The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-21
BOLT STRIKES 20 CHILDREN.
THEY WE'RE PLAYING UNDER
RIG TREES IN THE BRONX.
Nine Burned and Made Blind for u Time
h, Lightning, and Clothing Torn From
ne-The storm started I'm New Jersey
and Took Tornado Track-Hail Falls.

Twenty children playing under trees in
ward of one of the finest residences in
the Bedford Park section Of The Bronx
were struck down yesterday afternoon by
n bolt Of lightning the opening gun of
thr sharp 1T storm that has nit that sec
ZION in some time.
The bolt stunned every one of the score
Of rlavmatcs, burned nine of them severely
and tore the clothes completely of thirteen
ycar-oId William McComb, son of William
J NnComb. the superintendent of the
buidug firm of Sloane & Moller, at 1913
East SiNty.fourth street
The children were playing in Mr..
Nc(ombs rear yard. When the shadow
of the approaching shower darkened the
ssv the group gathered under two trees
that stand in the back yard-a big chestnut
and larger oak, which grew up by chance
hardly six feet apart
While the children We're playing they
we're being watched more or less by their
parents. all of whom live near the McCombs.
They GIao had two other interested spec
tators, Fathers Daniel +. X. Burke and
Pattaai of the Roman Catholic Church of
81 Philip Neri, right across the way The
PRIESTS had been drawn to the window by
the happy laughter Of the children,
One Of he girls in the party, Carrie Tobias,
was ting in the swing that was suspended
sron a branch Of the chest nut tree, and the
rest Of the group were swinging her.
With not a raindrop as a warming, the
bolt then struck fairly in the centre Of
the crowd of children. The priests, who
We're almost blinded by the flash, say that
every child was struck down. Half of
The group got up and staggered away
tow steps and then ran for their homes
The rest lay still on the ground,
The priests We're the first to reach the
ward They expected to find every child
there dead. The first sign Of life came
from Willie McCombs bird dog Carlo.
The dog had been Knocked unconscious
and the fur had been burned Off four inches
of his tail The pain in that member ap-
parently brought him TO- The dog jumped
up and ran like mad in the streets Of Bed
ford Park for an hour and half Then
he went calmly into his home and straight
to the bed where Willie McComb had mean
while been taken.
The dogs master Willie, had the most
wonderful escape Of the whole party.
Every stitch of his clothing was torn from
his body by the lightning The priests
carried him, naked into his home, while
the rain descended in a torrent. Willies
undershirt and one of his stockings were
burned or blown completely away Not
n shred of them could be found. Every
other piece of clothing he wore looked
as IL IL had been through a meat grinder
Even his shoes, which were torn from his
feet were all chopped and torn up
Wle's sister Sadie and brother Harold
got Of a little better Saddles shoes were
torn from her feet and Harold lost every
hutton on his clothes.
The bolt. which Rouged a strip three
inches deep from the chestnut tree. broke
the swing ropes and Carrie Tobias was
left unconscious on the ground Her
clothes weren't burned, but the lightning
left broad streak Of vivid red on her back.
The first thing that the priests and other
persons who ran to the yard did was to
carry the unconscious children into the
McComb house. While DR. ID. Dunn and
other physicians were being summoned
The priests went back to their house and
got liniment and bandages.
All Of the children except Willie and
Sadie McComb soon revived. Willie was
the last to he brought to his senses For
two hours after that he couldn't see a thing,
although his mind was apparently clear
even ut that time. Inc lightning had
struck his body AT the right shoulder. 1t
scattered from that point, leaving burned
patches all over his body. II got together
again on the inside Of his left leg and ran
down that leg to his foot in a path Of red
Two inches wide
When Willie was asked last night how
II had felt he said.
Il didn't feel awning All Of sudden,
though, | saw a lot Of angels"
The doctors say he will suffer no serious
Consequences His sister Sadie couldn't
walk last evening, but the doct ors say her
feet were paralvzed onlv temporarily.
She, too, was blind for couple of hours.
The children seriously injured are:
LvoSs, WILLIAM 10 years old. of 3Os2 Villa avenue;
burns OF the face body and arms,
Act oMR, WILLIAM - years old Of 2O2d street
shoulder and both feet, was blind for twS h rxps
amer he became conscious.
MCl 9MB, SADIE. ID years old. sister Of above
FoIraaIy; was blind for several hours.
McCoMn, HAROLD, II years old, brother OF above:
NUNS OF face. hands and body.
NCMrRRAY, EDWARD, ~ years old Of 3Oa0 Villa
., M .Sd!I CHARLES. u years old brother
,McMrRRAr, MARGUERITE. 10 years old, sister
o' p above; burns Of face and neck.
Prime NORMAN, 10 years old OF 3os8 villa
AHrrnnr burns Of fncc, arms and back.
I"hlAs. CtRRtF. II years old. OF Anthony ave-
"A uiH setro
NJ red ''"'" =" "'''' ''''"N
Several children who were in the group
hut got away before the priests reached the
ward, we're treated al their homes by doc
,ors last evening II is said that none Of
Ihese children was seriously hurt. One or
Two OF them were burned slightly.
The rain that followed the stroke OF
lightning drenched some of The Bronx. II
came down in limited area of the borough
nnt 1t was very wet,
Methodist Episcopal Church in Mount
vernon and badly damaged it, In New
TTocheIle there was a heavy hailstorm.
Telephone and telegraph wires in the county
were blown down and the service crippled
HArLsToRM IN NEW JERSEY.
=, ne storm that passed 10 the north of the
.hlckly populated part of this city appears
70 70 have travelled up from New Jersey,
lohowlng the tornado track, which Ia from
southwest 10 northeast.
nigh wlndstorm passed over Norris
iu9Wh, j., about o clock in the afternoon.
nan stones MS large as marbles fell and broke
me windows of several houses.
IN Chatham, trees were uprooted and
S,nal hou7es blown over. When train
uh IN" LaCkawanna railroad, scheduled