The Washington times., 1905-07-31
SIX FELL VICTIM
To THUNDERBOLTS
Five Struck Dead at C0ney
Island.
THOUSANDS PANIC STRICKEN
Hosts in Terror Ran for Shelter and
Saftey While Lightning Play
ed Havoc.
THOUSANDS PANIC STRICKEN

NEW YORK. July S1.-Five persons
were instantly killed and seven were Sc
rlousIy injured in front Of the Parkway
baths, Brighton Beach. and one man
was killed and six injured in Gravesend
Bay BY lightning during storm which
passed over Coney Island yesterday az
ternoon.
Near the Parkway baths the five per
sons We're killed in the sight of 5,010
persons who were bathing OF. had taken
refuge from the storm in restaurants,
Panic That Followed
II the panie that followed scores Of
women tainted and required the atten-
ton of physicians.
The killed In Parkway baths were:
DEMNERLE. CHARLES s. twenty
years old. clerk. OF So East Sixteenth
street. Ffatbush.
DEMMERLE. FRANK r.. twenty
three years old. clerk. brother of Charles
s. Demmerle and living at same address,
DUNWOODIE. GEORGE, twenty years
years old, clerk, of IA Eighth street,
Brooklyn.
FRANKEL. JACOB. thIrty-flve years
old, of e2s East Seventy first street, Man
haitian
WASCH. ROBERT. sixteen years old.
of Prospect avenue, near fremont ave
nue.. Bronx.
RANsWEILER HENRY. forty-five
years old. of 1s7 Bush street. Brooklyn.
was killed at Gravesend.
The injured persons were all taken tn
the Reception Hospital. Coney island,
and all will recover
Thousands IN Bathing.
There were two thousand persons
hathing from the Parkway baths, be-
tween the Brighton Beach Hotel and
Coney Island. and twice that number
watching the bathers and seated around
tables in the restaurants and places of
amusement when the storm came up.
just after + o'clock. Many. persons had
seen the storm approaching and had
taken refuge under the boardwalk and
in the buildings. but the twelve. persons
who were killed and injured stayed in
the water as long as they could. They
had started for shelter under one OF
the short boardwaIks that lead from
the restaurants to the main boardwalk.
They were all running. and were close
together. Just as they passed a flag
pole seventy feet high the lightning
struck it.
Crowd Sees Death.
An american nag that was at the top
OF the pole was torn into ribbons, and
the spectators say a bah of fire came
down The pole. circIing around Ike q
snake A peal OF thunder came at the
same moment. and there was a shrek
from the crowd that had not before seen
the danger.
The twelve persons were directly un-
der the pole, and all were thrown TO the
ground. They We're in plain sight of
thousands and panic seized the crowd
at once. Women tainted and screamed
and no one knew what TO do. The
lightning was playing across the sky and
the rain was falling in torrents.
1t was several minutes before anyone
moved, so stunned were all by the shock.
which was felt BY many Al last one
small boy. whose name could not be
learned, Tegained his presence of mind
and ran TO the Reception Hospital. in
Sea breeze avenue, a short distance
away Dr. Clay was notified and started
1T once for the scene of death in a
carriage. the ambulance and Dr. Nor
rison being away at that time on the
other lightning case. few minutes
later DR., Morrison arrived with the am
bufance
The five persons We're killed Instantly
None OF the bodies We're badly burned
but on The head and neck of each there