The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-06-12
Joseph Wilson. Prominent Resi-.
dent of Belmont County,
Meets Instant Death.
CLOUDBURST FLOODS
STREETS OF THE CITY.
Heat Wave Is Broken Following
Heavy Downpour - st.
Johns Church Struck.

Intermittent storms, the like OF
which have seldom been seen I'm
/ wheeling. swept over the upper Ohio
valley last night. Death and destruc-
| tion followed in the wake OF the storm
! At point near Flushing, in Belmont
county. Ohio. Joseph Wilson. a promi-
nent farmer. was struck by lightning
and instantly killed. while at Union
town. in Belmont county, on Roberts
Ridge. in Marshall county, the light
ming flashes caught barns and burned
them 10 the ground. The damage in
the way Of washouts and flooded prop
er'les cannot be estimated at this
time.
The first OF the series Of storms
that visited Wheeling during the
course of the night broke about
o'clock last evening. II was accom-
/ panied by sharp flashes of lightning
and heavy claps of thunder. but did
little damage.
Wilson Killed.
The second storm broke about
/ O'Clock, and i'm its electrical effect was
| far more damaging than the first. IT.
was in this storm that Joseph Wilson
was killed
Mr.. Wilson resided about one milo
! from Flushing, and il was while rid
/ ing home on horseback that the de-
plorable accident occurred. He had
spent the afternoon with his brother.
/ in Flushing. and was on his way home
at the time when he was struck by
a bolt of lightning and instantly killed.
/ The horse he was riding was also
killed instantly.
Mrs. Cannon Kirk and child
were in buggy n few feet ahead OF
Mr.. Wilson, but they escaped injury.
The unfortunate victim was one OF
the leading citizens Of Flushing town
ship. and was a well known farmer.
He was about 80 years OF isge and is
! survived by a wife and three chill
, dren.
Business Houses Flooded.
But the most severe storm OF the
night broke shortly before ! o'clock
this morning. II was a veritable
/ cloudburst was concerned. The water
came down from the hills in streams
equal in size TO good sized creeks. ana
every street in town was flooded al
( most knee-deep. On both Market and
Main streets the water overlooked the
+ curb and flooded the business houses
between Fourteenth and Sixteenth
8 streets. Sewers were not big enough
/ 20 carry the water OFF and as a conse-
Quence II filled almost every cellar IN
the two blocks mentioned. More than
a foot Of water flowed into the BfJou
1 restaurant and Market streets. while
/ the Senate saloon at Sixteenth and
Market streets was flooded two feet
deep. All the buildings in the vicin-
4 fly Of Sixteenth and Main streets we're
flooded
Lightning Strikes Church.
While the storm was severe in the
downpOur Of rain. IL was terrific from
/ an electrical viewpoint Lightning
struck the roof OF St Johns German
church al Twenty-second and Chapline
streets. tearing on a few states. but
the damage was not great Fearing
fire. the hook and ladder company was
called ont on n still alarm. and the
boys prevented the interior Of the
beautiful edifcc from being flooded by
patching up tho hole in the roof
on the Island tree after tree was
torn from its roots by the lightning
and cast into the streets. A. the Island
end Of the Suspension bridge the
flashes Of electricity from the skies
burned ont ono % the boxes of the
Wheeling Electric company and set
fire 10 % pole Tho Island hose com
pany was called ont on stin alarm
and the blaze cvtinEuished.
Telephone service 20 Mourdsville.
St Clairsville. Wellshurg. and other
surrounding towns was cut on early In
the storm. a great many lines were
torn down and hundreds Of private
telephones knocked out Of commits
sion.
Fire Ladies' Busy.
Long before the storm had abatcd
Chief James p Altmcvcr. m the fre
department. h1d his nro laddiea out
trying 20 open up the sewers and pre-
vent tho watcr from flooding all the
cellars in town. md while the boys
. worked N'to beavers thov we're suc-
cossful only in n small measure The
streets ln The business section we're
covered with thick LAYERS of mud
Ccoutinued on second PagsD