Evening journal., 1901-09-02
WILMINGTON WAS
STORM SWEPT
One Han Killed and Several
We're Injured
WIND AND HAIL DID DAMAGE
Electricity Plays Franks With TOle-
phone Instruments and Dances
About the Switchboard
WIND AND HAIL DID DAMAGE

During the severe electrical storm
accompanied by wind rain and hail
which swOoped down on Wilmington
about o'clock last night, one man was
killed, several others injured, trees
were uprooted and much damage was
done generally. 1t was the most severe
storm of short duration that has vis-
tied Wilmington this season.
STRUCK BY DEATH BOLT
John Perkins was killed while stand
ing under a shed on Church street
wharf. where he had sought shelter
from the storm. When the bolt killed
Perkins it stunned Adam Hoehn and
Thomas Roney, who were standing
near him. Hoehn was rendered un-
conscious, but Roney received but
slight shock and ran for assistance to
Policeman Gainor, who was not far
off. The officer was almost knocked
down by the electricity when he re-
ported the case to the police station
from the box near the wharf.
When struck, Perkins had his Goa
collar turned up exposing the sprin
used to make his coat hang well abou
the neck and in front
He was struck by the bolt about
o'clock, the fire shooting about tn
steel spring, which was jammed
against the back of the head, burnin
the flesh there. One end of the stee
was melted by the electricity, and Per
kins was burned along the body wher
the bolt traversed.
Upon receiving Officer Gainor's re
port, Captain Black, accompanied
Drs James H. Morgan and J. L
France, visited the scene and the ply
siclans agreed that Perkins was in
stantly killed and that the steel sprin
around the mans neck assisted in tn
electrocution. His body was remove
to the morgue in the patrol wagon
The dead man was 80 years old and ha
a family living in South Wilmington
Hoehn was revived without muc
difficulty and was removed to hi
boarding house.
SEVERE IN HocKEsslN
Hockessin was visited by a severe raj
and electrical storm last night
The storm reached its height about }
o'clock and rain fell in torrents 70
several minutes. There also was con
siderable wind which did no little dam
age in the way if blowing down fence
Lightning was almost incessant an
and breaking the limbs Of trees.
several traces were struck. Fortunatel
no great damage was done, however.
OTHER DAMAGE BY STORM
1t is thought that the storms centr
passed through Wilmington or very
near it.
The hail lasted about ten minute
and was followed by a regular deluse
OF binding rain.
The wind blew down the fence abou
the store and warehouse of the E. l.
Peacock Company, at Ninth and Frenc
streets
A large tree was blown down /
Washington street between Front an
Second.
A tree in Front street near Monro
was felled by the wind during tn
storm.
About fifty feet Of fence about tn
Kartavert works in Maryland avenu
was blown down by the high wind.
A tree in Poplar street betwee
Sixth and Seventh streets and a tire
in Lombard street between Sixth an
Seventh were razed during the storm
The lightning seemed to take es
pecial delight in playing with th
switch boards in the telephone excbane
es and in ringing the telephone bell
in different parts of the city. None {
the lines were put out of service.
There was tree inWashingtons stree
between Third and Fourth another q
A and Townsend and another on
street below Townsend street blow
down by the wind.
The wind also carried away th
smokestack OF Market street bridge.