The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-08-23

QUICK WORK
Flag Pole on Becker Building
Shattered.
Barn Burned at rorris Plains -Tele=
phone Service Greatly Interfered
With While Telegraph offices Re-
sembled an Infantry FusiIade.

| ~~~--~~N~-f
| The managers of the Western Union
and Postal Telegraph officers and the
operators in the Telephone Exchange
realized an hour before the storm broke
| on Wednesday that it would be a severe
one. Electricity cut up all sorts of as
! tonishing pranks with the telegraph
wires, and the switch boards resent bled
display of Paine's fire works on a
limited scale, while the continual crack
of the lightning on the switch boards
called to mind the noise made by rapid
! fire guns. The wind blew about sixty
miles an hour during, the early part of
the shower, playing havoc in orchards
and cornfields.
The gloom was similar to that of early
candle light, only relieved by the fire.
quent and terrific flashes and sheets of
lightning, while the reports reminded
one of the broadsides fired by the late
Captain Phillips at Santiago from the
Texas.
The storm came from all directions,
although it seemed particularly severe
in the vicinity of Madison and Bernards-
vile. 1t gave the Telephone Company
considerable trouble with its fifteen ex-
changes, although not as destructive as
the storm of fortnight ago. Ovsr one
hundred and seventy-five telephones were
temporarily rendered useless by the blow
ing out Of the fuses. Madison, Dover
and Bernardsville had their full share
while in the vicinity of Netcong the
trunk line was knocked down. The in
cessant falling of the drops caused by
the lightning doubled the duties of the
operators.
The rain-weli, it fell in torrents,
soon converting the cutters into angry
water courses. During the height of the
storm two sharp reports were heard,
following the vivid lightning flashes:
one shattered the flag pole on the Becker
building, scattering slivers and splinters
in every direction. Fortunately, beyond
shocking the inmates of the building no
serious results followed The other flash
struck the chimney on Col. E. l.. Dob
bins barn on Franklin Place, scattering
bricks in every direction; coursing down
the chimney it knocked the stove pipe
down and did some funny work with
the electric light wires. The coachmau
had just driven sout of the barn or the
result might have been serious.
Another flash struck the Gamewell
Alarm system in the bouse of Indepen-
dent Hose Company, rendering it use
less for short time Not until eight
o'clock did the rainfall cease and for
some hours afterward the walks were
covered with broken branches.
In Basking Ridge the large barn on
the farm of Luther Childs was set fire
by the lightning and burned to the
ground with its contents, including two
ponies, one COW, $4,000 worth of hay and
several stacks of oats, stacked near the
burning building. The rest of the farm
animals were saved. The loss is esti-
mated at $3.50, which is covered by
insurance. Two other houses in Basking
Ridge were struck but little damage
was done.
In Madison the residences of Howard
and H. G. Condit and barn of DR.. Van
derwater were struck but damaged
slightly Considerable damage was
done to the streets and cutters.
During the severe thunder storm
Wednesday afternoon the barn of Mrs.
John Num- at Morris Plains was struck
by lightning. The entire contents in
cluding about twenty tons of hay was
destroyed. The loss amounted to about
81, 900.
In other sections of the State the
storm was also very severe In Mont
clair and Bloomfield the streets were
badly flooded.
TeIenhnne NnteS