The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1905-09-07
Lightning, Hail and Rain of Friday
Evening Made Up One Of the
Worst Storms of Year
PRAIRIE BARNS ARE BURNED
Barn of c. III. Waldo Is Burned to the
Ground, While Other Structures
Are Damaged - Lightning
Hits an Electric Car

One Of the most severe storms of the
year in Kenosha county passed over
the county just before O'Clock Fri
day evening, and reports from the ru-
raj districts show that it left track of
deso1ation behind it. Several build
ings were struck by lightning, but so
far as can be learned there was no
loss of life. The growing corn was
badly damaged by being blown down
by the wind, while other crops were
damaged by the incessant fall of hail,
. which in some parts of the county
continued for over an hour.
The storm was exceedingly severe
in the western part of the county,
and it has been impossible to get any
reports from the towns of Paris and
Brighton on account of the fact that
the storm severed telephone connec-
tons. The Citizens Telephone COM
pany reports this morning that nine of
the lines leading to rural districts
we're put out of commission by the
storm, and large force of men was
at once put to work to repair the
storm damage. The Wisconsin Te1e-
phone company also suffered, and but
one of the half dozen lines between
| Chicago and Kenosha was working
this morning. The lines of both the
Western Union and Postal Telegraph
companies were badly damaged and
the messages are being transmitted
with considerable trouble.
The storm struck the city just after
10 O'Clock and in half an hour the
streets were flooded with water, more
than an inch of rain falling in that
short time. The sewers were taxed to
their capacity. The fierce wind at
tending the storm blew down trees
and the streets were in many parts of
the town Uttered with debris blown
from the trees.
The storm was accompanied by an
electrical storm, and lightning struck
the new home of James Rasmussen,
on Salem avenue, SCATTERING the up
per part of the house. The family
was in the house at the time of the
accident, but none of them was in
jured. The damage to the house will
be IN the neighborhood Of $500.
The storm seems to have been even
more severe west of the city, and the
barn on the farm of C. H. Waldo, in
the town of Pleasant Prairie, was
struck by lightning and completely
destroyed The barn was filled with
hay, and although a crowd of farmers
| 1nr-ox CT +O 10
it was impossible to save the barn or
any of it's contents. The barn is To-
Gated on the old Shuart farm, in the
town of Pleasant Prairie, and the loss
is estimated at $500, without insur-
ance. The barn of George Gates, in
the village of Bristol, was also struck
by lightning during the storm and was
damaged to the extent of $50. Fortu-
nate1y all of the horses were removed
| from the barn.
| North of the city the storm was also
severe, and farmers report heavy dam
age to the corn, while cabbage is badly
injured by the hail. During the storm
car on the NJ. R. & K. road was
struck by lightning at the Curtis
station, and the passengers were
given shaking up. None of them
was seriously injured. The accident
caused great delay along the line, and
the passengers on the Inflated car
did not reach Kenosha until nearly 9
O'Clock.
| Northwest near the village of Union
Grove, many fires are reported and it
is feared that the farmers ofthe towns
of Paris and Brighton may ,have suf-
fered losses.