The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-11
LIGHTNING STRIKES PARK;
 CAR SERVICE IS IMPAIRED
.NOCARS DOWN TOWN
SYSTEM WAS CRIPPLED BY THE
 ELEMENTS.
Throng of Indignant People waited on Court square--Mofors Burned Out [. and Tree Blown Across
 Track.

Owing to severe electric storm which passed over Montgomery between 5:60 and 7szs o'clock last night. tho street railway service was seriously crippled and several hundred people anxious 10 get home to supper were kept waiting down town nearly two hours.
 The lines of the Montgomery Traction Company most seriously impaired were those on South Jackson Street. Mobile and High Streets. the West Belt Line and the Electric Park line. throng of indignant people. eager to take cars to their homes for supper stood on Court Square while the ears an these lines were motionlass.
 ". H. Ragiand. General Manager of the Eraction Company. said that the injury to the service was due entirely to the storm. the sharpness of the lightning being almost without precedent in Montgomery. The motors on five cars were burned out thus rendering these cars useless. and blockad- ing the lines until assistance could be sent out. He explained this as the cause of the trouble on all of the disabled linss ex- ccpt that on South Jackson Street. On South Jackson Street at the intersection of High Street, a tree was blown across the trolley wire and tracks of the company thus rendering this limo temporarily useless and increasing the trouble on High Street
 By o'clock ali of the lines. except Jack son Street were in operation and 1t was sometime later before the tree could be taken from the tracks on oSuth Jackson Street
 During the storm the fire department was called out about SEQ o'clock. presumably to some residence that had been struck by the lightning, but after making the run to South Street. between Perry and Law renee Streets. the firemen could find no fire and determined that the alarm was caused by defect in the electric service
 The electric storm was ~one of the most spectacular that has visited Montgomery for years. Flash after flash Of the most vivid lightning played in the skiss. while heavy crashing thunderbofts were intersoersed between the flashes. The storm was ac- companied by heavy rain and strong wind.
 While the storm lasted .sa inch of rain fell. It was. however. most excessive from 6:2o to s:2s o'clock when s3e inch of rain was precfpitated. making an hourly rate of 2 2b inches.
 The temperature fin Montgomery yeste~- day reached a maximum of e2 degrees at a2 o'clock noon. from which time 1t fluctu- ated considerably until s:i6 o'clock when the reading of the thermometer was s5 de- grees. The rsinsthen became excessive and the temperature fell rapidly At 7:1o o'clock the thermometer reached a minimum of 6s degrees. After reaching this reading the temperature began to rise very slowly and irregulariy.
 Prior to the evening storm the weather was extremely oppressive. and. although the electrical disturbances caused ineon- venienees the rain and cooler temperatures wer# well received by the sweltaring pop ufation of Montgomery.
 A morning thunderstorm of less magni- tude passed over Montgomery at 11;so o'clock yesterday morning and lasted until 12:I5 pm. No damage was caused in the city and CA inch of rain fell