Evening journal., 1912-07-22

little craft.
The crowd was comprised Of friends
OF people who had gone 6ut in
launches during the afternoon and all
were anxious about them. II was re-
ported that a launch in which George
Pierce, of No. TAI Maryland avenue.
had met with trouble and three men in
her including Pierce, had been washed
overheard. Pierce, however. later re-
ported all safe.
Lightning in Dining Room.
Probably the worst hit by the storm
was J. Wesley Morris. of the Morris
Electric Company, whose home, No
5O3 West Eighteenth street, was
struck by a bolt of lightning whicn
did considerable damage. The mem
bers Of the family were about to seat
themselves at dinner when the light
ming struck the house. There was a
binding fash and a. terrific report In
the cluster of globes over the dining
room table and the room seemed to be
filled with fire. Fortunately none of
the members Of the family was seated
else they might havev been blinded.
The table cloth and napkins were ig-
nited, but the flames were extinguished
| by Mr.. Morris before they commune
Gated with the other furniture. The
silverware and porcelain on the table
were practically ruined. Small holes
had been burned through pieces OF
the silver and even through the por-
celain, a remarkable freak of the light
ming The table cloth was dotted with
small holes that had been burned It it.
The globes above the table we're shat
/ tered and fell in a heap on the table
No other part of the house was dam
aged.
Mr.. Morris was just recovering
from the shock Of this accident when
he was notified that his fibre plant at
Tenth and Wilson streets, had been
struck by lightning and was on fire
The lightning had followed some
wires into the building and after
passing through the motor had sci
fire to the floor, the ceiling and the
floor below.
The lightning hit a piece OF ma
ch;nery that operates all the othel
machinery in the plant and com
!, pletely put it out of commission.
another was damaged.
The fremen did effective work il
) extinguishing the blaze. Mr.. Morris
estimated the damage at $4,000.
Bolt Hits Church Steeple.
Lightning struck the steeple on th'
colored Baptist church at Eighth ant
Scott streets. and knocked down a por
ton Of the tower and then swep
! along the roof, tearing off the shingles
: and scattering them in every direc
ton.
The lightning played a strange
prank in the home of Mrs. Sherme
Stradley, at No. 3O9 Washington street
= 1t seemed to come in through al
3 open window and strike the stean
pipes which it followed to radiator
. This it overturned, and then fiashe'
: out the window without doing an,
other damage.
The lightning followed wires int
the plant of the Wilmington Automo
? bile Repair Company at Fifth an
I Tatnall streets. and broke a waite
pipe. The water completely floode
the place.
A telegraph pole a Fifth and Tatnal
streets was struck and the box o.
top of il, containing many high ten
sion electric light wires, burst int
: names The fire shot high into the al
I, and burned fiercely for some time.
Z Some of the colored people Twin
4 in the neighborhood rushed into tn
j street shouting that the world
: burning up"
MeVov pufIdfno, namaupd
o A large section of the side of III
Q McVey Building, at Eighth and MAJ
L ket streets. was torn off People wn
{ were huddled in nearby doorways an
e under convenient awnings at the tim
e said there was a binding fash
d light and a sharp report and then the
s saw a part of the wall hanging sur
pending over the sidewalk.
% The mass Of plaster and other m;
h terial swayed in the wind. threater
y ing to fall almost any minute. PS
v lice hurried to the scene and kel
h people from passing under IL. Patro
e man McGillion was assisting in tr,
l. ing to get the mass loose and tab
y It down to avoid further danger whe
n Il suddenly fell. Before he could s.
out of the way II crushed his rigl
i hand and he had to seek medical e
L. tention to have the wound dressed.
H. Lightning struck trolley ca
e at Third and Pine streets, settin
: fire to the woodwork. There wei
eight or ten passengers on the car
the time and they we're badly frigh
ened although not injured The r.
lance Fire Company extinguishs
the blaze
A tree at Sixth and Jeffersc
streets was struck and torn up
fell across the trolley wire of u
Peoples Railway Company and con
pletely blacked all traffic along Six
street and South Harrison street f.
more than an hour.
Wind Does Damage.
The wind smashed in a big bu
window on the second floor of
building on Market street. abo'
Sixth street. which is occupied by Il
Prudential Insurance Company. I'll
show window of plate glass in q
CONTINUED on Second Page.)