New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-22
LIGHTNING DESTROYS
LIVES AND PROPERTY
Much Damage Results in Day
of Severe Electrical
Storms.
BOLTS STRIKE CHURCHES
New Jersey Reports Two Deaths
and Connecticut One
Firemen Are Kept
Busy.

New York City, New Jersey and parts
OF Connecticut were shaken by Two violent
storms yesterday. each accompanied by
deafening peals OF thunder and streaks OF
vivid lightning A high wind also blew. at
tanning a rate of almost sixty miles an
hour. and some rain fell, but only to the
depth Of AZ OF an inch. Much damage
was done to property within a wide radius
OF this city. and several persons We're killed
by lightning.
The first outburst from the leaden skies
occurred about midnight yesterday morn
ing when severe flashes of lightning were
followed at frequent intervals o. thunder.
high wind began to blow at the same
time, tearing branches from trees. casting
signs 10 the streets and causing a gen.
eral state Of CONSERVATION wherever it had
an opportunity TO exert its full strength.
This first storm lasted only about ten or
fifteen minutes. but after II had passed
over the city in northeasteriy direction
Manhattan Island looked like an old
woman who had been turned topsy-turvy
I'm a violent wind storm. Her skirts were
oil aWry and her ringlets were in disorder.
House in The Bronx Struck.
\ period OF sullen darkness followed the
passage Of the midnight gale and persons
who had been aroused from their sleep by
the violence Of the storm again Japsed into
slumber. 4 few minutes after o'clock in
the morning however the first distant
claps Of thunder were heard. and at the
same time the sky became almost black
with heavy storm clouds. The storm
Of bo nd
moved swiftly across Manhattan Island in
a northeasterly direction. Just as the last
o. the gale was passing over the extreme
northern end of The Bronx. it sent down
a lightning bolt which struck the house
occupied by the Rev Albert Dale Gantz, at
No. 80 East 225th street, tearing a hole
FIVE feet in width in the roof and setting
fire 10 the woodwork.
The minister had Just started TO attend
10 his chickens I'm the rear yard when the
bolt came His wife was IN the attic clos
ing the windows. and was thrown violent
" 10 the floor and stunned. Mr.. Gantz ran
10 her assistance and carried her to the
second floor. The pastors brother, George
Gantz was I'm the bathroom at the time
and was also stunned.
The roof began 10 burn. and for a time
the house was threatened, but Arthur Full
ton. a neighbor. who is a retired fireman.
saw the blaze. and put II out with buckets
OF water The news of the accident at the
pastors house attracted many PERSONS in
WlHamsbridge. and they gathered in
crowd about the place and helped Mrs
Gantz and her husband 10 set things 20
rights.
While the Sisters Of Bon Secour. a French
order Of visiting trained nurses. were AT
prayer in their chapel. at No. 1875 LeXing-
ton avenue. shortly after 7:3o o'clock.
bolt Of lightning struck the stone cross
on the top Of the building and hurled It TO
the street. The heavy piece of stone was
broken into small bits on the sidewalk.
Father Exile. Of the Church of the As
sumption. was celebrating mass when the
building was struck. Although the entire
chapel shivered beneath the force of the
bolt. the Sisters remained calm and com
tlnued their deyotons.
Fire in Coney Island Church.
Down at Coney Island the Church Of the
Guardian Angel was struck by a bolt
and began to burn fercely. 1t required
more than an hours work by firemen be
fore the blaze was extinguished. Many
other places in Manhattan and Brooklyn
were struck by bolts. but in no case was
the damage heavy.
staten Island was a sufferer by the
storms The first disturbance was accom-
panied by high winds and a copious fall
Of rain. The vigorous detonations of thun-
der. with the accompanying flashes of light
ming. kept the Staten Islanders awake for
an hour In the later tempest the damage
was more severe The Richmond Light and
power Company's trolley lines TO and from
Richmond and Midland Beach were tied up
for a couple Of hours This was also the
case with Long Island electric trains.
New York escaped without any recorded
fatalities. bat New Jersey was not SO fortu-
nate. In Dover four boys employed in a
silk mill were caught in the storm and
stopped under a tree 10 escape from the
rain A holt Of lightning struck at their