Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-08-19
BY Lightning and Manager
Knocked SenseIess.
EQUIPMENT RUINED
Tho Wireless Telegraph Station at
Charleston Torn Up by q Flash
of Lightning-Manage .Ferrick
Had Taken or Head Harness
When Bolt Struck


When Bolt Struck.
The Charleston Post says William
]. Ferrick; manager of the wireless
telegraph plant at Hampton park,
was knocked senseless and his in
strument ruined Wednesday after
noon by a lightning bolt which
struck his Office at about 4:30. The
operator barely escaped being killed,
the fact that he had removed his
ear pieces just moment before
the bolt hit. saving him from be-
ing electrocuted. 1t will be neces-
sary to rush new instruments from
New York to put the wireless sta
tion here into working order again.
Mr.. Ferrick was sitting at his
Key during tho storm OF Wednesday
afternoon, as usual, ready to receive
or send messages to and from the
sea. and through some intuitive
feeling, most probably, with the
lightning flashing in lively manner
about him, he took off his head har-
ness for the time being. Hardly had
he done so, when a binding fash
accompanied by a terrific crash of
thunder. swept through his office,
and he knew no more until about
twenty minutes later, when he found
himself lying on his back half way
into his sleeping room, fifteen feet
away. The large glass of the win
dow In front of his key was smash
ed, and investigation showed that
his ear-pieces, which he had remov-
ed from his head just before the
stroke, were burned and useless.
while his tuner, and his magnets
were burned out and the city tele-
phone receiver fused. Fortunately
the Office did not catch on fire with
the operator senseless on the floor.
Mr.. Ferrick thinks that the bolt
crashed through the glass In front
of him and struck his instrument.
putting them out OF business. He
was somewhat bruised from the
shock and the violence with whcih
he was hurled from his chair upon
the floor, but beyond ringing in
ore Of his ears today he is unhurt
a rush order has been sent by
the wireless manager to New York
for new equipment his plant here.
and he thinks that by early next
week he will be able to receive and
sand messages again, with his usual
facility.
Further examination of the plant
failed to show any damage to the
tall mast or to the superstructure
of the wireless equipment The
wEole damage was confined to the
o4ce and instrument. 1t was a
pbvidential escape from instant
death that the manager had. and If
h9 had not removed his ear pieces,
h, would have been fatally shocked
b. the bolt.
The operator at Hampton park
tis been on duty here about two
years, coming to Charleston from
Few York. and has been In the wire
lss service for longer time, but
IL has never before had such n close
essape from being killed by light
mig. He declared that 1t was not
tn, custom of lightning to strike
tn, plants of the company. Because
oi the accident to the plant, at about
tie time the Arapahoe sustained her
a. Adent off the coast OF North Car
o. aa, no messages were, caught from
tn wireless instrument on the
at amship. and consequently infor-
nation OF the trouble she was in
came through other stations of the
United Wireless Company.