The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-09-02
BOLT Of LIGHTNING
FOLLOWS A DELUGE
Lightning and Water Causes
Thousands Of Dollars Worth
of Damage.
GREATEST RAINFALL EVER
KNOWN IN SALT LAKE
Streets Become Rivers, Traffic
Is Paralyzed; Fall of Water
III Hundredths of Inch.

A freak Of the lightning. and q rush
OF water resembling a cloudburst i'm
mediately following, did thousands of
dollars worth Of damage in the east
and southeastern portion OF the city on
Saturday afternoon In an area bounded
on the west by Main street, on the north
by Fourth South. on the east by Tenth
East, and on the south by Tenth South.
Windows were shattered by the lightning.
streets. lawns and cellars were flooded,
and the streets ran three feet deep In
places with streams Of water that re-
sembled torrents.
Shortly before 3 o'clock the residents
OF the city were startled by a sharp
flash OF lightning, followed instantly by
a clash OF thunder which caused the
whole city TO tremble. Windows were
shattered and people were momentarily
dazed by the force Of the bolt
Waterloo car No. 100, Motorman Wind
ward and Conductor Hansen. was struck
at the corner OF Fifth East and Fifth
South. the lightning putting out the
lights In the car aud causing consterna-
tlon among the passengers. No one was
hurt, but several ladies were SO badly
frightened that they became almost hys-
terical The same bolt that did the
work for the car played pranks with the
window lights for blocks around that
have been seldom witnessed In any part
OF the country.
Showered With Glass.
AS far away as the corner OF Third
East and Third South streets, where
stands the grocery store OF Jorgcnseu G.
Danse, the windows were dashed Into
a thousand pieces. Mr.. Jorgensen and
his daughter, Mrs. Dansie, were stand
Ing IN the alcove door of the store
watching the rain, Both were suddenly
dazed by flash of lightning, which Mr..
Jorgensen afterward described as resem-
bling the bursting of bomb In the air.
The crashing OF the thunder was
drowned for the moment by the crash
OF the falling glass. as the four big show
windows OF the store went TO pieces from
the concussion. Mrs. Dansie was show
cred with the bits of broken glass. but.
fortunately. was uuinJured by the flying
particles The lightning broke the win
dows OF residences in all directions and
frightened the occupants almost to
point OF Mysteries In some places.
The thunderbolt seemed TO expend its
main force In the neighborhood OF Fourth
South and Third East streets The house
occupied by a, d. Woolly near the
intersection OF the streets named. was
shaken TO Its foundation. The walls
wore slightly cracked and many OF the
windows were broken. No serious dam
age, however, was done.
Shattered Dead Tree.
in but one place at time. was disproven
by this freak OF nature. AT the moment
II struck the street car at Fifth East
and Fifth South. II also shattered dead
tree standing in the yard OF residence
on Fourth East street. just east OF
Fourth South, splinters and pieces OF
wood, one OF them measuring four feet
in length and eight inches in thickness,
were hurled for q distance OF Ave rods.
The residence Is occupied by the family
OF Granville Gillette, and eight windows
were broken here. while a terrace Just
east OF this suffered TO the extent os
three telephones being put out OF com
mission and many windows being broken.
To the east Of this three terraces. one
OF them occupied by the McGann family.
had thirtyfve windows broken. and the
Norwegian church, close by. was struck
by the bolt and more or less injured.
many of the windows being shattered.
Two little sons of Mrs. George Burns
residing al 35S East Fourth South
street. had n narrow escape from death.
Mrs. Burns was absent from home, and
the two little fellows were looking out
of an open window at the storm. When
the crash came one of them was knocked
backward into the room, while a window
four feet distant was shattered On
both Sides Of this street much damage
was done by the lightning and subsequent
rush OF waters, People from all over
the ne!ghborhood reported narrow es-
capes from injury by falling glass. while
some were more or less shocked by the
lightning when IT struck the dead tree.
Flood of Waters.
Immediately following the crash OF
thunder, the water descended in tor
rents, the volume being so heavy as to
greatly resemble a cloudburst In twenty
minutes the whole area mentioned was
covered with water, the streets being
flooded. crossings transformed into MILL
races, street car tracks made impossible.
lawns covered with mud. varying In depth
from three Inches 10 three feet, In one
place. and cellars flooded,
At the residence OF Jacob Moritz. man
ager of the Salt Lake brewery. at 4s1
Tenth South street. the water poured into
his barn and garage, carrying mud and
gravel with il. In n remarkably short
space OF time the barn was flooded and
tho sediment deposited was. by actual
measurement, three feet in depth. A force
OF thirty men was put &c work digging
out the automobile md horses, the dam
age amounting in this one instance TO
$500
The geratest damage was done to the
trenching OF the Utah Gas and Coke
This company has been operat-
Ing extensively and had about two and
one-half miles of open bitches ready 10
receive the pipe for carrying gas, These
ltcbes We're from three TO five and one
half feet in depth. and were filled with
water and sediment, IN many places be-
ng caved IN. a force of men was i'm
nedately put to work by the company
% ascertain the damage, but little can
DC told until the bitches have been
pumped out. and II i5 learned just how
lcep the lnwashed mud and gravel is
Damage Will Be Thousands.
II Is certain. however that the damage
Will be heavy. running into the hundreds
II dollars, and necessitatinS soma de-