New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-13
STORM SWEEPS CITY.
Buildings Struck by Lightning
FldgStdfs Shattered.

The heavy thunderstorm which had been
threatening the city for several days broke yes
terday with tremendous fury Lightning struck
ir many places. shattering hagpoles and throw
ing the employees of two large factories into
I panic
Shortly before noon while the employees in the
Butterick Building at Macdougal and Spring
streets, were preparing for luncheon. lightning
struck the large hagpole hurting il In heavy
sections &c the street Many of the women en-
ployed by the Butterick company became panic
stricken and rushed for the fire escapes and the
stairways.
No one was directly underneath the hagpole
when it's shattered fragments fell TO the street.
Those who saw the lightning strike say it
came from the southeast and travelled down
the pole till within twenty feet of the roof.
when IL returned upward. disappearing in fash
and loud thundercap on reaching the round
metal ball surrounding the hagpOle.
During the height Of the storm. following
binding flash Of lightning. a sheet Of fame.
fully five feet above the surface OF the street.
shot up out Of trench at the corner OF Sixth
avenue and 10Th street. A bolt had hit ex-
posed gas main in the trench. shattered the pipe
and ignited the volume Of gas that was escaping.
\ gang OF laborers who had been at work in the
trench extnguished the blaze by shovelling on
dirt.
William Alderman. proprietor of a saloon az
Sixth avenue and 10th street. and his bartender,
Lewis Best. both were shocked by lightning
which entered the saloon over the telephone
wires Their injuries were slight
Seldom has IL been recorded when a storm has
been severe enough 10 cause the complete sus-
pension Of business among the curb brokers at
Wall and Broad streets. The storm OF yesterday
drove away all but three Of the hundred
VIII all Of
weather
The rain yesterday flooded the Kings County
Courthouse. drenched Judge Cranes chambers
and flowed several inches deep in the corridors
of the first floor. Congested sewers said to
have been the real cause OF the food.
The lightning started a panic among about
one hundred girls employed on the top floor OF
hve-story brick building at No. 126 81 street
Brooklyn. occupied by Broom & Newman shirt
manufacturers. The fiagpole the top OF the
structure was knocked down by bolt of light
ming. score of the girls Immediately tainted
and most OF the remainder started for the win
dows
Mrs. sageman wife Of DR.. Louis w Sage
man. OF No. 43 East Cd street. Mount Yer
non, standing az a second story window
when the storm broke. A bolt OF lightning struck
the house within foot Of where she stood. tore
up a piece OF wood and threw IT thirty feet Mrs.
Sageman escaped unhurt
Lightning struck an electric wire running into
the Lake avenue high service water tower at
Yonkers The interior was set on fire.
Mrs Morris Rayner. who lives in the western
part Of Riverhead. Long Island. was struck by
bolt OF lightning and rendered insensible. She
was unconscious for several hours.
Within a stones throw Of the Raynor home
is the house Of John NJ. Whitney His valua-
BILE racehorse. Jessie NJ. which was in the stable.
struck by lightning and instantly killed.
Lightning struck the house OF Joshua Terry.
fire. Mr.. Terry who is eighty years of age is
confined 10 his bed and would proha bly, have
been burned TO death had he not been rescued
by his
Island City and vicinity The men AT work in
the 4th street excavation Of the Belmont tunnel
had a narrow escape The water reached 70 the
waists OF the men before they were able 10 leave
by the few ladders.
The iron fence that surmOunts the wall sur
rounding the old Calvary Cemetery attracted
the lightning and was hurled two hundred feet
across the sidewalk. The crash attracted a large
crowd.
As a car Of the Calvary line was coming
through the Laurel Hill section bolt Of light
ming struck the motor box and burned hole
through II. The fash gave the passengers a
bad shock
The heavy downpour Of water at the terminal
Island. caused considerable congestion as pas
sengers from incoming boats attempted 10 go
ashore. The water flowed in from all directions
and by the time the second boatloed from New
York arrived a small lake twelve inches deep
formed around the ferry landing. Men waded
through H. and some women followed. Many
women allowed their male companions 10 carry
them across the food.