The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-30
LIGHTNING STRIKES HOUSE WITHOUT DISTURBING INMATES
Bucket Brigade Led by James Me- Shane Holds Flames in Check Until Chemical Arrives.
STAMFORD
Especial to The Farmer. ]

\SpGC4dI lO | HS
 Stratford, July 30.-During the elec-
 trical storm yesterday afternoon light
 ming struck the house owned and oc-
 cupied by Richard Pierce opposite the
 Franklin school on Barnum avenue.
 Mrs. Pierce and several children were
 in the house at the time but escaped
 uninjured. In fact they did not know
 that the house was struck until James
 McShane, who conducts grocery
 store on the opposite side of the ave-
 nue, notified them. The bolt struck
 the roof on the southeast corner and
 passed down through the building into
 the ground. MT. McShane was stand
 ing in his store when the bolt struck
 and describes the crash which accom-
 panied the bolt graphically. "It
 seemed said Mir. McShane, 'it1at an
 explosion had taken place inside for
 around the house z He rushed across
 the street and notified Mrs. Pierce, also calling out the neighborhood. He
 seized pail of water and began oper-d
 ations on the corner of the roof where
 flames had appeared In few min-
 utes he had we'll organized corps of
 assistants passing water. An alarm
 was sent in and the volunteer hremen
 kept the flames in check by vigorous
 work until the chemical arrived and
 stream of water turned into the build- ing. It was raining hard when the alarm came in and the f1remen were soaked before they had proceeded far on the journey up the hill. Chief Jud- son gives the residents of the vicinity great credit for their intelligent work which held the flames in check and. limited the damage to a small sum while the chemical was on its way. The blinding flash and deafening crash which accompanied the bolt attracted much attention in the town and al-l most every householder made an in-l spection of his premises to ascertain if the lightning had struck his prop erty.
 Stratford Inn, was run over by a troll ley car and killed under the wheels yesterday Jim" was we'll known in town and had many friends. He was an intelligent and aniable feline, very lsociable in his tastes and fond of com a date with Miss Tabitha'' across the street when fate overlook him. "He| done the best he couldps might be the most appropriate epitaph for the faithful animal. His int1mateE at the Inn will miss him sadly.
 The biggest bass ever caught in the. Housatonic river was on exhibition in the window of Tuttle's drug store last night. The big fish measured 4S inches in length and weighed 36 pounds when "Shang', Wheeler early Monday morn | ing. "Shang'' is now entitled to the championship without any question l Captain Charles Plumb was with. Wheeler when lthe monster struck and aided Shang materially by. his man. | ipuIation of the boat. It required an hours hard and exciting work to con- quer the big fish. At times the strug- gle seemed about to end in favor of the fish. but skillful manipulation of | the light rod in the hands of an ex- pert finally resulted successfully and | the big fellow rolled up on his side | close to the boat and was taken in. This season has seen many big bass caught in the river, many having been taken which were never reported.
 The members of the Stratford Equal Franchise league will meet at the res | idence of Mrs. R0Samunda c. W1nton, 1 tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock. At this meeting all those who were not present at the meeting last week VII VII be welcomed and their names added to the charter roll Organization will be perfected and officers elected at this meeting. A large attendance IS tdesired to make the election of officers as representative as possible. Every woman in the town interested in the movement is invited to be present and sign ile roll The league starts off with brilliant prospects and the desire of the promoters to make the local league cover every class and condi- tion in the town should operate to bring out a large number of women Axel Risberg is building a house at North Shelton which he will occupy when finished Fuzzy" Anderson has completed the foundation and MT. RiSberg will build the house with his own hands.
 Gus Johnson has begun two family house. on the corner of North and F'airview avenues The building will be modern in every way, equipped lWith all improvements and credit to fhe Y1aighh0rhOod Tuttle,s drug store has arrived at it's destination and has been lowered on it's foundation after it's short Journey. Nicholson & Reed of Bridgeport. who years, did the job. Although the drug store building is old the work was done so smoothly that not a bottle on the shelves was disturbed and busi- ness went along as usual While the transfer was in operation.
 Captain and Mrs. A. Bedell Benja- min are at Burlington. Vt, enjoying perfect health and the beauties of the locality They will return to their home here in the early fall.
 Friends of the Stratford patients in the Bridgeport hospital await news
 from that institution anxiously. Mrs. Robert Wheeler is recovering rapidly
 and will be discharged this week.
 rapidly but will be compelled to re-
 main at the hospital for several weeks.
 Mrs. Ava Baker is still very i'll but
 is on the road to recovery. Mrs. D. c.
 Wood is slowly improving and her
 stay is indefinite Mrs. Frank Ladd
 is still in a precarious condition but
 her physicians give hope of her ulti-
 mate recovery.
 Members of St. James, Sunday
 school went to Savin Rock yesterday
 on the annual picnic of the church
 Special cars took the big crowd to the
 Rock and day of unalloyed enjoy
 ment followed. The showers did not
 dampen the spirits of the party
 The aerodrome from which the avia-
 tion corps connected with the n1ili-
 tary manoeuvres will operate has been located on the property of Swan Brew
 ster at Paradise Green where a level
 stretch of ground presents the much
 sought-for natural advantages This
 feature of the mimic war will attract
 much attention and crowds of people
 ness the flights of the aviators. Strat-
 war game which will be so near the
 real thing that a very good idea of
 conditions in actual warfare may be
 gained. There will be some danger in
 connection with the manoeuvreS, but
 no actual blood shed The Socialists
 of the town will have an opportunity
 to study human nature when fired by
 the sounds of marching feet and beat
 ing drums. The events of the next
 few weeks will demonstrate whether
 the blood lust has been bred out of
 the people of this town which should