Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-07-27
BOLT KILLS FIVE PERSONS
LIGHTNING WORKS DEADLY HAVOC
AMONG FANS IN MANIT0WOC
GRANDSTAND.
MANY ARE INJURED.
Pitiful Scene Follows Binding Flash
When Frantic Mothers Search for
Boys During Terrific Storm.

MANITOWOC, Wis, July 23.-[Spe-
eiaL.1-Five persons are dead and a score
or more are injured, many of them Sc
riously, as a result of a bolt of lightning
striking the grand stand of Athletic park
lust before a ball game at 2 o'clock yes
terday afternoon.
The Dead and Injured.
The dead are:
SkUHRA, ALBERT D., aged 81.
WOELLERT, IRVING, aged II, son OF
HANDL. WALTER, aged It, son of Al
bert Handl.
KLAUK, ANTON, aged 10, son Of Mrs. T.
KNUDsoN, WILLIAM, aged IA, an or
phan.
The injured:
Theodore Burmeister, aged II; burned
about the legs, knocked insensible by shock
Harvey Kono, aged Il; burned about the
legs rendered unconscious.
Frank Boehm, aged IS; burned about the
legs, stunned.
slightly burned about the legs and stunned
Lester Reuther, aged 10; slightly burned
sitting behind Albert D. Skuhra, who was
W4lser sadusky, aged Is; burned by the
shock
John sadusky, aged IT, his brother; also
'DHEhcu ny SuOCh
Twenty or more persons, including ball
players, knocked down by the shock re-
covered soon afterward.
Five Funerals Tomorrow.
Of the boys seriously injured, all but
Harvey KOno, will recover. The honO
lad will be paralyzed for life, ut is
feared. The wife of Albert Skurha IS
seriously i'll.
The funerals of the dead will be held
tomorrow.
The game was between the Plymouth
Juniors of Plymouth and the Schicharts
of this city. Because a storm threat
iened before the game was called only
$50 persons were on the grounds.
Some time before time for the game
TO begin it became so dark that the Ply.
mouth team was unable to continue its
practice.
Then a fierce storm set in. Heavy
clouds rolled over the ball grounds fol
lowed by torrents of rain. There Were
repeated flashes of lightning and heavy
laundering. Every body scurried for
the grandstand.
Fatal Bolt Strikes.
While the fans and opposing teams
were thus huddled under shelter there
was a terrific crash. At the same in
slant bolt of lightning ripped it's way
through the roof of the stand. The
flames seemed to hit the stand and follow
wire over the roof to the gate, where
the bolt entered another building.
When the panic had partially subsidized
it was found that four were dead, an,
other dying and about twenty or more
injured, though most of them not serl,
0usly.
Skuhra and KIauk had been killed
outright. The bodies of Handl and
Woellert, who were leaning against the
;,1C+ of he
stand on the field. knudson was picked
up in an unconscious condition and dice
half an hour later.
Panic Follows Crash.
There was the widest sort of panic
as soon as the lightning struck. A mac
rush was made for the exits. In the
scramble many of the injured and help.
less were trampled upon. The one aim
of everybody was to get out of the
stand.
Outside it was raining torrents. But
that was preferable to remaining in tbs
stand.
Crash after crash followed the fatal
bolt. Many hurried from the field to
their homes. but most of the uninjureG
remained to assist in caring for the liv.
ing. The alarm was Immediately given,
and every available doctor in Manitowot
hurried to the ball grounds.
4neFe, III the QfenCnlnS ram, the worn
of assisting the wounded went on.
Mothers Search for Sons.
Frantic women came out to the park
as soon as they heard of the accident
and began searching for sons they knew
were at the game. For more than the
hour the widest excitement prevailed
while the last of the injured was being
taken home.
Among the injured it was found that
four of the Plymouth team had been
knocked down and suffered from shock
Harvey Kono seemed to be paralyzed
completely about his limbs and was I'm.
able to stand up. SO serious is the con.
dition of Theodore Burmester. that doe.
tors fear he will not survive the shock.
Many others were stunned by the bolt,
but were able to go home unassisted.
A peculiar coincidence was that al
most all of the seriously injured were
burned about the legs.
MOAN HHJhET IIHT "