The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-14
STORM SWEEPS
OVER RICHMOND
Mrs. Wyatt Stunned by Light
ming, but Nobody Around
Her Was Hurt.
MANY PHONES CRIPPLED
Wind Reached Velocity 81
Twenty-SiN Miles While
Elements Ragged.

After striking telegraph pole
about fifty yards away, during the
thunder storm yesterday afternoon. a
holt of lightning passed through an
open window and shocked Mrs. Ida
Wyatt. wife of Policeman Joseph l..
Wyatt as she was preparing supper
at her home. CPL South Beividere
Street. Dazed for an instant. she rushed
from the dining room Into the living
room. where she fell upon a couch and
renamed unconscious for more than
an hour. Her children and neighbors
hearing the shrieks hurried to her aid.
and Immediately summoned DR.. George
Is. Sims.
Husband Frustrated.
Her husband. who was patroling Il
peat In the eastern section of the CITY.
was notified. The news proved such
shock and his efforts to reach home
at the earliest possible moment that
when he arrived he was completely
exhausted. and fell in a faint as nc
entered his front door. 1t required sew
eral minutes to restore consciousness
to the officer. though he speedily re-
covered from his prostration.
The injury to Mrs wyatt was
caused by one of the freaks for which
lightning is famous. How 1t entered
the room where its victim was alone
calmly preparing pitcher of iced tea
struck her and left no other trace Of
It's visit is one of its numerous In
explicable pranks.
could see blue light playing
about me-" Mrs. Wyatt told a reporter
last night, and felt a tingling sem
sation. l screamed and ran from tho
ri In itNFr
a couch. From then until heard my
husband fall upon the floor knew
nothing. / attempted to rise, but found
was paralyzed or benumber below the
waist. This dead feeling quickly
passed. and now feel all right"
Swept over Entire City.
The bolt of lightning which struck
Mrs. Wyatt had first hit a pole In
Church Street. about fifty yards in
the rear of the Wyatt home 1t severed
several wires near Holly Street but
as far as could he learned did no fur
Their damage.
The sharp report as the lightning
struck was heard throughout the city,
occurring at the time when the wind
had attained velocity of about
twenty-siN miles an hour. The wind did
considerable damage in the city a tree
was uprooted at Bowe and Leigh Streets
1t fell across the tracks OF the Clay
street division of the Virginia Rail
way and Power Company and for
some time delayed traffic. It was cut
away 10y workmen. who hurried to the
scene The storm came after the tenn
pera ture had reached 81 degrees.
Telephones Are Damaged
Heavy damage was done at the cen
trail exchange of the Southern Bell
Telephone and Telegraph Company,
about 400 telephones. mainly from the
suburbs and outlying districts, being
put out of commission. The lines in
the underground section escaped Line
men and electricians We're busy all last
night clearing the damage and te.t-
ing doubtful instruments. 1t is anti
cipated that all of the lines save pos
sibly a few into the far suburbs will
be cleared by daylight. and that the
service will be resumed as usual to-
day.
No one was injured though operators
reported lively time. as flashes of
lightning seemed to play across the
switchboard.