The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-04
FURIOUS RAIN SQUALL
BREAKS OVER MONTGOMERY

0 GU ~ shss. was the state Capitol. the
dome and the nag pole being slightly
Ssn.,ed the other being the residence
os nj DeJarnette, 522 South Hull.
vtere a chimney was torn away and
the water poured into the house. No
one was injured at either place and
neither building caught hre.
The business house that suffered the
greatest damage was the wholesale
shoe establishment of C. r. Moritz G.
Co. at the northeast corner Of Com
merce and Tallapoosa Streets. The
Arm occupies the three story brick Nc
Intyre building. which has a parapet
roof. The northeast wind blew the
heavy rain between the parapets form
ing a pool on the roof. The water
finally broke through the three floors
In a sheet and damaged many boxes
Of shoes.
member Of the firm said that the
report that lightning had struck the
building was incorrect. The water. he
said, broke through the roof and did
some damage to the stock The dam
age. he said, might be as much as $3.50.
Tho clerks and neighbors assisted in
removing the goods and saved some
of them by the use of tarpaulins.
Lightning Struck Capitol.
The State Capitol was struck by
lightning during the storm q few min
utes after ! o'clock. The bolt struck
the flag STAFF on the dome, splintered
1t and threw the big ball that orna-
mented it fifty feet to one side in tho
Capitol yard
The holt ran OF the dome towards
the rear Of the building. 1t raced
along the building until 1t struck q
telegraph wire leading into the con-
Wet department 1t burst into the
room in which Chief Clerk Robert TAFT
was at work In the form of flash of
flame. 20 or rs feet long. The fame
was accompanied by deafening explo-
sion.
No serious damage was done the
building. and no one in the Capitol was
severely shocked, although severalt OF
the departmental employees experienced
the tingling sensation which accom-
panies the presence Of electricity in
the atmosphere.
An investigation showed that prac-
ticaliy no damage had been done except
the splintering of the flag pole on the
dome and the breaking of four WIN
dows in the rear of the building. The
flag pole was not put out OF commits
sion, although the ball was knocked
off and large pieces of 1t were splinter
ed off.
Killed n Number OF Birds.
A freak of the lightning was its de-
struction of a large number of birds
nests and the killing OF a dozen Eng
fish sparrows. 1t Is supposed the bolt
ran along the caves of the roof where
there were a number of these nests.
and where a number of sparrows had
taken refuge from the rain. For sew
eral feet the ground was covered with
the remains of birds nests and dead
sparrows.
The historic old building was put In
imminent danger by the flames of the
electric bolt as they played about the
wooden caves of the Capitol. The
structure Is largely made of wood, and
It is regarded as extremely fortunate
that the flames found no Judgement.
The bolt of lightning caused more or
less panic among the Capitol workers.
The shock OF the electricity was ex-
perienced more in the third floor of
the Capitol near the Convict Depart
ment and in the Governors Office and
the Secretary of States ONCE, two ratli-
er widely separated parts of the Capt.
toll building.
The Bolt Divided.
It is thought that the bolt ran down
the dome to the rear and towards the
northeastern portion of the building
After reaching the main part of tho
building, it is thought to have divid-
ed, the heavier part flashing into the
convict department over the telephone
wire, while the other portion flashed
into the Office of the Governor and the
Secretary of State. All at work in
these two offices felt a distinct shock
and were startled by the binding flash
Of light.
Chief Clerk TAFT of the Convict Do
partment was nearer injury than any
one else. He was standing at a desk
almost directly in front of the tele-
phone. The fash of fire from the tele-
phone flew by him and several feet
beyond him. 1t lit up the hall where
part of its force was apparently ex-
pended. All the occupants of the third
floor felt the shock more ar less severe
ly. Watchmen J. C. Bush, who was
asleep in an ante-room under the dome
experienced a decided shock.
There was a nervous and creepy at
mosphere around the Capitol for sew
eral minutes. Most of the government
tai employees had become nervous anG
apprehensive before the Capitol was
struck. Lightning had struck In sew
eral places apparently nearby. Tho
resounding crash and the fash which
accompanied 1t produced a decidedly
paaicky feeling.
During the storm Dexter Avenue and
tributary streets were solid streams of
running water. In low places the wa
ter leaped over the sidewalks and
flooded stores. For thirty minutes all
business was suspended and the Oldest
inhabitant wondered at the fury of the
elements.
Water In a Hotel.
The foot of Commerce Street looked
like a sea and there were those who
recalled floods In the Alabama River.
The work being done there by the
street railway formed a partial dam,
and the water which rushed through
Commerce Street to the river found an
outlet by way Of the Windsor Hotel
lobby For fifteen miputes water
poured through the hotel lobby and the
hasty retreat when the storm subsidized
as quickly as 1t had broken.
Reports from all sections of the city
much fruit was blown from the limbs
to the ground.
Section Director r. p Chaffee of the
could not be called a cloudburst. but
that 1t was the most excessive in Mont
gomery for many years. While the
| miles an hour at the height of the storm
and alarmed many people. Mr. Chaffee
said this was not a danger point for
ordinary houses.
The following is a statement of for
mer excessive rains In MONTGOMERY as
shown by records of the Weather
Bureau:
Daily.
tyear. date. time. and amounts-inchel