The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-01-28
Big Storm and Lightning Play
Havoc With Wires in the
City Thursday Night
FIREMEN THROWN FROM BEDS
Lightning Strikes Fire Alarm System
and One Circuit is Completely
Disabled Telephone Com
pany Also Hard Hit

Kenosha. had an unusual January
storm at midnight Thursday evening
when a fierce electrical storm passed
over the city. It was accompanied by
torrents of rain and considerable dam
age was done by lighting and the great
downpour of water.
The storm was decidedly unusual
one and the coming of the thunder and
lighting led many people to believe that
it was harbinger of the spring, but
the weather man declares that this was
only false alarm and that there will
be lot Of cold weather between now
and the first of next June
Fhe storm was general throughout
Kenosha county and considerable dam
iage was done to telephone, telegraph
and other electric wires. The Kenosha
Home Telephone company had thirty
lines ''put out of order this morning
and nearly all Of them had been burned
out by lightning. The rural lines were
also in bad condition and notwithstand-
ing the fact that large force of men
were put to work after the storm was
over it will take many hours to repair
the damage done by tie lighting and
get the wires all in working order
again. The damage to the telegraph
wires was not nearly so great and the
managers of both of the Offices reported
that while the lines had been down dur
ing the night they were in working
order this morning.
The Kenosna fire department was
hard hit by the storm ard all the boxes
on Circuit No. 2 were out Of working
order this morning and it is probable
that the damage will not be repaired
until late this afternoon. On Gale
donna street the wires of the fire alarm
system were struck by the lightning
and burned off. This happened just
about midnight and the force of the
lightning followed the wire into the
Central fire station and the fremen
who were in their beds were badly
shaken up by the shock Of the cleo
tricity. The men were thrown from
their beds and they thought that an
earthquake was being felt in Kenosha.
Chief Henry Isermann at once put
the men to work on the lines and it
was found that two boxes on the circuit
had been burned out by the lightning
and the current of the electricity was
so strong that the big brass plates in
the boxes were melted. It is declared
that a. house on North Congress street
was struck by lightning during the
storm, but no report of this accident
was made to the fire department. The
circuit cut off by the lightning included
many Of the boxes on the north and
west sides of the city and they were
out of order during most of the day,
but fortunately there was no cause for
the use Of the boxes. The fremen were
warned to keep close look out for tele-
phone calls in case fire should break
out in the districts cut off by the
storm.
The rain was remarkably heavy for
this time Of the year and it is declared
that fully half an inch of water fell in
the city. In some parts Of the city the
streets were absolutely impossible on
account of the standing water and in
many places sidewalks were Inundated.
Many complaints were received by the
street department and it was necessary
to send out a gang of men to get the
sewers opened and give the water a
chance to get away.