New-York tribune., 1900-08-13
FOUR LIVES LOST IN QUEENS
SEVERAL PERSONS ALSO HURT AND
MUCH DAMAGE DONE.

The storm of yesterday seemed to centre over
the northeastern section of Queens Borough and
much damage was done. Several lives were lost
as direct result of the storm. Some
struck by lightning, while others were killed by
electric wires being blown down. In the Wood
side section It hailed for fifteen minutes and
some of the stones large around as
ffty-cent piece. The wind blew at a high
velocity for a few minutes dozen electric
poles in Jackson-ave., Woodside. were blown
down. bIockading the street and tearing out the
entire wire service of a large part of the
borough In Flushing the storm was particu-
Iarly severe 1t cost three lives in that village
alone. The lightning struck fully a score OF
trees and other objects.
When the storm came up Thomas Dunn. six
teen years old, Of No 66 Lincoln-st Flushing
took refuge under big tree close to the Central
Junction House. A minute after ne reached it
the tree was struck by lightning. The bolt
passed down the tree to the base and killed the
boy. He was badly burned, and his body turned
livid and then blue. Part Of the clothing was
torn off.
About the same time bolt hit the big barn
of Frank Valentine. the Fresh Meadow Road.
In the barn at the time Clarence Weeks, a
farm hand employed on the place. He is sup
posed to have been killed by the bolt, moth
ing was seen of him after it struck the barn.
Valentine to the barn and into the stable
The building had taken fire and was burning
fercely. There were twelve cows in the barn,
and these Mr.. Valentine tried to save. He
drove out eight of them, but all were so severely
burned they will have to be shot. Valentine
did not escape from the barn, and was burned
to death The body found charred after
the fire was out, close to the stalls of the four
cows he had failed 70 get out The loss will be
about $4,000
The trolley roads were washed out in numer-
Gus places and travel was impossible until the
tracks had been reballasted. Trees were blown
down in many places, and streets were closed
until they could be cut away. A horse belong
ing to Robert Hepburn, of North Hampstead,
took refuge under tree. The tree was struck
by lightning and the horse killed.
Fannie Byrnes, seventeen years old of No.
% Dufteld-st., Brooklyn, in the act of
alighting from a Brooklyn Heights trolley car
in Grand-st., Newtown, when badly hurt. She
had just stepped from the car, when the highly
charged wire crossing the street over her head
broke, and it fell upon her It struck her
shoulder, and she put up her hand to
push it aside and her hand and neck were
burned by it. She was taken to st. Johns
Hospital, in Long Island City, and it is
certain whether she will recover not.
A similar but fatal accident occurred in
Corona. ChaunCey Lay, sixteen years DID, of
No. 397 Ewing-st.. Brooklyn, was walking in
Union-ave., in Corona, with his father, when
they were overtaken by the storm. They
started to run for shelter. As they ran an
ping him in its coils. He roasted TO death
in a minute.
Angelina Rosa thirty years old. running
from the storm near her home, in Corona-ave.,
Corona. when electric wire fell in front OF
her. To save her face she grasped it with both
hands, and was hurled unconscious into the
street. She was revived after being taken home.
Both hands were scared. if burned with a
red hot iron. She is in a serious state, owing
to shock
The storm interfered with the trains of the
Long Island Railroad running to Flushing and
on the Oyster Bay branch There were numer-
Gus little washouts. and in the cuts the water
rose so that it almost reached the fire boxes of
the engines, and the trains had to be with
the utmost caution. In the whole northern part
of the borough the streets were flooded and in
many places deep ruts were cut in the macadam.
The water in some places was in too great vol
ume to be carried oft by the usual channels, and
it backed into cellars and flooded low lying
lands
At North Beach a big crowd had already gath
cred despite the early hour in the afternoon at
which the storm struck. 1t created great excite
ment and the visitors huddled in the resorts for
shelter. Many sought shelter under the covers
OF the dancing pavions and similar places and
the wind soon drove the rain into these and
soaked those who had not been fortunate enough
to find shelter in the hotels.