four years old; he suffers from shock;
his injuries are not serious.
BROWN. Martha. and one-half years old; burned
BODY os' her cothing and Shoes
Ser @a, %n.d aboa the q bo e s SS ha s
all her Clothing burned of,
sILvERMAN. Bertha, eleven years Old. Of No; 1sl
eothine almost des:royed
CHILDREN SWEPT OFF A BLUFF.
All the injured persons were taken to Ford
ham Hospital. At late hour last night the
attending physicians said they thought Mrs.
Brown, her children Rosa and Eta, and Bertha
Silverman could not possibly live Bertha Sill
verman was the worst injured of ALL The physi-
probably become hopelessly insane
The picnic ground is on Lund-ave., between
the High Bridge Road and Birch-st. not more
than two hundred feet north of hundred
and-sxty- -eighth-st. The High Bridge police
station is in plain view.
The party had an enjoyable day of It, and
shortly after o'clock the father, searching for
place to make the spread for luncheon, hit
upon oak tree, which seemed an ideal one.
a ridge. small rocky bluff. which runs parallet
with the street Under the oak are three large
rocks, which the children sat- while their
mother and Miss Lescowitz spread out the food.
They had just begun to eat when it began to
rain. The wind soon began TO blow with great
violence, and the oak bent and swayed, and
seemed in such danger of breaking that the
father ordered all to seek other shelter
It's not good to stand under such a tree" he
said. I'VE might get hit by lightning" Picking
up little Martha, his wife grabbing Louis, and
With Miss Lescowtz carrying Emil they
down little pathway under the bluff and
crouched under bush which grows there. The
rest of the children scampered to some shelter
ing bushes top of the bluff.
They had hardly hidden themselves when
there was a binding flash and crash like fifty
1O-inch rifles exploding at The three chill
dren on top Of the bluff were swept like so much
CnaH into the street below, ana lay tnere un-
conscious. Mr.. and Mrs. Brown and Miss Lesco-
witz were thrown fifteen feet and also
made unconscious. Strangely enough the chill
dren in the arms of the elders escaped with
comparatively slight injuries
POLICEMAN FINDS THE VICTIMS.
Policeman Peter J. Hunt lives at No. 233 Og-
den-ave., a short distance from the scene of the
accident He was ready to go to the station to
uhe he brOIx EIa tied n
few minutes but as 1t did not seem to let up,
he donned his macintosh and started out. He
took his usual short cut through the woods, and
discovered the victims of the bolt. Picking up
the two youngest children he ran to his house
with them Next he called John Olsen, whose
house edjoins mis-, and told him what had hap
pened. A rescue party was organized. Six of
the injured persons carried into Olsen's
house and third child taken to the police
mans home. An ambulance was sent from
Fordham Hospital DR.. Thetford who was in
charge, put five Of the victims in the ambulance
and drove to the hospital with all speed The
others were taken to the hospital in the patrol
wagon.
The most vigilant search could not discover
any trace of damage to trees, bushes rocks
by the lightning. The luncheon which the
people had been eating was catered. and parts
of 1t were found three hundred feet distant.
The members of the party had umbrellas with
steel rods and It is believed that these attracted
the electric fluid. The umbrella coverings were
torn and scorched. One of the umbrella rods
was driven almost full length into the hard and
rocky soil.
Lightning hit telegraph pole in front of the
Highbridge police station. and destroyed 1t at
almost the same instant. 1t was thought it was
the same holt.
Lightning set fire to the cupola Of A. l.
Casey's house, not far away, and the hremen
were called The damage about $50 Ser
geant Naughton says he was hurled from his
chair at his desk in the Hghbridge station by
the force of a shock which came in over the
station telegraph wires. He was not much
hurt