Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-18
DAMAGE FROM LIGHTNING
Starts Three Blazes Which Cause
Very Little Damage.
COUNTY JAIL IS ALSO STRUCK
New Union Pacific Headquarters
building is HIT and n Flying Brick
from ~ Hits II. BOrschman
on the Head.

The lightning flashes which preceded the
thunder and rain storm that swept over
Omaha late Friday afternoon did consider
able damage to buildings and not only
terrified many persons, but almost caused
a stampede In the county Jail
few minutes after 4 o'clock when the
lightning bolts were almost binding, the
new Union Pacific building at Fifteenth
and Dodge streets was struck at the SOUTH
east corner and a portion OF the brick
work was knocked from the roof. II.
Borschman. a secondhand clothing dealer
at 14O6 Dodge street, was struck by Sec
ton OF ne flying brick and mortar, which
cut him over the eve and stunned him for
second. He went into his store after
that and found his injuries were not seri-
OTIS. He stayed there.
1t was few minutes after o'clock when
the lightning bolts became dangerous in
the vicinity of the red light district and
less than a minute later the 10 prisoners
in the county JAN were thrown into a
state of terror when a bolt struck the
coping Of the roof, scattering broken brick
and fragments of mortar along the Dodge
street side of the institution. 1t was at
first thought that the lightning had rent
the building asunder, but after investiga-
ton by the deputy sheriffs none Of the
prisoners was found to be injured. One
negro woman was praying to de Lawd''
for an hour Afterwards.
Martin pneen, second assistant fire chief
had a narrow escape from serious injury
while going to a fire started by lightning
In the residence of Frank ]. Birss. s30s
Lincoln boulevard. The chief had left the
engine house at Twenty fourth and Cunning
streets and with his driver was moving
fast In his eagerness to reach the scene
OF fthe blaze. The buggy had almost
reached Twenty-ninth street when a west
bound car stopped midway In the block to
let off some women passengers and in
pulling out Driver Robert Oliver collided
partly with a dray and the street car.
The force of the impact wrecked the
chiefs buggy and both Mr.. Dineen and his
driver sustained badly confused wounds.
The horse was also scratched up Chief
Dineen struggled on to the fire In another
conveyance, but the Birss home was not
seriously damaged All the electric light
wires had the Insulation burned off from
the roof to the chandelier in the parlor.
None OF the people in the house was in
Jured, but the shock was felt by every
body there. The damage TO the building
was very slight.
The firemen. from No. 6 encountered the
most dangerous days work a short time
later, when they were called to extinguish
fire at Twenty-third and lizard streets,
where the top OF huge electric light pole
was struck by lightning and a 5,5OO-volt
feed wire burned completely off its fasten-
ings. When the wire fell to the street the
powerful electric currents caused 1t TO
spit and squirm around so that many
pedestrians we're in danger of being cleo
trocuted. The prompt arrival OF the fire
men undoubtedly saved many lives, as
many OF the people passing that way did
not realize the danger which confronted
them. All traffic was at once stopped by
the firemen and nobody was allowed to
pass either way until the trouble wagon
from the electric light headquarters ar
rived and shut off the current and repaired
the damaged wire