The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-23
TWILIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON.
DYNAMITE CHARGE EXPLODED
BY FREAK ELECTRIC STORM.

Temperature Drops . Degree . second
While Rain Pours DOwn-SO 900 Per-
sons Caught and Scared At Coney Island
--Lishtnlns Nearly scalps Two Men.
An electrical storm, accompanied by a
heavy rainfall, swept over the city and
vicinity between and O'Clock yesterday
afternoon. With the first booming OF
thunder the sky darkened and the gloom
increased until it was like twilight In the
middle Of the afternoon. This feature OF
the storm frightened a good many people,
who hustled for shelter against the possibly
danger of lightning and wind.
When the storm began the temperature
was SO degrees. Seventeen minutes later
it had fallen to go, drop Of II degrees in
| II minutes.
In that period OF time there was pre-
cpitation Of two-thirds of an inch.
| The lightning struck several buildings
in the suburbs OF the city, causing fires.
| The lightning played queer prank near
| the Marquette, a new apartment house that
is almost completed, at Al to AL West
l20th street near Amsterdam avenue. The
house is a six story structure and is built on
rock foundation The builder had a
good deal of blasting to do and in the rear
of the building, directly underneath the
fence line, a charge o. unexploded dynamite
had heen left in the rock. This was ex-
ploded by the lightning and the conclusion
shook the buildings for blocks around.
The nearest building to the Marquette
is the Lowell, another apartment house,
which is on Amsterdam avenue and houses
about forty families. On the southeast
of Ap,o rJo,,, apI
street, adjoining the Lowell is the Crags-
mere. another unfinished apartment house.
The explosion of the dynamite charge
swayed the Lowell, and the loud report
drove the scared tenants into the street.
The tenants were panicstricken for time.
for many windows in the Lowell were
shattered by the explosion.
score Of workmen were in the Mar
quette, and Just before the fash of lightning
that set of the dynamite occurred. Joseph
Rose, a painter who was at work on the
first floor, stepped to a rear window to see
how the storm was progressing While
he was there the lightning flashed and
seemed to run down the corner of the build
ing near which Rose was standing at the
open window. The lightning tore of most
of his hair and knocked him down and
his arms were singed
Then came the explosion which tore
away most OF the Marquette and broke
sixty windows in the building
Rocks were blown against the building
and they crashed through the windows
Not only did the Marquette suffer in this
way, hut both the Lowell and the Crags-
mere had similar damage. A big piece of
stone shot through rear window of the
Cragsmere and went out through front
window into Amsterdam avenue. 1t mar
rowly missed hitting an Amsterdam avenue
car.
John Delaney, workman, who was busy
in The Marquette. was blown through
door on the first floor by the force of the
explosion. He was stunned and bruised
when he was picked M besides losing his
hair
The hngpole on the roof Of the Langdon,
a seven story apartment house at 1877 West
l24h street, was struck and fuse blew
out in the passenger elevator. There was
nobody in the elevator at the time.
When the f1aEpole was struck the cleo
tricity ran down the elevator shaft, and for
a few seconds there was a beautiful display
along the ironwori of the shaft. Part of
the pole fell through a skyight. and the
noise led some of the women tenants to
believe that the roof was caving in. They
ran into the halls, but when the elevator
boy called up that there was no danger the
excitement subsidized.
A number of boats drifted from their
moorings off Audubon Beach, at 15lst street
and the Hudson River. sloop with four
men In it was in mdstream when the storm
came on, and they had a tough time making
their way 10 shore
AT CoNEY ISLAND.
The section of tho storm that visited
Coney Island found a big crowd there
When the sky began to backen probably
so 900 persons were scattered about the
island Several hundred were in bathing.
Five minutes after the first thunderc!ap
every haven on the island that offered
shelter was packed with frightened crowds,
largely composed OF women and children
lightning struck a score of places. Four
buildings were damaged to il considerable
extent. In two of them fires broke out.
No one was seriously injured. but hundreds
of persons experienced slight shocks.
1t was about half past 3 when tbs first
bolt fell This struck the concert hall Of