Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-08-03
Firsmsn Finally Gain the Upper Hand
and Loss on Building is Light.
STOCK WATER SOAKED AND DAMAGED
Runaway Horse Adds to the Excitement
by Dashing Through Crowd.
LIGHTNING ALSO STOPS CAR SERVICE
Rain Comes I'm Torrents and vio-
lent Thunder Proves Disast-
rOus TO shaky
Nerves.

Omaha was in the grasp Of a severe
electrical storm last night, which began
soon after 10 o'clock. Early in the even
ing dark clouds gathered in the west and
by $3.50 peals of thunder were heard at
short intervals and within half an hour
lightning flashes accompanied the thunder,
which increased in volume until heavy
rain began about 1880.
So intense was the storm that electric
lights in streets and buildings were ex-
tinguished, street cars were stopped and
fire engines started.
As is generally the case In Omaha Sat-
urday night found the streets literally lined
on both sides with people and vast crowds
were caught. many unprepared, by the
storm There was some lively skirmishing
for shelter when the thunder and lightning
had rent the heavens so badly as to open
the rain windows. With the water falling
in sheets and the cars standing still for
an hour, stores and corridors were i'm
pressed into service as places OF refuge.
Strikes FInspOIe on MIL.
Several reports of buildings being struck
by lightning were made during the storm,
the most serious being that Of the Omaha
Milling company at Sixteenth and Charles
streets. Lightning struck the fiagpole on
the roof, ran down through the building
and started fires on the roof, the second
floor and the basement, entailing loss
on the building of about $780, The stock
valued at 10000, was soaked with water
and most OF this is ruined. The building,
a four story brick, and machinery are val
ued at SS5, 900. The loss on the machinery
could not be estimated last night though
It is considerably damaged. The company
carried $500 insurance o. the stcck enc
s1T.5O0 on the building and machinery.
The hre was first discovered by J. q.
Gamble, who lives in that neighborhood
and who was awakened by the lightning
He turned in the FIRE alarm. which was
followed shortly after by a second.
When the department arrived the flames
were issuing from the southeast and the
southwest corners OF the roof and the fire
was burning In the second story and the
basement Smoke completely Allen the
street, making II difflcult to get at, the
fre Notwithstanding the heavy downpour
Of rain and the dozen streams which were
playing on the fire, as fast as 1t was sub
dued in one place It broke out more hercely
| in another To make. It more difncult
for the firemen by the side Of the building
and in the rear is steep embankment,
which, made slippery by the rain, rendered
Il almost impossible to get to the building
/ from these Bldeb. II LOOK over tNo uOhrS
Of hard work to subdue the flames.
The first floor OF the building contained
the immense stock OF -four and the
second and third are filled with machinery
The smoke and fire on the machinery floors
forced several fremen who entered the
building upon their arrival to leave, and
the lighting had to be done entirely from
! the outside. The basement Of the building
| is used as an engine room. Only small
damage was done in these.
Horse Adds 90 Excitement.
To add to the excitement occasionsd by
the fire, a horse hitched to a buggy and
driven by a young man, ran away and came
down through the crowd In front OF the
burning building, barely missing several
people. 1t was impossible to stop him
and both buggy and horse were soon lost
in the darkness on North sixteenth street
The mill is owned by Mrs. Ia. e. Arriens.
widow OF August Arriens. who died sew
eral months ago. II 10 60x42 feet In dimen-
sions and was erected fourteen years ago.
Mrs Arriens, who lived across the street
from the mill, witnessed the hre from her
porch and as the flames shot up she became
hysterical and for a time It was thought
she would be prostrated.
Lightning struck the barn of Adam
| Rhue at 4432 IeaVenwortn street last nignt
about II o'clock, causing the building to
burn and cremating three horses. Rhue
rushed into the barn to try to save some
OF the animals, but was kicked by one OF
them and was with diniculty gotten out
Fire company No. made a run also
going to Forty-frst and Jackson streets
The wires were burned out so that no par
ticulars were obtainable.
Lightning burned out the fire alarm and
light wires at the police station.