Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-05-31
LIGHTNING ENvELoPEo VILLAGE.
Most Vivid Flash in Many Years-one
Man Rendered Unconscious and DAM
age Done in Many Places

wan ncHbcIcu UNCONSCIOUS ana Ddm-
age Done in Many Places.
bolt of lightning which seemed to
envelop the whole business part of the
village came from the clouds at sos
o'clock yesterday afternoon, doing much
damage to electric wires and apparatus
and affecting people in various parts of
the village. 1t came with startling and
binding intensity and some minutes
elapsed before people were able to
regain their composure Edward
Gagne, stationary engineer at f. c.
Crospys garage which is being erected in
the rear of the Brooks House, was rem
dered unconscious and was taken to the
Memorial hospital, but he was not hurt
seriously. Rain had been falling heav-
lily, with accompaniments of lightning
and thunder of moderate intensity, when
suddenly the most vivid flash of liglt-
ming that has been noticed in years
came simultaneously with terrific peal
of thunder that awoke the echoes. There
was a loud report in the Auditorium,
where the Memorial day audience was
assembled, and the lights went out, but
returned shortly. The cloudburst washed
and quilted the streets bady in many
places.
Edward Gagne, engineer of one of the
donkey engines that work the derricks
at E. c. Crosby's garage, was standing
near his engine with three other work.
men, leaning on an iron poker with one
end in his hand when the flash came.
The sudden bolt and crash confused the
men for a moment and then Gagne was
seen lying on the ground. His associ-
ates worked over him and the ambu-
lance was summoned. He was uncon-
scious and did not revive until just be-
fore he reached the hospital. He was
cared for by DIR. G. r. Anderson and
was discharged about O'Clock.
The bolt which seemed to cover a
wide range of territory, broke an in
sulator ON one of the Connecticut River
Power companys lines and the wire
broke. Workmen We're sent to repair
the break and the line was working in
20 minutes after the flash The limo
type machines in The Phoenix office were
put out of commission temporarily. A
street car was near the common when
the lightning came The current ran
down the trolley pole and smashed an
electric light in the car Two girls who
were going down High street said II
seemed though huge ball of green
fire pa ssed across the sidewalk In front
of them. travelling man in the Brooks
House was tipped over backward in his
chair as he sat looking out the window
at the rain
From all over town came reports OF
tricks played by the bolt. Telephone
men had a busy few hours locating
grounded lines and replacing fuses that
had ben blown out In Rev. Henry
lambs house, the parsonage of the West
Brattleboro Congregational church. the
electricity connected with the electric
wire and hole was burned through the
ceiling In the kitchen and the chain
to an electric light was fused and fell
to the floor, The room was filled with
smoke and fire. Several persons saw a
bah of lightning strike in the street near
DR. C. S. Clark's house, plow furrow
In tIn str an th.
trio light wires into DIR. Clark's cellar.
The electric light fuses in his house and
in houses in several parts of the town
were blown out,