The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-11
RAIN NIAGARA CHECKS HEAT.
10 INCHES FELL IN 10 MINUTES,
25G IN THE SHOWER.
Ellis Island Buildings, brooklyn Borough
Hall and Steam Yacht Seminole Struck
by Lightning Dropped
10 Degrees While the Rain Was Falling.

| ~ lLSnnlnS urOppfu
70 Degrees While the Rain Was Failing.
1t was unpleasantly warm yesterday,
but there have been many other July days
that, comparatively, might be called torrid.
A fierce electrical storm that converted
the dripping air Of all the boroughs into
an erial Niagara drove the temperature
down from its maximum OF 80 to 80 degrees
in less than two hours in the afternoon.
The storm came out of the southwest,
across Jersey, and sashed the blue-back
background of the sky with Jagged light.
The lightning did not expend its energy
altogether among the clouds. 1t dipped
down frequently, shifting things afoat
and ashore.
While the storm was rumbling over the
Battery district white lance came QUITO
the torrent and splintered the foretopmast
of j. NJ. Robns's steam yacht Seminole,
anchored of the Battery yacht basin.
| The Seminole picked up anchor and sailed
| down the bay. Hundreds who had sought,
! and had not found shelter from the down
pour under Battery park trees were startled
| by the bolt that smashed the yachts spar
and many ran through the park to the
Aquarium and to the elevated road structure
in Whitehall street.
1t was q phenomenal de.uge for these
parts, and the wettest ten minutes Of it
beat all records. In these ten minutes,
which ended at 3:45. is inches OF rain
swept down in sheets thick that it was
difficult to see half the length of a block.
The observation was as bad as that OF
heavy fog. The local official prophets said
that this rate Of rainfall kept up an hour,
| la. M.
the title Of tropical shower. The flood
| gates lei loose 2.58 inches between 2As
and APO p. NJ, and choked the sewers in
many parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn
flooding the cellars Of South and West
streets, as usual. The temperature touched
the lowest notch at 400 p. NJ, and then
slowly went up the tube again to so degrees.
near which point it fingered. Humidity in
creased again and another thunderstorm
threa tened.
The big structure at Ellis Island known
as the administration building was bit
twice, but not in the same place, by light
ming. The first crash did no damage. but
the second coming right on its glittering
heels, ripped of ten feet of the roof over
the information bureau and smashed
skylight and ventilator. Many persons
waiting 10 WelCOUe iIleuub :" no buu Just
landed at the island were thrown into
panic by the flash, defamation and the
smashing of wreckage. Several women
became hysterical, and many of the 1000
immigrants in a room adjoining the in
formation bureau began bowling and
screaming. The officials had them all
quoted within few minutes.
The rush OF water at the Battery flooded
Al \ l-1I faxW ,,,hnr
of the third rail. Bit it was all pumped
out in jiffy.
The downpour created a food at the in
tersection of White street with Centre and
Elm streets, the water rising until the
Criminal Courts Building became an island
and tbs cataracts and rivers ran into base
ments and first floors Of shops and saloons
The proprietors Of the shops tried to blocf
the flood with mors and clss words, but
it was hailed with delight by crowd OF
urchins, who improyised bathing suits and
plunged gaily into the muddy current.
The steps of the court building were crowded
with people watching the sport. In places
the water was over three feet deep, and
fire engine responding to an alarm lost
its fire in the passage of the ford. The
water rose until 1t came into the Coroners'
O!tlCe ana ran uoWll lilto lile bd,Siuefil,
where 1t partly extinguished the fires under
the boilers. In the basement of the knabs
saloon. at White and Centre streets. Deputy
Sheriff McF adden' Is pet terrierfound watery
grave. The premises Of the saloon were
damaged to the extent of $500. After
while the sewers caught up with their work
and the people in the Criminal Courts Build
ing were enabled to escape without boats
IT. hon, ,T ,,v[-
teen heat cases attended by ambu-
lance surgeons. Fight persons became
Ill in the streets, probably from tho heat.
There were six sudden deaths, and one OF
these was credited to the heat DR.. James
T. Pitcher an inferno at Bellevue. was
overcome at Third avenue and Twenty
third street. An ambulance took him to
Bellevue.
BROOKLYN BOROUGH HALL HIT.
Borough Hall in Brooklyn became
the target for startling electrical dis
charge. bolt OF lightning striking and
shiverng the hagpole on the top Of the
tower. stunning several persons in the
building and suspending for a while an
Italian marriage ceremony in progress
in the Aldermen's room The oldest en-
ployse in the hall declared that, so far as
he could recall, lightning had never before
paid it suoh a fieroe visitation. While no
one was injured, the scare was general all
over the big structure, from the roof to the
cellar, and extended IL less dagreo 10 tbs
people in the Court House, Temple Bar,
Garfield and other big buildings In tbs
vicinity.
The lightning cut a big slice OF the flag
pole Just beloyVthe eagle which topped it.
The flag. which was at half mast, was I'M
injured and fell on tho tower. Some Of the
electric wires were burned out and there
was no light in the building until they had
been repaired, three hours later. Coroner
M. j. Flaherty was In his Office on the
second floor Of the Fulton street side OF
the building and with him were Ofiosr
Joseph Lockwood and Joseph MoGarry,
a contractor.
They were all standing in the little hall
way leading from the main Office to the
corridor when the lightning struck the flag
Il o,ol IN h1,t