Norwich bulletin., 1912-07-12

Accompanied by & crashing thunder storm which made a record for electrl- cal disturbances in this city, torrent of rain arrived here at about Z.oU o'clock to break the long drouth under which the country has been parcning since the early part of June. For halI an hour the rain came down in sofia sheets, sending the 'unprepared scut- ting to shelter in all parts of the city, while the vivid and frequent flashes or forked lightning had the timorous shuddering with apprehension or where It was likely to strike next.
 Three houses in the Falls were re- ported struck, but without serious damage, a queer lot of pranks was played when the electric fluid struck at the home of Supervisor Alfred Da- wis, below the state hospital, a dozen trees were split in different parts or the city, and the trolley service, cleo tric lights and power from the city station interrupted, and circuits on the fire alarm system burned out
 In the first heavy fall of rain, which lasted f6r about half an hour, the sur face coating of all the sidehill streets was brought washing down on to the levels, but no bad washouts were learned of. After the heavy pour of the first half hour the rain slackened but continued in a well regulated downpour for about half an hour long CT. It was the first rain which Nor wich has seen since a light shower on June 24 which scarcely wet the sur face of the ground.
 At the central fire station Chief Stanton was on hand watching the switchboard and putting in the fuses as fast as they were burned out. In the first fash the fuses on the Preston and Laurel Hill circuits were burned out, and before the storm was over six circuits has been burned out All were put back into working order be- fore the. rain had fairly ceased falling, except that a pair of wires was burned clean off on a pole at the Boswell ave nue park, cutting out box 25, which Chief Stanton did not try to repair. Thursday night. as he would have to run a pair of wires. When the current came in over the switchboard the flame shot out in a three-foot jet, making the switchboard room a nervous place to work in while the storm was on.
 About 100 local telephone lines were put out of commission, and the repair men were out putting some in order after the storm. but expected to do most of the york today by an early start this morning. They may find more lines than have already been re- ported. In many telephones the first flash of lightning seemed to be the one that did the business as they cracked sharply when the Storm broke with the opening crash of thunder and light ming. No telephone poles or wires were down.
 At the city electric light plant there rNra nl lgn fkD al si,a lights around the city went out half a dozen times during she storm. It caught the motion picture houses just in the midst of their shows and in one house just at the critical point where the uplifted knife of the hero was to be plunged into the villain, who there by was saved the fate he so richly de- served.
 In the Shetucket river the effect of the sudden downpour was visible after the. storm. as it's clear waters under the Laurel Fill bridge were filled with mud fram the sewers that discharged into it.
 Queer Franks at 5reswster's Neck.
 At the home of Supervisor Alfred Davis, on the road below the state hospital. the lightning played around in terrifying shape. but without set ting fire to the house after it had rip- ped things to pieces in one room. 1t hit the sidewalk in front of the house, tore that up and passed from there into one of the rooms of the dwelling. Here it broke a mirror on a shelf split the mentelpece into fragments, and melted lamp chimneys An unverified rumor was to the effect that a small boy who was standing between the sidewalk and the house when the bolt descended had print of the foliage plainly photographed on his hip.
 Three Houses at Falls Struck.
 Three houses near the Falls were struck by lightning Thursday after noon. but little damage resulted. A bolt struck the roof of the house oc- cupied by Mrs. George E. Palmer. No. S7 Lafayette street, and ripped off a part of the tin covering. The wood work underneath the tin was set on fire, but was quickly put out by neigh bors. Another bolt struck a lightning rod on a chimney of the house owned and occupied by MT. and Mrs. l.. W. Pratt, No 105 Williams street The thiEd house that was struck was at 79 Lafayette street occupied by George Parkinson and family.
 Several Trees Struck.
 On West Main strett near the First Baptist church the trolley wire and also the feed wire for the trolley were brought down into the street by a tree struck down by the storm. It happen ed shortly before o'clock, and no more ears could be sent to the end of the line until 5.90 o'clock. The com pany's linemen were sent over as soon as possible and they got the wires up out of the street and the cars were running as usual in the evening. There were no otherf overhead damages to the trolley system and no washouts by the heavy downpour.
 Two cars on the Yantic line were burned out and got to the square us- ing the hand brakes.
 At the height of the storm the troll ley company took the precautionary measure of shutting down the Thames vile power plant, preferring to hold the road up for a short time rather than run the risk of getting burned out.
 In the yard at the home of MT. and Mrs. Thomas Buckley on Penobscot street, East Side. a crabapple tree was