Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-08-29
" 5a.s'-
Plays Havoc With Telephone
Wires Turnout Both City
ana the Country
LIGHTNING STRIKES HOUSES
Beach Home, East Of Town, Damaged
by RoIt-F. E. Barber Residence
Loses Chimney and kersey Home Is
struck-Farmer Loses Horse and
Has Another Hurt.

"A, severe electrical storm, during the
early hours this morning. did generai
damage to telephone wires turnout the
CITY and county. Rural lines We're put
ont of business for several hours today,
and, linemen were in evidence every
where in an endeavor to get the lines
to working properly. lightning struck
several places, but the damage so 1ar
as could be learned was not great.
The home of w. H. Beach. two and
one-flalf miles east of town on the ola
Bobsin place, was struck at about 1: 10.
The belt hit the east end of the gable.
tore several shingles off, followed the
partitions of three different rooms, ana
damaged each to greater or lesser ex--
tent The occupants of the house We're
not injured, and one man, employed by
George LaPlant on ditch work, slept
thru 1t all without awakening. MI.
Beach estimates his damage at least
500, fully covered by insurance.
Farmer Loses Horse.
C. H. Hicks, who lives on the Henry
Merrill farm, three miles northeast OF
the city. had a work horse killed and
q valuable coach mare terribly injured.
The animals were in the pasture. and
were probably very near together. Inc
horse fell dead in his tracks, ana une
mare was found this morning with one
side paralyzed and one eye gone. FL
forts are being made to save the mare
but she IL badly hurt.
Barber Homo Loses Chimney.
\ The F. e. Barber residence, 53l
North Second street, was struck at
about 2 o'clock and the bricks OF the
chimney, where the bolt entered the
house, were strewn all over the yard
below Mrs. Barber, who is III. was not
even shocked, and other members or
the family suffered no injuries. A
strange coincidence lies in the fact
that five doors north, w. w. Hazen
was at the moment the crash came, In
the act Of putting down window. The
bolt struck him very noticeably, and IL
was an hour or more before he got over
the effects of the tingling sensation
that extended to the hands and feet. All
of the telephones along the street were
put out Of commission for a time.
House Hit; Did Not Know 1t.
Without members of the family be-
ing aware of 1T, lightning struck the
home Of Mr.. and Mrs. C. F. Kersey,
$40 West Linn street, and tore out a
section Of the retaining wall inside the
cellar. A part Of the brick wall, about
twenty feet in length and several feet
high. was toppled over and thrown into
the cellar by the bolt. Mr.. and Mrs.
Kersey were in the house at the time,
and altho they knew from the flash and
crash that the lightning had struck
near by, they did not know their home
had been hit until later.
Rain Heaviest in Years.
The rain which accompanied the
electrical storm was one of the heav-
lest in years, totaling 2:S1 inches. Rain
began to fall at 1880 O'clock this NOR
ming, and continued without abat1ng
until almost O'clock. The govern
ment water gauge, used for measur-
ing the rainfall, was filled and over
flowed into the larger tube surround
Ing it, which is used only when there
is an excessive rainfall. The rain was
general turnout the central and north
ern parts of the state, extending as far
south as below Oskaloosa and as far
north as Manly Junction.